Rule 15.Affirmation Instead of Oath
Part I. General Administration · Last amended January 1, 2019 · Last verified September 4, 2026
Full Text of Rule 15
Rule History
Added Aug. 30, 2018, effective Jan. 1, 2019.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 15 is the shortest rule in the set. When these rules require an oath, a solemn affirmation suffices.
The provision exists so that a person whose beliefs or conscience prevent them swearing an oath is not shut out of the process, and so that no one has to argue about it at the moment of testifying. It is unconditional — no showing is required, no permission is needed, and the rule states no exception.
Its reach is every oath these rules require. That takes in testimony at a hearing or trial under Rule 77, a deposition under Rule 57, and the sworn statement a notary administers for a verification under Rule 14(a) — where the definition already reads "a sworn statement before a notary public or other officer who is authorized to administer an oath".
Rule 14(c) does related work from another direction: for everything outside its four listed documents, an unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury takes the place of a sworn one entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to swear an oath to testify?
Rule 15 provides that when these rules require an oath, a solemn affirmation suffices.
Do I need permission to affirm instead of swearing?
The rule states no condition, requires no showing, and provides no exception.
Does this apply to a deposition?
Rule 15 applies wherever these rules require an oath, which includes testimony taken under Rule 57 as well as at a hearing or trial.
What about documents that must be sworn?
Rule 14(a) defines a written verification as a sworn statement before a notary public or other officer authorized to administer an oath, and Rule 14(c) allows an unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury to satisfy a verification requirement outside the four documents Rule 14(a) lists.