Free Indiana Notary Acknowledgment Template

An Indiana notary acknowledgment is the notary’s certificate recording who appeared, when, and that the signer acknowledged the signature on a document as authentic. Indiana Code Title 33, Article 42 governs it.

The Indiana Secretary of State publishes an official Notary Public Guide, revised May 20, 2024.

Commission

In Indiana, the Governor appoints notaries, and the Secretary of State commissions them for eight-year terms. They can act anywhere in Indiana but nowhere outside it. Beyond notaries, certain officials can also perform notarial functions. Examples include county auditors in their counties and members of the General Assembly anywhere in the state.

Seal

The seal may be a rubber stamp or a seal press. It must show “Notary Public,” “State of Indiana,” and the notary’s name as commissioned. Beyond that, it needs “commission number” with the number and “my commission expires” with the date. Since July 1, 2024, the word “seal” is no longer required.

Identification

For identification, accepted IDs must be current or expired no more than three years. They include a state driver’s license or ID card, a US or foreign passport, a US military ID, and a tribal ID card. Personal knowledge or a credible witness under oath also works.

Notary Fees

The maximum fee is $10 per individual notarization (IC 33-42-14-1). Notaries may bill travel separately, at no more than the federal mileage rate. Remote notarial acts can cost up to $25. Because fees change from time to time, confirm the amount beforehand.

Conflicts and Special Cases

A notary can’t notarize for themselves, their spouse, or any party that could directly benefit either of them (IC 33-42-13-3). They also can’t take a blind person’s acknowledgment without first reading the record aloud. The same goes for a non-English speaker until the record’s nature and effect has been translated.

Journals

Indiana doesn’t require a journal for paper notarizations, but the Secretary of State strongly recommends one. Remote notaries, however, must keep an electronic journal.

Because Indiana requires it on the certificate. Under IC 33-42-9-12, a notary’s certificate must display the county where the notary resides. For a notary who lives out of state but works primarily in Indiana, it shows the Indiana county of employment instead.

That county is separate from the venue. The venue county is where the notarization happens, and since Indiana notaries work statewide, the two often differ. So a single Indiana notary acknowledgment may list Hamilton County in the venue and Marion County under the notary’s signature, and both are correct.

The Secretary of State lists the notary’s printed name, county of residence, and commission expiration date as required alongside the signature and seal.

A standard appointment follows these steps.

1. Enter “Indiana” and the county where the notarization will take place.
2. Print your name exactly as it appears on your ID and in the document.
3. Bring a qualifying ID, or have a credible witness come with you.
4. Appear in person and acknowledge that the signature is yours.
5. The notary signs and adds their printed name, county of residence, commission expiration date, and seal.
6. If spouses can’t sign together, each one needs a separate certificate.

According to the Secretary of State, a valid notarization needs these elements:

• The jurisdiction, meaning the state and county where the act occurred
• A statement of who appeared, on what day, and what they did
• The signer’s name
• The notary’s signature and official seal
• The notary’s printed name, county of residence, and commission expiration date

When the certificate is a separate page, the guide recommends extra safeguards. Cross out any notarial wording on the document and write “SEE ATTACHED NOTARIAL CERTIFICATE.” Then staple the certificate in the left margin, and note the document’s date, type, and signer at its bottom. Fill in your Indiana notary acknowledgment with Document Genius so every line is ready for the notary.