What statute governs Oregon acknowledgment forms?

ORS 194.285 sets the short form certificates, and ORS 194.280 sets what a certificate of notarial act must contain.

Does Oregon require a notary exam?

Yes. Applicants must pass an examination based on ORS Chapter 194 and Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 160-100 before being commissioned.

Oregon Notary Acknowledgment: Free Fillable Form, Wording & Journal Rules

This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. The wording reflects Oregon Revised Statutes 194.280 and 194.285, but the law can change. Confirm the current form with the Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division, before relying on it.

Quick answer: An Oregon acknowledgment certifies that a named person appeared and acknowledged signing a record. The short form in ORS 194.285 reads "This record was acknowledged before me on (date) by (name)." The venue names the state and county. Oregon requires every notary to keep a journal of their acts, and carves out one odd exception where the stamp is not needed at all. Fill the certificate below.

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Fillable Oregon acknowledgment certificate

Enter the details and the certificate updates live with the statutory Oregon wording. Copy or print it, then attach it to your document. The notary completes and signs the final certificate after verifying identity; this tool just prepares the correct form.

What is the exact Oregon acknowledgment wording?

Oregon's individual short form under ORS 194.285 uses "record," since the state follows the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts.

State of Oregon
County of ______

This record was acknowledged before me on ______ (date) by ____________ (name(s) of individual(s)).

___________________________________
(Signature of notarial officer)
(Stamp)
(Title of office): ______
My commission expires: ______

Does Oregon require a notary journal?

Yes, ORS 194.300 requires every Oregon notary to maintain at least one journal of their notarial acts, and it is not optional. A notary may keep more than one, which is common when someone wants a separate journal for workplace notarizations and personal ones. If a journal is lost or stolen, the notary must notify the Secretary of State promptly on discovering it. The journal stays with the notary and follows specific rules on expiration, resignation, or suspension of the commission, so it cannot simply be discarded when the term ends.

Is an Oregon notary journal a public record?

Most Oregon notaries are exempt from disclosing the contents of their journal, except to the Secretary of State's Corporation Division or when disclosure is required by law. That protects the privacy of the people whose acts are recorded, since a journal holds names, dates, identification details, and signatures. A notary who receives a request from a member of the public is not obliged to open the book. Oregon also advises notaries not to keep copies of the documents they notarize, which keeps sensitive material out of the notary's hands entirely.

Element	What goes there
Venue	State of Oregon and the county
Date and signer	Date of the act and the individual acknowledging
Title of office	The notarial officer's title, such as Notary Public
Journal entry	A separate entry for the act, kept by the notary

When is an Oregon notary stamp not required?

The stamp imprint is not required to notarize a subdivision or partition plat, or a condominium plat, including any replat, supplement, or amendment to one. This exception is unusual, since nearly every other notarization in Oregon needs the official stamp, and it exists because survey plats are recorded through a different process with their own verification. Outside that narrow case, an Oregon notarial certificate needs the stamp along with the signature. A notary who is unsure should apply the stamp, since including it on a plat causes no harm.

What happens if an Oregon notary loses their stamping device?

The Corporation Division issues a Certificate of Authorization with a new commission number, so the notary can order a replacement stamping device. That means a lost or stolen stamp changes your commission number, and any certificate completed afterwards carries the new one. If the journal was not also stolen, the notary records the date and circumstances of the loss on the next available line in the journal. Acting with a device that has been reported lost is a serious problem, so the replacement should be in hand before performing further acts.

Oregon acknowledgment: frequently asked questions

What statute governs Oregon acknowledgment forms?: ORS 194.285 sets the short form certificates, and ORS 194.280 sets what a certificate of notarial act must contain.
Does Oregon require a notary journal?: Yes. ORS 194.300 requires at least one journal. A notary may keep more than one, and must notify the Secretary of State promptly if a journal is lost or stolen.
Is an Oregon notary journal a public record?: Most notaries are exempt from disclosing journal contents, except to the Secretary of State's Corporation Division or when disclosure is required by law.
When is an Oregon notary stamp not required?: The stamp imprint is not required to notarize a subdivision or partition plat, or a condominium plat, including any replat, supplement or amendment.
Does Oregon require a notary exam?: Yes. Applicants must pass an examination based on ORS Chapter 194 and Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 160-100 before being commissioned.

Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Oregon Revised Statutes 194.280, 194.285, 194.290, 194.300 and 194.325; the Oregon Notary Public Guide, Secretary of State Corporation Division. Confirm current wording before relying on it.