Free Hawaii Notary Acknowledgment Template

A Hawaii notary acknowledgment is a certificate stating that the signer appeared before a notary. It also records that they acknowledged executing the document as their free act and deed. Hawaii’s rules come from chapter 456 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes and chapter 5-11 of the Hawaii Administrative Rules.

The Department of the Attorney General runs Hawaii’s notary program and publishes the official Notary Public Manual.

Commission and Venue

Notaries receive four-year commissions from the Attorney General, and they can act only within Hawaii. Venue follows the judicial circuits, so certificates name one of four designations:

• City and County of Honolulu — Oahu, plus the Kalawao district on Molokai
• County of Maui — Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Molokini
• County of Hawaii — the island of Hawaii
• County of Kauai — Kauai and Niihau

Identification

To identify you, a notary must know you personally or check a current ID issued by the United States, Hawaii, another state, or a national government. It has to show your photograph and signature.

Seal and Signature

In Hawaii, the seal is a circular rubber stamp no more than two inches across, with a serrated or milled edge. It shows the notary’s name, commission number, “notary public,” and “State of Hawaii.” Next to their signature, the notary also adds a printed name and commission expiration date.

Record Book

Also, every notary must record each act in a bound record book with consecutively numbered pages, including the ID used and its expiration date.

Notary Fees

For an acknowledgment, the fee is $5 per party signing, which covers the original and one duplicate original. Each additional duplicate original costs $2.50 per person, and an act for a remotely located individual costs $25 (HRS § 456-17). Notaries can’t bundle notarial and other services into one round sum. Confirm the current fee before your appointment, as statutory fees can change.

It’s a short block identifying the document, and Hawaii requires it near the acknowledgment. Under HAR § 5-11-8, a description of the notarized document must sit close to the acknowledgment. Its date and number of pages belong there, too. The Attorney General’s manual shows a certification block containing:

• Doc. Date and # Pages
• The notary’s name and judicial circuit
• Doc. Description
• The notary’s stamp, signature, and the date

As an alternative, the same details can go inside the acknowledgment wording itself. If your document is undated, the Attorney General suggests writing “undated at time of notarization” or the date of notarization. When the certificate doesn’t fit on the signature page, that page should say “Notary Certificate on next page.” Make sure this block is complete on your Hawaii notary acknowledgment before you leave.

Here’s a straightforward sequence for your appointment.

1. Fill in the venue using the right circuit designation, such as “County of Maui.”
2. Complete the notary certification details: document date, page count, and description.
3. Bring a current photo ID with your signature.
4. Appear before the notary and acknowledge that you signed freely.
5. The notary records the act, signs, prints their name, adds the expiration date, and applies the seal.
6. Pay $5 for yourself as a signer, plus $2.50 for each extra duplicate original.

The Attorney General’s manual breaks a standard individual acknowledgment into these parts:

• The venue, such as “State of Hawaii, County of Maui, SS.”
• The date of the notarial act
• A statement that the signer personally appeared before the notary
• The signer’s name, matching the document exactly
• A statement that the signer is known to be the person described in and who executed the instrument
• A statement that the signer acknowledged executing it as their free act and deed
• “Witness my hand and seal,” with the seal, signature, printed name, and commission expiration date

Beyond that, the manual gives versions for a corporation and for someone acting under a power of attorney. Build your Hawaii notary acknowledgment with Document Genius, and bring the finished certificate to the appointment.