A verified pleading is not every signed pleading
An ordinary federal pleading does not. Rule 11(a) says that unless a rule or statute specifically states otherwise, a pleading need not be verified or accompanied by an affidavit. The signature is not a jurat.
Published and reviewed by iRemoteNotary
Last reviewed October 8, 2026
Does a federal pleading have to be notarized?
An ordinary federal pleading does not. Rule 11(a) says that unless a rule or statute specifically states otherwise, a pleading need not be verified or accompanied by an affidavit. The signature is not a jurat.
When verification is required, the method is the one that rule, statute, or form states. In Florida, §92.525 allows an oath before an authorized officer or the prescribed written declaration. The notary does not decide whether verification is required.
Execution at a glance
| Question | This workflow |
|---|---|
| Execution classification | FORM_VERSION_SPECIFIC |
| Traditional notarial act | FORM_SPECIFIC_CERTIFICATE |
| Declaration alternative | FORM_SPECIFIC |
| Recipient acceptance of remote notarization | NO_EXPRESS_SOURCE_IDENTIFIED |
| Reviewed | 2026-10-08 |
Ordinary signature versus verification
Rule 11(a) requires the attorney of record, or the unrepresented party, to sign and to state an address, email address, and telephone number. An unsigned paper is stricken unless the omission is promptly corrected.
A paper that supports a motion can still be an affidavit or a §1746 declaration when the rule that demands support says so. That supporting paper is not the pleading’s ordinary signature. This page does not say what to plead or how to respond.
Florida §92.525, when verification is required
The 2025 compilation says that if a law, administrative rule, or court rule or order requires a document to be verified, the verification may be an oath or affirmation before an officer authorized under §92.50, an oath or affirmation before an officer authorized under §117.10, or the written declaration in subsection (2).
That declaration reads: “Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have read the foregoing [document] and that the facts stated in it are true,” signed immediately below. “Verified” in this statute means the person signs and states under oath or affirmation that the facts are true, or words of that import. It does not mean every verified paper is notarized.
A clerk may take the oath only when the chosen method is an oath before an officer who is authorized to do so. The notary does not choose the method and does not decide that a pleading must be verified.
No express recipient-acceptance source was identified in the official materials reviewed. Remote online notarization is performed under the law of the online notary's commissioning state. When the commission is a Florida commission, Florida Statutes §§117.209, 117.215, and 117.265 describe the online notarial act. They do not say a court, agency, or company accepts the result.
What to send
Not sure whether your exact court or recipient form requires a notarial act? Send the unsigned document and recipient instructions for review.
If the page prints a jurat or acknowledgment, that visible certificate is the act to review. If it does not, do not add one.
No express recipient-acceptance source was identified in the official materials reviewed. Remote online notarization is performed under the law of the online notary's commissioning state.
Send the unsigned document
Not sure whether your exact court or recipient form requires a notarial act? Send the unsigned document and recipient instructions for review.
Related pages
Sources and Official References
The following primary sources support the legal and procedural information in this guide. Requirements can change, so confirm current rules with the receiving organization before relying on a notarized document.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(a)(opens in a new tab)
U.S. Courts
Accessed October 8, 2026
Florida Statutes §92.525 (2025)(opens in a new tab)
Florida Senate
Accessed October 8, 2026
28 U.S.C. §1746, 2024 edition(opens in a new tab)
GovInfo
Accessed October 8, 2026
Document review
Not sure whether your exact court or recipient form requires a notarial act? Send the unsigned document and recipient instructions for review.