What statute governs Mississippi acknowledgment forms?

Mississippi Code section 89-3-7 prints both the long forms and the short forms of acknowledgment, with certificate requirements in section 25-34-31.

Is the Mississippi long form still valid?

Yes. The long form with the undersigned authority and within my jurisdiction remains in section 89-3-7 alongside the short form added in the 2021 rewrite.

Who commissions Mississippi notaries?

The Secretary of State, since the Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts took effect July 1, 2021 and repealed the older Governor-appointment statutes.

How long is a Mississippi notary commission?

Four years, tied to the term of the notary's surety bond under the Secretary of State's notary rules.

Does the signer sign in front of the Mississippi notary?

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

Mississippi Notary Acknowledgment: Free Fillable Form & Wording

This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. The wording reflects Mississippi Code section 89-3-7 and the Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts, but the law can change. Confirm the current form with the Mississippi Secretary of State before relying on it.

Quick answer: Mississippi keeps two valid acknowledgments in the same statute. The old long form, with its "undersigned authority" and "within my jurisdiction" phrasing, still sits in section 89-3-7 alongside a modern short form added when the notary law was rewritten in 2021. Both work. Lenders moved to the short form quickly, but a pre-printed deed may still carry the long one. Pick either below and the form fills itself.

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Fillable Mississippi acknowledgment form

Choose the long form or the short form, enter the details, and the certificate updates live with the statutory Mississippi wording. 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 Mississippi acknowledgment wording?

Section 89-3-7 prints both. The long form for a natural person acting in their own right reads first, followed by the short form for an acknowledgment in an individual capacity.

Long form · natural person in their own right

Personally appeared before me, the undersigned authority in and for the said county and state, on this ______ day of ____________, 20____, within my jurisdiction, the within named ____________, who acknowledged that he/she/they executed the above and foregoing instrument.

Short form · individual capacity

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

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

Should you use the Mississippi long form or the short form?

Use whichever form is already printed on your document, because both satisfy section 89-3-7 and neither is safer than the other. If the document arrives with no certificate, the short form is the simpler choice and is what most lenders now attach. The long form remains common on older pre-printed deeds and conveyance packets, and there is no need to replace it. Under the rewritten law an acknowledgment no longer has to follow a particular form to be valid, as long as the certificate meets the general requirements, including being executed at the time of the act.

	Long form	Short form
Opens with	"Personally appeared before me"	State and county caption
Signature phrase	"the undersigned authority"	"(Signature of notarial officer)"
Typically seen on	Older pre-printed deeds	Lender and title packets since 2021
Valid?	Yes, still in the statute	Yes, added in the 2021 rewrite

What does "within my jurisdiction" mean on a Mississippi acknowledgment?

It states that the notary performed the act inside the territory their commission covers, which for a Mississippi notary is the whole state. The phrase is an old drafting convention that Mississippi kept while most states dropped it, and it pairs with "the undersigned authority," meaning the notary signing below, and "the within named," meaning the person named in the document. None of it requires anything extra from you. It reads strangely to anyone used to a modern short form, but the words are the statute's, not a lawyer's flourish.

Who commissions notaries in Mississippi?

The Secretary of State commissions Mississippi notaries, a change from the old law, where the Governor appointed them, and the four-year term is tied to the term of the notary's surety bond. That switch came with the Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts, effective July 1, 2021, which repealed the older appointment statutes. Every notary buys their own official seal, showing the name, jurisdiction, and commission expiration date, and it must be capable of being copied along with the record it is affixed to.

What happens to a Mississippi notary seal at the end of a commission?

The notary must disable the stamping device by destroying, defacing, damaging, erasing, or securing it against use once the commission is resigned, revoked, or expired. Mississippi also provides for destruction of the seal on the death or adjudicated incompetency of a notary, which puts the duty on whoever holds the estate rather than letting a live seal circulate. A notary is responsible for the security of the device and may never let another person use it to perform an act, which is the rule behind most seal-misuse cases.

Mississippi acknowledgment: frequently asked questions

What statute governs Mississippi acknowledgment forms?: Mississippi Code section 89-3-7 prints both the long forms and the short forms of acknowledgment, with certificate requirements in section 25-34-31.
Is the Mississippi long form still valid?: Yes. The long form with "the undersigned authority" and "within my jurisdiction" remains in section 89-3-7 alongside the short form added in the 2021 rewrite.
Who commissions Mississippi notaries?: The Secretary of State, since the Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts took effect July 1, 2021 and repealed the older Governor-appointment statutes.
How long is a Mississippi notary commission?: Four years, tied to the term of the notary's surety bond under the Secretary of State's notary rules.
Does the signer sign in front of the Mississippi notary?: Not for an acknowledgment. The document may be pre-signed, but the signer must appear before the notary and be identified to acknowledge it.

Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Mississippi Code section 89-3-7 and sections 25-34-31 and 25-34-33; the Revised Mississippi Law on Notarial Acts (HB 1156, effective July 1, 2021) and the Mississippi Secretary of State notary rules and regulations. Confirm current wording before relying on it.