A general affidavit is a written statement in which a person, known as the affiant, swears or affirms that the information stated in the document is true.

Common intended uses: Confirming facts, explaining circumstances, documenting an event, supporting a request, responding to an agency, or providing a sworn statement when no specialized affidavit has been supplied.

Notarization: A general affidavit ordinarily contains a jurat. The signer must personally appear, swear or affirm that the statement is true, and sign in the notary’s presence.

Source: Obtain the required affidavit from the organization requesting it. The Arkansas Secretary of State provides public affidavit and acknowledgment templates, but a general template may not satisfy a specific court, agency, or recipient.

Added note: The signer is responsible for the statements in the affidavit. NSSS cannot compose the statement, decide which facts to include, or verify whether those facts are true.

An affidavit of identity is a sworn statement used to confirm a person’s legal identity or connect that person to particular records, names, accounts, or documents.

Common intended uses: Identity verification, account corrections, licensing, school records, government applications, ownership records, or resolving discrepancies between documents.

Notarization: The affidavit commonly requires a jurat, meaning the signer must swear or affirm that its contents are true and sign in the notary’s presence.

Source: Obtain the affidavit from the agency, institution, court, employer, or organization requesting identity verification.

Added note: Notarization verifies the signer’s identity for the notarial act. It does not establish citizenship, immigration status, legal ownership, or eligibility for a government benefit or account.

This affidavit states that different versions, spellings, abbreviations, maiden names, married names, or other variations refer to the same person.

Common intended uses: Correcting or explaining name differences on identification, school records, employment records, financial accounts, titles, licenses, or government documents.

Notarization: Yes, the affidavit generally requires the signer to swear or affirm that the name information is true.

Source: Obtain the recipient’s required form whenever one is available. An agency may instead require a certified marriage record, divorce decree, court order, amended record, or other official evidence.

Added note: A notarized affidavit does not legally change a person’s name or amend an official government record.

An affidavit of residence or domicile is a sworn statement identifying where a person resides or considers their permanent legal home.

Common intended uses: School enrollment, licensing, government programs, court matters, tax-related requests, insurance, or confirmation of a permanent address.

Notarization: The form commonly includes a jurat and may require supporting proof such as identification, utility records, a lease, or official correspondence.

Source: Obtain the exact affidavit and evidence requirements from the school, agency, court, employer, insurer, or other organization requesting it.

Added note: The notary does not investigate where the signer lives or determine the signer’s legal domicile.

This affidavit describes a document, certificate, title, identification record, or other item that was lost, destroyed, or cannot be located.

Common intended uses: Requesting replacement records, explaining missing documents, supporting title or licensing transactions, or satisfying an agency’s replacement procedure.

Notarization: Notarization is required when the form includes a jurat or directs the signer to swear or affirm the circumstances.

Source: Obtain the official replacement form from the agency, court, institution, or organization that issued or requires the missing document.

Added note: A notarized affidavit does not automatically cancel, replace, or invalidate the missing document.

This affidavit is a sworn statement concerning a person’s ownership, possession, acquisition, or transfer of personal property other than real estate.

Common intended uses: Equipment, tools, household property, collectibles, trailers, machinery, recreational property, or property for which ordinary ownership records are incomplete.

Notarization: Requirements depend on the recipient and transaction. A sworn ownership statement generally requires a jurat.

Source: Obtain the required form from the agency, insurer, court, purchaser, licensing authority, or other organization handling the property.

Added note: Notarization does not prove ownership, establish clear title, remove a lien, or resolve competing ownership claims.

An affidavit of correction explains an error in an existing document or record and states the information believed to be correct.

Common intended uses: Correcting typographical mistakes, names, dates, identification numbers, transaction information, or other record discrepancies.

Notarization: Many correction affidavits require the signer to swear or affirm that the corrected information is true.

Source: Use the correction form supplied or approved by the organization that maintains or receives the original record.

Added note: Not every error can be corrected by affidavit. The responsible agency or recordkeeper determines whether an affidavit, amended document, court order, or other procedure is required.

An affidavit of non-receipt is a sworn statement that a payment, check, card, certificate, notice, shipment, record, or other expected item was not received.

Common intended uses: Replacement-payment requests, missing-check claims, benefit matters, insurance payments, mailed documents, and administrative investigations.

Notarization: The requesting organization may require the signer to swear or affirm the statement before a notary.

Source: Obtain the exact affidavit from the company, agency, insurer, financial institution, employer, or other organization responsible for the missing item.

Added note: Notarization does not establish that the item was never delivered or guarantee that a replacement will be issued.

This affidavit states that a signature, transaction, endorsement, application, or other act was not made or authorized by the signer.

Common intended uses: Disputed transactions, altered records, unauthorized transfers, identity-theft reports, or internal investigations.

