Differences between Acknowledgement & Jurat

In many cases people get confused as to the difference between an Acknowledgement and a Jurat.  An Acknowledgement is the most common form of notarization performed by most notary public.  In regards to the Acknowledgement, the notary public certifies that the signer: 1) personally appeared before the notary public on the indicated date and county, 2) the notary public identified the signer and 3) the signer acknowledged to the execution of the document.  With an Acknowledgment the signer does not need to sign the document in front of a notary but it is recommended.  Here is what the wording of an Acknowledgement looks like:

A Jurat on the other hand is second in popularity when performing a notarization.  With a Jurat the notary public certifies that 1) the signer personally appeared before the notary public on the indicated date and county, 2) the notary public identified the signer, 3) the signer signed the said document in the presence of the notary public, 4) the notary administered the oath or affirmation.

The signer and not the notary public must choose which form to use for the notarization.  I can not tell you which forms to use for your notarization since it is illegal for me to do so.  In most cases either will do since they both will be notarized but you should always check with the originator who drafted the document and ask them which forms they want notarized.  

See below for sample wording of a Jurat: