In New York practice, notarial authentication is a step performed by the county clerk, not by the notary. The booklet defines it as a certificate subjoined by the county clerk to a certificate of proof, acknowledgment, or oath signed by a notary; the purpose is to authenticate or verify the notary public’s authority to act. The statutory basis appears in Executive Law §133.
This is one of the most New York-specific glossary terms because it sits between the ordinary notarial act and further use of the document, especially when a document will be used outside the county or outside the state. It is also easy to confuse with a certificate of official character, which is a related but distinct document under Executive Law §132.
Practical note: The notary does not “authenticate” their own signature. That later certification comes from the county clerk.
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