What is a notarial certificate?

• A. The portion of a document that contains the notary's statement, signature, and seal
• B. A separate document used to verify authenticity
• C. The notary's personal agreement to the terms
• D. The document's main body text

Answer: (A)

The notarial certificate is the official attestation attached to a document that contains the notary’s statement, signature, and seal. It records what was done in the notarization—such as that the signer appeared, was identified, and either signed the document or took an oath—along with the date and jurisdiction. This certificate provides the formal verification that the document was properly notarized and makes the notarization part of the document itself.

So the description that fits is the portion of the document that carries the notary’s statement, signature, and seal. The other ideas don’t fit: a separate document can exist in other contexts, but the standard notarial certificate is the attached attestation by the notary; it’s not the notary’s personal agreement to the terms, nor is it the document’s main body text.