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Free California Notary Acknowledgment Template

A California notary acknowledgment is the certificate a notary completes to confirm your identity and that you acknowledged signing a document. Build yours with our guided form, then bring it to a California notary to sign and seal.

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What Is a Notary Acknowledgment in California?

A California notary acknowledgment is a certificate, signed under penalty of perjury, in which a notary confirms who appeared and acknowledged signing a document. California is strict about the wording, since Civil Code section 1189 sets out the form every certificate taken in the state must follow.

California Requirements for a Notary Acknowledgment

The California Secretary of State publishes an official Notary Public Handbook each year, and the January 2026 edition reflects the rules below.

Where the Notary Can Act

Notaries receive four-year commissions from the Secretary of State, and each one may work anywhere in California. Also, the county on the certificate is where you personally appeared, not where the notary’s bond was filed.

Identification

A notary must have satisfactory evidence of your identity. In fact, the handbook says a notary can’t rely on personal knowledge alone for an acknowledgment. So bring ID even if the notary knows you. Accepted documents include:

  • A California driver’s license or ID card, or a US passport, that is current or was issued within the last five years
  • Another state’s driver’s license, a foreign passport or consular ID, a US military ID, or a tribal ID, if it shows your photo, description, signature, and an identifying number

Without ID, credible witnesses can identify you under oath instead.

Journal and Thumbprint

Every notary keeps a sequential journal. For some documents, you’ll also leave a thumbprint. Signing a deed, quitclaim deed, deed of trust, or power of attorney means placing your right thumbprint in the journal, and the same goes for any other document affecting real property (Government Code § 8206).

Notary Fees

A notary may charge up to $15 for each signature on an acknowledgment (Government Code § 8211). The legislature sets these fees and changes them occasionally, so confirm the amount before your appointment.

No Remote Notarization Yet

California still requires physical presence, and a video image doesn’t count as a personal appearance. The Online Notarization Act (SB 696) will change that. Remote online notarization arrives once the Secretary of State finishes its technology project, or by January 1, 2030, whichever comes first.

Can a California Notary Complete Another State's Acknowledgment Form?

Yes, in many cases. If you’ll file a document in another US state, a California notary may complete that state’s acknowledgment form (Civil Code § 1189(c)). However, there’s a limit. The form can’t ask the notary to certify your representative capacity or make other determinations California law doesn’t allow.

It works the other way, too, since an acknowledgment taken outside California is sufficient here if it followed local law where it was made (§ 1189(b)).

Tip

Already signed your document? For an acknowledgment, that’s allowed. The Secretary of State explains that you may sign before the appointment, as long as you personally appear and acknowledge that you signed. A jurat is different, because the signer must sign in front of the notary.

How to Sign a California Notary Acknowledgment

Here’s the usual sequence for a California notary acknowledgment.

  1. Fill in the county where you’ll meet the notary and the name of each signer.
  2. Bring qualifying ID, even if the notary knows you personally.
  3. Appear in person, since California doesn’t yet allow remote acknowledgments.
  4. Acknowledge your signature, and add your thumbprint to the journal for a deed or power of attorney.
  5. The notary completes every part of the certificate, signs it, and applies the seal at the same time.
  6. Pay the fee, which can’t exceed $15 per signature.

What to Include in a California Notary Acknowledgment

The boxed notice comes first. Civil Code § 1189 requires a legible notice at the top of every certificate taken in California, inside an enclosed box. It explains that the notary verifies only the signer’s identity, not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of the document.

Below the box, the statutory form covers:

  • “State of California” and the county
  • The date, plus the notary’s name and title
  • The name of each person who personally appeared
  • A statement that each person was proved on satisfactory evidence and acknowledged executing the document in an authorized capacity
  • A certification under penalty of perjury that the paragraph is true and correct
  • “WITNESS my hand and official seal,” followed by the notary’s signature and seal

Avoid editing this wording. According to the handbook, a certificate taken in the state shall be in this form. Besides, a notary can’t sign and stamp without correct notarial wording. Use Document Genius to fill in your details on a California notary acknowledgment before you arrive.