SS stands for "subscribed and sworn" — it marks where the notary certifies they watched you sign
SS on a notary form is shorthand for "subscribed and sworn." It appears in the notary's certification block — the paragraph the notary fills out after witnessing your signature. The letters tell anyone reading the document that the notary personally saw you sign it and heard you swear or affirm that the contents are true.
The term comes from old legal language. "Subscribed" means you signed the document in front of the notary. "Sworn" means you made an oath or affirmation that what you signed is accurate. When both happened, the notary writes "SS" as shorthand to confirm it. Some notaries write out the full phrase instead, but SS is the standard abbreviation you will see on most forms.
This matters because SS tells the person or organisation receiving the document that a neutral third party — the notary — verified your identity and watched the signing happen. Banks, courts, and government agencies rely on this mark to know the document is legitimate.
Key Takeaways
- SS means the notary watched you sign the document and heard you swear or affirm the contents are true.
- The notary writes SS in their certification block, the paragraph they complete after witnessing your signature.
- SS is an abbreviation for "subscribed and sworn," old legal language that confirms both the signature and the oath happened.
- Banks, courts, and government agencies use SS to verify that a neutral third party witnessed the signing and confirmed your identity.
Where SS appears on the notary form
SS sits in the notary's certification block, which is usually at the bottom of the document or on a separate notary page. This block is the paragraph that starts with language like "Before me, the undersigned notary public..." and ends with the notary's signature and seal.
The notary does not fill in SS themselves — it is already printed on the form as part of the standard certification language. The notary's job is to complete the rest of the block by writing the date, the county where the notarization happened, their signature, and their seal. The SS stays in place as a permanent marker that this was a subscribed-and-sworn notarization.
Some forms use SS at the very beginning of the certification block. Others place it in the middle or near the notary's signature line. The exact position varies by form, but it always appears in the notary's section, never in the part you sign.
What happens during a subscribed-and-sworn notarization
When a notary performs a subscribed-and-sworn notarization, three things must occur in front of the notary. First, you must show a government-issued ID so the notary can confirm you are who you say you are. Second, you must sign the document while the notary watches. Third, you must swear or affirm under oath that the information in the document is true and correct.
The oath or affirmation is the key step that makes it "sworn." The notary will ask you to raise your right hand and repeat words like "Do you swear or affirm that the contents of this document are true?" You answer yes, and that oath is now part of the notarization record. Some people think notarization just means a signature was witnessed, but the oath is what makes it legally binding in many situations.
After all three steps are complete, the notary fills out their certification block, includes the SS notation, signs and seals the document, and records the event in their notary journal. This journal is a legal record that the notarization happened on that date with that person.
Why organisations care about SS
Banks, courts, and government offices see SS and know that a licensed notary verified your identity and watched you sign under oath. This reduces fraud. Without SS, a document could be signed by anyone, anywhere, and no one would know if you actually agreed to it.
When you submit a document with SS to a bank for a mortgage or to a court for a legal case, the receiving organisation can trust that the notary did their job correctly. If something goes wrong later — if you claim you never signed it, or if someone forges your signature — the SS notation and the notary's journal record provide proof that you did sign it in front of a witness.
Some documents do not require SS. A notary can perform other types of notarizations, such as a copy certification (confirming a photocopy matches the original) or a signature witnessing (just watching you sign without an oath). Those documents will not have SS because no oath was taken. The presence or absence of SS tells the reader exactly what kind of notarization happened.
SS versus other notary abbreviations
You may see other abbreviations on notary forms. L.S. stands for "locus sigilli," Latin for "place of the seal," and marks where the notary's seal goes. Notary Seal or Notary Public Seal is printed on the form to show where the embossed or stamped seal belongs. These are not the same as SS.
Some forms use Jurat instead of SS. A jurat is the notary's certification that you swore or affirmed the contents under oath. SS and jurat mean roughly the same thing — both confirm the oath happened — but jurat is the full legal term while SS is the abbreviation. If you see "Jurat" on a form, you know an oath was required and taken.
A Notarization or Acknowledgment is different. An acknowledgment notarization means the notary confirmed your identity and watched you sign, but no oath was taken. Acknowledgments do not have SS because there was no "sworn" part. The form will say "Acknowledgment" instead.
What to do if SS is missing from your notarized document
If you receive a notarized document and SS is not in the notary's certification block, the notarization may not be complete. Check whether the form says "Acknowledgment" instead — that is a different type of notarization and does not require SS. If the form should have been subscribed and sworn but SS is missing, the notary may have made an error.
Contact the notary and ask them to clarify what type of notarization they performed. If they made a mistake, they may be able to correct it or re-notarize the document. Do not submit an incomplete notarization to a bank, court, or government office — they will likely reject it and ask you to have it re-notarized correctly.
Keep in mind that the person or organisation requesting the notarization should tell you upfront whether they need a subscribed-and-sworn notarization (with SS) or an acknowledgment (without SS). If they do not specify, ask before you go to the notary. This prevents wasted time and the need to re-notarize.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SS mean the notary guarantees the document is real?
No. SS means the notary confirmed your identity and watched you sign under oath. It does not mean the notary read the entire document or verified that the facts inside are true. The notary's job is to witness the signing and oath, not to investigate whether the information is accurate.
Can a notary notarize a document without SS?
Yes. If the document only needs an acknowledgment notarization, the notary will not include SS. An acknowledgment means the notary confirmed your identity and watched you sign, but no oath was taken. The form will say "Acknowledgment" instead of having SS in the certification block.
What happens if I refuse to swear or affirm during a notarization?
The notary cannot complete the notarization. If you will not take the oath or affirmation, the notary cannot write SS or complete the certification block. You would need to either agree to the oath or ask the notary to perform a different type of notarization, such as an acknowledgment, if the receiving organisation will accept it.
Is SS required on all notary forms?
No. SS only appears on forms that require a subscribed-and-sworn notarization. Many documents only need an acknowledgment notarization, which does not include SS. The person or organisation requesting the notarization will tell you which type they need.
Can I use a document with SS if I notarized it in a different state?
Yes. A notarization with SS is valid across all states. The notary's seal and signature, along with the SS notation, prove the notarization happened and is legally binding no matter where you use the document. However, some organisations may have their own rules about which states' notarizations they accept, so check before you submit it.