Notarization: The requesting organization may require the statement to be sworn or affirmed before a notary.

Source: Obtain the official form from the agency, business, insurer, financial institution, law-enforcement agency, or other organization investigating the matter.

Added note: The notary does not determine whether forgery, fraud, identity theft, or another crime occurred.

A vehicle bill of sale records a transfer and commonly identifies the buyer, seller, vehicle, sale date, purchase price, and odometer reading.

Common intended uses: Private vehicle sales, title applications, registration, sales-tax documentation, and proof of transfer.

Notarization: Arkansas’s combined bill-of-sale and odometer form contains buyer and seller signature fields but does not automatically require notarization. Another jurisdiction, lender, court, or recipient may impose additional requirements.

Source: Arkansas DFA — Vehicle Bill of Sale and Odometer Disclosure Statement

Additional forms: Arkansas DFA — Motor Vehicle Forms

Added note: Confirm whether the assigned certificate of title, lien documentation, identification, tax records, or additional signatures are also required.

Vehicle-title affidavits are used to explain, support, replace, or correct information associated with a vehicle title or ownership record.

Common intended uses: Title corrections, alterations, reconstructed vehicles, inheritance, repossession, missing assignments, or other title-related circumstances.

Notarization: Requirements vary by form. Many DFA affidavits contain specific signature and notarization instructions that must be followed exactly.

Source: Arkansas DFA — Motor Vehicle Forms

Added note: The Arkansas DFA forms directory includes separate affidavits for different circumstances. NSSS cannot select the correct title affidavit or determine who legally owns the vehicle.

A replacement-title application is used when an Arkansas certificate of title has been lost, damaged, or otherwise needs to be replaced.

Common intended uses: Replacing a missing title or obtaining another title record when permitted by DFA.

Notarization: Follow DFA’s current application and ownership instructions. Additional signatures, lienholder authorization, identification, or notarized supporting documents may be required depending on the circumstances.

Source: Arkansas DFA — Replacement Titles

Added note: A replacement-title application does not transfer ownership. DFA determines applicant eligibility and required supporting documents.

A vehicle lien release documents that a recorded lien has been satisfied. A lienholder authorization may permit issuance of a replacement title while the lien remains recorded.

Common intended uses: Clearing a satisfied lien, correcting a vehicle record, or authorizing DFA to issue a replacement title.

Notarization: Follow the current DFA form and instructions. Not every lien-release document contains a notarial certificate.

Source: Arkansas DFA — Official Release of Lien or Permission to Issue a Replacement Title

Added note: The lienholder—not the notary—determines whether the lien has been satisfied and whether authorization should be given.

Boat or Vessel Bill of Sale and OwnersBoat documents record the sale, transfer, registration, or ownership of a vessel.

Common intended uses: Private boat sales, registration, ownership transfers, replacement records, and documentation of vessel information.

Notarization: Requirements depend on the exact transaction, prior ownership record, agency form, and registration instructions. A supporting affidavit or bill of sale may require notarization in some circumstances.

Source: Obtain current registration and ownership instructions from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration and boating information from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Added note: Confirm whether the prior registration, manufacturer’s statement of origin, bill of sale, identification, tax documentation, or other ownership evidence is required.hip Documents

A general bill of sale records the transfer of personal property from a seller to a buyer.

Common intended uses: Equipment, machinery, tools, recreational items, livestock, household property, collectibles, or other property not transferred through a real-estate deed.

Notarization: A general bill of sale is not automatically required to be notarized. The recipient, applicable agency, transaction agreement, or another jurisdiction may require an acknowledged signature or supporting affidavit.

Source: Use the form required by the agency or organization that will receive the bill of sale. If no agency is involved, the parties are responsible for obtaining an appropriate document.

Added note: Notarization does not prove ownership, establish that the property is free of liens, verify its condition, or guarantee the enforceability of the sale.

A gift affidavit states that property was transferred voluntarily without an ordinary purchase price or other expected payment.

Common intended uses: Gifts of vehicles, equipment, recreational property, or other personal property.

Notarization: The agency or organization processing the transfer determines whether a notarized gift affidavit, bill of sale, tax form, title assignment, or other documentation is required.

Source: Obtain the required form and tax instructions from the agency responsible for registering or recording the property.

Added note: A notary cannot determine whether a transfer legally qualifies as a gift or explain its tax consequences.

A signature by mark may be used by a person who cannot produce a conventional handwritten signature and instead signs with a mark or symbol.

Common intended uses: Documents signed by an individual with a physical limitation, limited literacy, or another circumstance preventing an ordinary signature.

Notarization: Special signing and witness procedures may apply. The document, recipient, and applicable law must permit the method used.

Source: Confirm the procedure with the document issuer, receiving organization, or a licensed attorney before the appointment. General notary information is available from the Arkansas Secretary of State — Notary Public.

