New York Notary Acknowledgment: Wording & Free Fillable Certificate
This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. The wording below is the statutory New York certificate of acknowledgment from Real Property Law section 309-a (within this state); laws change, so confirm the current form with the New York Department of State. A notary cannot choose which certificate a signer needs, so this tool fills in the standard statutory wording only.
Open the free fillable certificate ↓
Fillable New York acknowledgment certificate
Type the details and the statutory wording updates live. This fills the standard section 309-a form for an acknowledgment taken within New York; 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 New York acknowledgment wording?
The New York certificate of acknowledgment taken within the state follows Real Property Law section 309-a. The statutory form reads:
State of New York
County of ______________ ss.:
On the ______ day of __________ in the year ______ before me, the undersigned, personally appeared ____________, personally known to me or proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the individual(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 capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument, the individual(s), or the person upon behalf of which the individual(s) acted, executed the instrument.
____________________________________
(Signature and office of individual taking acknowledgment.)
What does "ss." mean on a New York acknowledgment?
"ss." is a venue notation that sits next to the county and marks where the notarization took place. It comes from the Latin "scilicet," meaning "namely" or "to wit," and it simply introduces the specific place of the act. New York's statutory form places it after the county line, and although a missing "ss." rarely invalidates a certificate, the recording-ready form includes it.
What must a New York acknowledgment include?
A New York acknowledgment taken within the state carries these elements, and missing one can lead a county clerk or recorder to reject it:
| Element | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Venue (State of New York, County, ss.) | Marks the place where the signer appeared |
| Date ("On the ___ day of ___") | The date the acknowledgment was taken |
| "Personally appeared" language | Confirms the signer appeared before the notary |
| Personally known or satisfactory evidence | How the notary established the signer's identity |
| Capacity language | Confirms the signer acted in their stated capacity |
| Signature and office of the notary | The notary signs and states their office and details |
What is the difference between acknowledgment within and without New York?
Use the Real Property Law section 309-a form when the acknowledgment is taken within New York for a document used in the state. When the acknowledgment is taken outside New York for a New York document, the matching form is in section 309-b, which adds a venue line for the state, district, territory, possession, or foreign country where it is taken. Both forms share the same body about personally appearing and being identified; only the venue differs.
Can a New York notary choose the certificate?
No. A New York notary public cannot decide which notarial act a document needs or advise on the legal effect of choosing one, because that would be the unauthorized practice of law. If a document has no notarial wording, the signer chooses based on what the receiving party requires, and the notary then completes or attaches the matching certificate with the statutory language.
New York acknowledgment: frequently asked questions
- Where does the New York acknowledgment wording come from?
- From Real Property Law section 309-a, the uniform form for acknowledgments taken within New York. Section 309-b covers acknowledgments taken outside the state for New York documents.
- What does the "ss." after the county mean?
- It is a venue notation from the Latin "scilicet," meaning "namely," that introduces the place of the act. The statutory form places it after the county line.
- Does the New York form have to match word for word?
- No. The statute requires the certificate to "conform substantially" with the form, so you keep every required element while the blanks are properly filled.
- 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 completes the correct certificate with the statutory wording.
Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: New York Real Property Law sections 309-a and 309-b (New York State Legislature) and the New York Department of State notary guidance. Confirm the current form on the New York Department of State website.