What statute governs Minnesota acknowledgment forms?

Minnesota Statutes 358.66 sets the short form certificates, and 358.65 sets what a certificate of notarial act must contain.

Can a Minnesota document be signed after the notarization?

No. The signature may be made before the notarization, but never after. The signer must personally appear and acknowledge the signature as theirs.

Can a Minnesota notary notarize a document in another language?

Yes. The notary notarizes the signature, not the document, so the document may be in any language as long as the signer understands what they are signing.

Does Minnesota have a special form for remote signers abroad?

Yes. Section 358.66 prints alternate short forms for remote notarization, with different versions for signers located inside and outside the United States.

Minnesota Notary Acknowledgment: Free Fillable Form & 2026 Wording

This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. The wording reflects Minnesota Statutes 358.65 and 358.66, but the law can change. Confirm the current form with the Minnesota Secretary of State before relying on it.

Quick answer: A Minnesota acknowledgment certifies that a named person appeared and acknowledged signing an instrument. The short form in Minnesota Statutes 358.66 is one sentence: "This instrument was acknowledged before me on (date) by (name)." The statute prints no state-and-county caption, but section 358.65 separately requires the certificate to identify the jurisdiction where the act was performed. One rule catches people out: the signature may be made before the notarization, never after. Fill it below.

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Fillable Minnesota acknowledgment certificate

Enter the details and the certificate updates live with the statutory Minnesota wording, including the jurisdiction line and title of office the law requires. Copy or print it, then attach it to your document. The notary completes and signs the final certificate after verifying identity.

What is the exact Minnesota acknowledgment wording?

Minnesota's individual short form under Minnesota Statutes 358.66 is a single sentence, shown here with the jurisdiction caption and title of office that section 358.65 requires around it.

State of Minnesota
County of ______

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

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

What must a Minnesota acknowledgment certificate include?

Beyond the short-form sentence, section 358.65 requires the certificate to identify the jurisdiction in which the notarial act is performed and the title of the office of the notarial officer, plus the official stamp under section 359.03. That is why the familiar "State of Minnesota, County of ______" caption appears even though the printed short form in 358.66 does not include it. The certificate may be pre-printed on the document or attached afterward by the notary.

Element	What goes there
Jurisdiction	Where the notarial act was performed, typically state and county
Date and signer	Date of the act and the individual acknowledging
Title of office	The notarial officer's title, such as Notary Public
Stamp	The official stamp under section 359.03

When is a signature too late for a Minnesota acknowledgment?

The signature may be made before the notarization, but never after it. The Secretary of State puts it plainly: for an acknowledgment the document may already be signed and the notary does not have to watch the signature happen, but the notary cannot complete a certificate and let the signer sign afterward. The signer must personally appear, acknowledge that they willingly and knowingly signed, and be identified as the person who did. Signing after the fact turns a valid acknowledgment into a false certificate.

Why must the name on a Minnesota stamp match the commission?

The notary's name on the official stamp, and printed on any acknowledgment or jurat certificate, must match the name on the commission exactly. A notary who marries, divorces, or starts going by a shortened name and orders a stamp with the new version creates a mismatch that agencies and recorders notice. The remedy is to update the commission first, then the stamp, not the other way around. Under section 359.03 the stamp carries the title "Notary Public," the name as it appears on the commission, and the expiration date.

Can a Minnesota notary handle a remote signer outside the United States?

Yes, and Minnesota is unusual in printing a dedicated short-form certificate for exactly that. Section 358.66 sets out alternate acknowledgment forms for remote notarization, with separate versions depending on whether the remotely located signer is inside or outside the United States. Most states leave that to a generic remote statement, so a Minnesota notary should use the correct alternate rather than adapting the ordinary form. The Secretary of State also maintains a list of entities offering the required course of study for remote online notaries.

Minnesota acknowledgment: frequently asked questions

What statute governs Minnesota acknowledgment forms?: Minnesota Statutes 358.66 sets the short form certificates, and 358.65 sets what a certificate of notarial act must contain.
Can a Minnesota document be signed after the notarization?: No. The signature may be made before the notarization, but never after. The signer must personally appear and acknowledge the signature as theirs.
Why does the Minnesota short form have no county?: The printed form in 358.66 omits it, but 358.65 separately requires the certificate to identify the jurisdiction where the act was performed, so the caption is added.
Can a Minnesota notary notarize a document in another language?: Yes. The notary notarizes the signature, not the document, so the document may be in any language as long as the signer understands what they are signing.
Does Minnesota have a special form for remote signers abroad?: Yes. Section 358.66 prints alternate short forms for remote notarization, with different versions for signers located inside and outside the United States.

Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Minnesota Statutes 358.65, 358.66 and 359.03 (Minnesota Revisor of Statutes); the Minnesota Secretary of State Notary Commission Guide, notary FAQ, and Notarial Acts Short Form guidance. Confirm current wording before relying on it.