What statute governs DC acknowledgment forms?

DC Official Code 1-1231.15 sets the short form certificates under the District's Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, which replaced the older forms in 2018.

Does a DC acknowledgment use a county?

No. The District of Columbia has no counties, so the venue is a single District of Columbia line, and generic state and county wording is crossed out.

Does the signer sign in front of the DC notary?

Not for an acknowledgment. The record may be pre-signed, but the signer must appear before the notary and prove identity to acknowledge it.

Who commissions DC notaries?

The Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications, with the certificate signed by the Secretary of the District, for a five-year term. The Mayor issues the rules.

What is the difference from a DC jurat?

An acknowledgment says acknowledged before me and confirms a willing signature; a jurat says subscribed and sworn to before me and adds an oath. They are not interchangeable.

DC Notary Acknowledgment: Free Fillable Form & 2026 Wording

This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. The wording reflects the DC Official Code and the District's Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, but the law can change. Confirm the current form with the Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications before relying on it.

Quick answer: A DC acknowledgment certifies that a named person appeared before the notary and acknowledged signing a record. Under the District's RULONA, the short form in DC Official Code 1-1231.15 reads "This record was acknowledged before me on (date) by (name)." The venue is unusual: it is a single "District of Columbia" line, with no state or county. Fill the certificate below and copy or print it.

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Fillable DC acknowledgment certificate

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

What is the exact DC acknowledgment wording?

The District's individual acknowledgment under DC Official Code 1-1231.15 is the RULONA short form, and its venue names only the District of Columbia, since the District has no counties.

District of Columbia

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

___________________________________
(Signature of notarial officer)

(Seal)
Title (and Rank): ______
My commission expires: ______

Why does the DC acknowledgment have no county?

The DC acknowledgment has no county because the District of Columbia is a single federal district, not a state with counties, so the venue is just "District of Columbia." When a document arrives with a generic "State of ___, County of ___" venue printed on it, the notary crosses those out, initials the change, and writes "District of Columbia." This is one of the most common points of confusion for signers used to a two-line state-and-county venue, and getting it wrong can cause a recorder to reject the document.

What must a DC acknowledgment include?

A DC acknowledgment must include the District of Columbia venue, the date, the signer's name, and the notary's signature, seal, title, and commission expiration date. The notary determines identity from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence before completing the certificate. The words "acknowledged before me" signal an acknowledgment, as opposed to a jurat, which uses "subscribed and sworn to before me." You cannot use one certificate in place of the other.

Element	What goes there
Venue	District of Columbia (single line, no county)
Date	The date the record was acknowledged
Signer	Name of the individual acknowledging
Notary	Signature, seal, title, commission expiration date

Who commissions notaries in the District of Columbia?

The Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications commissions DC notaries, and the certificate is signed by the Secretary of the District or a designee, with the Mayor issuing the governing rules. The term is five years, and a residential or business notary posts a $2,000 bond and may charge up to five dollars per notarial act. A notary must bring their acknowledgment and jurat stamps to ONCA when taking the oath of office, and cannot notarize their own signature or provide legal advice unless admitted to the DC bar.

What common mistakes void a DC acknowledgment?

The frequent mistakes are writing a state and county instead of the District of Columbia, mixing up the acknowledgment and jurat wording, and omitting the commission expiration date. Because the District has no counties, leaving a county line on the certificate is incorrect and can lead a recorder to reject the filing. Using jurat language, "subscribed and sworn," on an acknowledgment is also wrong, since the two are different acts. A notary who fills in the certificate after the signer leaves invites a challenge to the document.

DC acknowledgment: frequently asked questions

What statute governs DC acknowledgment forms?: DC Official Code 1-1231.15 sets the short form certificates under the District's Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, which replaced the older forms in 2018.
Does a DC acknowledgment use a county?: No. The District of Columbia has no counties, so the venue is a single "District of Columbia" line, and generic state and county wording is crossed out.
Does the signer sign in front of the DC notary?: Not for an acknowledgment. The record may be pre-signed, but the signer must appear before the notary and prove identity to acknowledge it.
Who commissions DC notaries?: The Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications, with the certificate signed by the Secretary of the District, for a five-year term. The Mayor issues the rules.
What is the difference from a DC jurat?: An acknowledgment says "acknowledged before me" and confirms a willing signature; a jurat says "subscribed and sworn to before me" and adds an oath. They are not interchangeable.

Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: DC Official Code 1-1231.14 and 1-1231.15 (the District's Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts); the Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications Notary Public Handbook. Confirm current wording before relying on it.