Where does the California acknowledgment wording come from?

From Civil Code section 1189, which sets the exact all-purpose certificate of acknowledgment for documents notarized and used in California. The Secretary of State publishes a matching sample.

Is the boxed disclaimer required?

Yes. Since 2015 every California acknowledgment must carry the boxed disclaimer at the top, legible and enclosed in a box, stating the notary verifies identity only, not the document's truthfulness.

Can I use a California acknowledgment for an out-of-state document?

A California notary may complete an out-of-state acknowledgment form if it does not require certifying a representative capacity or other findings California law does not allow. For California use, the Civil Code 1189 form applies.

What if the document has no notarial wording?

The notary cannot pick the certificate for you. The signer chooses based on what the receiving agency requires, and the notary then attaches the correct loose certificate with the statutory wording.

California Notary Acknowledgment: Wording & Free Fillable Certificate

This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. The wording below is the statutory California certificate of acknowledgment from Civil Code section 1189; laws change, so confirm the current form with the California Secretary of State. A notary cannot choose which certificate a signer needs or decide the type of notarial act, so this tool fills in the standard statutory wording only.

Quick answer: California sets one all-purpose certificate of acknowledgment in Civil Code section 1189. It must carry a boxed disclaimer at the top, name the venue and the officer, state that the signer "proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence," and close with a penalty-of-perjury statement and "WITNESS my hand and official seal." Fill the certificate below to copy or print the exact wording.

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Fillable California acknowledgment certificate

Type the details and the statutory wording updates live. This fills the standard Civil Code 1189 form; it does not choose the notarial act for you. Use Copy to paste it onto a loose certificate, or Print for a clean sheet.

What is the exact California acknowledgment wording?

The California certificate of acknowledgment must follow the form set in Civil Code section 1189, beginning with a boxed disclaimer that the notary verifies identity only. The full statutory form reads:

A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document.

State of California
County of ______________

On ____________ before me, ____________ (here insert name and title of the officer), personally appeared ____________, who proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person(s) whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged to me that he/she/they executed the same in his/her/their authorized capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument the person(s), or the entity upon behalf of which the person(s) acted, executed the instrument.

I certify under PENALTY OF PERJURY under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing paragraph is true and correct.

WITNESS my hand and official seal.

Signature ____________________________ (Seal)

What must a California acknowledgment include?

Every California acknowledgment needs the same six elements, and leaving one out is what usually voids it:

Element	Why it matters
Boxed disclaimer at the top	Mandatory since 2015; must be legible and enclosed in a box
Venue (State of California, County)	The county is where the signer personally appeared
Name and title of the officer	Identifies the notary taking the acknowledgment
"Satisfactory evidence" language	Confirms identity was established under California rules
Penalty-of-perjury statement	Required exactly as worded; false statements carry liability
"WITNESS my hand and official seal"	Signature and seal complete the certificate

When do you use an acknowledgment instead of a jurat?

You use an acknowledgment when the signer is confirming that they signed a document willingly, not swearing that its contents are true. The signer does not have to sign in front of the notary for an acknowledgment; they only need to personally appear and acknowledge the signature. A jurat is different: the signer swears the contents are true and must sign in the notary's presence, and the jurat carries an oath. The signer or the document decides which one applies, never the notary.

Can a California notary choose the certificate?

No. A California notary public cannot determine the type of notarial act or tell a signer which certificate to use, because that would be the unauthorized practice of law. If a document arrives without notarial wording, the notary asks the signer to choose, or the signer seeks guidance from the agency requesting the document. When the document lacks space or has different wording, the notary attaches a loose certificate of acknowledgment that contains the exact statutory language.

What common mistakes void a California acknowledgment?

The errors that most often invalidate a California acknowledgment are leaving off the boxed disclaimer, using an out-of-state form, forgetting to cross out the inapplicable he/she/they options, missing the county or date, and an illegible seal. Because the wording is statutory, do not paraphrase it; copy the form exactly, which is why the fillable certificate above keeps the language intact.

California acknowledgment: frequently asked questions

Where does the California acknowledgment wording come from?: From Civil Code section 1189, which sets the exact all-purpose certificate of acknowledgment for documents notarized and used in California. The Secretary of State publishes a matching sample.
Is the boxed disclaimer required?: Yes. Since 2015 every California acknowledgment must carry the boxed disclaimer at the top, legible and enclosed in a box, stating the notary verifies identity only, not the document's truthfulness.
Can I use a California acknowledgment for an out-of-state document?: A California notary may complete an out-of-state acknowledgment form if it does not require certifying a representative capacity or other findings California law does not allow. For California use, the Civil Code 1189 form applies.
What if the document has no notarial wording?: The notary cannot pick the certificate for you. The signer chooses based on what the receiving agency requires, and the notary then attaches the correct loose certificate with the statutory wording.

Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: California Civil Code section 1189 (California Legislative Information, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov) and the California Secretary of State notary acknowledgments page. Confirm the current form on the California Secretary of State website.