Added note: Contact NSSS before scheduling so the document, signer’s circumstances, witness requirements, and available notarization method can be reviewed.

NSSS may administer an oath or affirmation when it is required as part of an eligible written affidavit or other document presented for notarization.

Common intended uses: Affidavits, sworn written statements, and other documents containing a jurat or clear instructions requiring the signer to swear or affirm that the written statements are true.

Notarization: The signer must personally appear before the notary, knowingly take the oath or affirmation, and sign in the notary’s presence. The completed document must contain the appropriate notarial certificate or clearly identify the required notarial act.

Source: Obtain the completed document and signing instructions from the attorney, court, agency, business, or other organization that prepared or will receive it.

Added note: NSSS does not administer oaths for depositions, oral testimony, court proceedings, hearings, examinations, or similar proceedings. NSSS does not schedule depositions, prepare statements or testimony, act as a court reporter, create notarial certificates, or determine the legal sufficiency of an oath, affidavit, or other document.

A written consent records a person’s voluntary permission for a stated activity, decision, disclosure, or transaction.

Common intended uses: Participation in an activity, release of information, access to property, use of an image or likeness, or permission requested by an organization.

Notarization: General consent forms are not automatically notarized. Notarization may be required by the form, requested by the recipient, or used when an acknowledged signature is needed.

Source: Obtain the consent form from the organization, agency, school, facility, or other party requesting it.

Added note: Family, medical, travel, business, financial, and real-estate consents should be placed in their corresponding Document Resource Library sections.

This authorization permits a named person or organization to release specified records or information to another party.

Common intended uses: Educational records, employment records, insurance information, background information, account records, or other private information.

Notarization: Many release forms require only a signature. Notarization is needed only when required by the form or receiving organization.

Source: Obtain the current authorization from the organization that maintains or will receive the records.

Added note: Medical-record and HIPAA authorizations belong on the Advance Healthcare Directives page. The notary cannot determine the scope or duration of the authorization.

This authorization allows another person to retrieve, receive, transport, or take possession of specified personal property.

Common intended uses: Retrieving belongings, picking up stored property, receiving a shipment, accessing a storage unit, or collecting property from a business or agency.

Notarization: Requirements are determined by the person or organization holding the property. The recipient may require an acknowledged signature, identification copies, witnesses, or its own authorization form.

Source: Obtain the required document from the business, storage facility, agency, property holder, or other recipient.

Added note: The authorization should clearly identify the property, authorized person, permitted action, and any expiration date. NSSS cannot draft or define those terms.

A liability waiver or release states that a signer accepts specified risks, releases claims, or authorizes participation in an activity.

Common intended uses: Recreational activities, events, property access, equipment use, settlements, or participation in programs.

Notarization: Most ordinary waivers are not automatically required to be notarized. The organization supplying the waiver determines whether an acknowledgment, witnesses, or another signing procedure is required.

Source: Obtain the waiver directly from the organization, event operator, property owner, insurer, attorney, or other party requesting it.

Added note: A notary cannot explain the legal effect of releasing claims or advise whether a signer should agree to the waiver.

A court affidavit is a written statement of facts made under oath or affirmation. A verified filing contains factual statements that the signer confirms in the manner required by the form or court rules.

Common intended uses: Civil cases, probate proceedings, small-claims matters, motions, petitions, responses, and requests for court action.

Notarization: Notarization is required when the document contains a jurat, requires an oath or affirmation, or directs the signer to sign before a notary. Some filings use an unsworn declaration instead.

Source: Arkansas Judiciary — Court Forms

Added note: Use the exact form and case caption required by the court. NSSS cannot prepare pleadings, select forms, explain court procedure, or advise what a person should file.

This affidavit documents that a person delivered, mailed, posted, published, or otherwise provided a notice or document as described in the statement.

Common intended uses: Court proceedings, administrative matters, notices, contract requirements, and other situations in which delivery must be documented.

Notarization: An affidavit of service ordinarily requires the signer to swear or affirm the statement before a notary. Court rules may require service by a sheriff, certified process server, or another qualified person.

Source: Obtain the required form from the court, agency, attorney, or organization responsible for the notice. Arkansas provides an official Process Server Affidavit for qualifying process-server matters.

Added note: Notarization does not establish that the method of service was legally sufficient or that the signer was authorized to serve the document.

An affidavit of indigency provides sworn financial information to support a request to proceed without paying certain court fees or costs.

Common intended uses: Requests for a filing-fee waiver, appointment of counsel when applicable, or other court determinations based on financial circumstances.

Notarization: Follow the current court form. If it contains a jurat, the signer must swear or affirm the information before a notary.

Source: Arkansas Judiciary — Court Forms

Added note: The court—not the notary—determines eligibility. A notary cannot advise which expenses to list, calculate eligibility, or guarantee approval.

