What distinguishes a jurat from an acknowledgment?

A jurat is distinguished from an acknowledgment primarily by the requirement of the signer's oath. In a jurat, the signer must swear or affirm that the contents of the document are true to the best of their knowledge, and the notary public certifies that the oath was taken. This process involves the notary witnessing the signature and confirming that the signer has verbally affirmed the truthfulness of the document's contents.

In contrast, an acknowledgment simply requires that the signer appear before the notary and acknowledge that they signed the document voluntarily, without the need for an oath regarding the document's content. The notary's role in this scenario is to confirm the identity of the signer and ensure that they are willingly signing the document, but there is no solemn affirmation of the truthfulness involved as there is in a jurat.

This fundamental difference emphasizes the procedural and substantive requirements of a jurat versus those of an acknowledgment, making the first option the correct distinction between the two.