An agency affidavit is a sworn statement used to verify information requested by a government office or licensing authority.

Common intended uses: Benefits, permits, occupational licensing, unemployment matters, public assistance, tax administration, identity verification, or regulatory compliance.

Notarization: Requirements depend on the agency’s current form. Sign before a notary only when the form contains a notarial certificate or specific notarization instructions.

Source: Obtain the current document directly from the responsible agency. Arkansas agencies and services can be located through the Arkansas.gov Services Directory.

Added note: NSSS cannot determine eligibility, explain how application questions should be answered, or guarantee agency approval.

This is a sworn statement concerning a person’s qualifications, experience, identity, education, continuing education, conduct, or professional credentials.

Common intended uses: License applications, license renewals, professional credentialing, background reviews, and regulatory filings.

Notarization: Notarization is required when the licensing form includes a jurat, oath, affirmation, or instruction to sign before a notary.

Source: Obtain the current form directly from the applicable licensing board, regulatory agency, or credentialing organization.

Added note: A notary does not verify professional qualifications or determine whether an applicant meets licensing requirements.

Some petitions, applications, and certifications require the signer to acknowledge a signature or swear that the information is true.

Common intended uses: Permits, licenses, court requests, government applications, registrations, and recipient-specific approvals.

Notarization: The form controls the required notarial act. A jurat requires an oath or affirmation and a signature in the notary’s presence. An acknowledgment requires the signer to personally appear and acknowledge signing voluntarily for the stated purpose.

Source: Obtain the current form from the court, agency, board, institution, or other organization that will receive it.

Added note: NSSS cannot select the notarial act. If the form does not identify the required act, the signer must contact the issuer, recipient, or a licensed attorney.

A copy-custodian affidavit is a signer’s sworn or acknowledged statement that an attached copy is a true and correct copy of a document in the signer’s possession.

Common intended uses: Copies of diplomas, credentials, private records, identification, contracts, licenses, or other documents when the receiving organization permits a custodian affidavit.

Notarization: The notary notarizes the custodian’s signature and statement. The notary does not certify or authenticate the original document.

Source: Confirm acceptance with the receiving organization before using a copy-custodian affidavit. Arkansas notary guidance is available from the Arkansas Secretary of State — Notary Frequently Asked Questions.

Added note: Arkansas notaries cannot make and certify copies of birth certificates, other vital records, or public records. Certified copies must be obtained from the government office or official custodian that maintains the record.

This affidavit is used when a person declares that an attached copy of a diploma, transcript, certificate, license, or professional credential is a true copy of the document in their possession.

Common intended uses: Employment, education, licensing, foreign study, international employment, or submission to another institution.

Notarization: The signer’s affidavit may be notarized if the receiving organization accepts this procedure. The notary does not certify that the school, licensing authority, or credential itself is authentic.

Source: First request an official or certified record from the issuing institution. For foreign use, review the Arkansas Secretary of State — Apostille and Certification Requirements.

Added note: Many recipients require an official record sent directly by the issuing institution and will not accept a privately produced copy.

A translator’s affidavit is a signed statement in which a translator declares that a translation is complete and accurate to the best of the translator’s knowledge and ability.

Common intended uses: Foreign-language records submitted for education, employment, licensing, court, immigration-related support, or international transactions.

Notarization: The translator’s signature may be notarized when required by the recipient. The translator—not the notary—is responsible for the translation and its accuracy.

Source: Obtain the recipient’s translation and certification requirements before arranging the translation or notarization.

Added note: NSSS does not provide translation or interpretation services and does not certify the translator’s qualifications unless separately supported by documentation supplied to the recipient.

A foreign-language document is written partly or entirely in a language other than English.

Common intended uses: International business, education, property, family matters, government submissions, and personal transactions.

Notarization: An eligible signature on a foreign-language document may be notarized when the notarial certificate is in English and the notary can communicate directly with the signer. Additional translation or authentication requirements may apply.

Source: Arkansas Secretary of State — Notary Frequently Asked Questions

Added note: NSSS does not translate or interpret the document. If an apostille or authentication will be requested, confirm the Arkansas Secretary of State’s current translation requirements before notarization.

An apostille or certificate of authentication verifies the authority and signature of the public official or notary shown on a qualifying document for use in another country.

Common intended uses: International education, employment, marriage, business, dual citizenship, adoption, immigration-related supporting records, and foreign administrative matters.

Notarization: Some private documents must first be properly notarized. Official vital, court, or agency records may instead require a certified copy from the issuing government office. The Arkansas Secretary of State—not the notary—issues the apostille or authentication.

Source: Arkansas Secretary of State — Apostille and Certification

Added note: Requirements depend on the destination country and document type. NSSS does not issue apostilles, choose documents for foreign use, or guarantee acceptance by a foreign authority.