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Free Michigan Notary Acknowledgment Template

A Michigan notary acknowledgment is the notary's written confirmation that you personally appeared and owned your signature on a record. Get the wording ready with our customizable template before you meet the notary.

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What Is a Notary Acknowledgment in Michigan?

A Michigan notary acknowledgment confirms who signed a record: the signer appears before a notary, is identified, and acknowledges the signature. Michigan’s Law on Notarial Acts, Public Act 238 of 2003, governs it. According to the Department of State, acknowledgments typically appear on deeds and other documents a county official will record.

Michigan Requirements for a Notary Acknowledgment

The Michigan Department of State publishes a Notary Manual explaining the law, and the points below come from it and from MCL 55.287.

Statewide Notaries, County-Specific Certificates

Each notary is commissioned in one county but may notarize anywhere in Michigan, though never beyond its borders. When the notary acts outside the county of commission, the certificate must add “Acting in the County of ___.” The manual explains that this line fixes the venue. Without it, the venue defaults to the county of commission.

Identification

A notary identifies you through personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence. For example, a valid driver’s license, passport, or other pictured state or federal ID works. Alternatively, a credible witness can vouch for you under oath, provided the notary knows the witness and the witness knows you. Even when the notary knows you, the manual recommends showing photo ID anyway.

Fees

A Michigan notary may charge up to $10 for each notarial act. Travel fees are separate, and the notary and client can negotiate them before the trip begins. Fee limits can change, so confirm the total when you book.

Relatives Are Off-Limits

Michigan bars notaries from acting for close family. That covers a current spouse, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, siblings, half-siblings, and current in-laws. However, the manual allows a notary to act for aunts, uncles, cousins, former spouses, and former in-laws.

Journals

For pen-and-paper and in-person electronic notarizations, state law doesn’t require a journal. Remote notarizations are different, though. There, the notary must keep a journal and hold it, along with the session recording, for at least 10 years.

Does a Michigan Notary Acknowledgment Need a Stamp?

No. Michigan doesn’t require a rubber stamp or an embossed seal. Instead, MCL 55.287 requires the notary to print, type, stamp, or otherwise imprint certain details near their signature. Those details must be legible and able to be photocopied.

Still, many notaries use a stamp anyway. The Department of State notes that a stamp makes it easier to include every required element than copying them by hand.

One situation is worth planning for. According to the manual, documents headed outside Michigan may require an embossed notary seal. So if your record is going to another state or country, ask the receiving office what it expects.

Tip

Know which notarial act you need before you arrive. Michigan’s manual says a notary shouldn’t choose the type of act for you. Instead, your document should make it clear, or you should tell the notary. Preparing an acknowledgment certificate in advance settles the question.

How to Sign a Michigan Notary Acknowledgment

Expect a short appointment once your Michigan notary acknowledgment is ready.

  1. Enter the signer’s name on the certificate and leave the notary’s lines blank.
  2. Sign the document ahead of time if you like, because an acknowledgment doesn’t require signing in the notary’s presence.
  3. Bring a valid photo ID issued by a state or the federal government.
  4. Appear before the notary and confirm that the signature is yours.
  5. The notary dates and signs the certificate exactly as commissioned, then adds the required statements.
  6. Check the “Acting in the County of” line if you met outside the notary’s home county.

What to Include in a Michigan Notary Acknowledgment

The Department of State’s sample wording is short. It opens with “Acknowledged by ___ before me on the ___ day of ___,” followed by the notary’s details. Under MCL 55.287 and the manual, a complete Michigan notary acknowledgment shows:

  • The signer’s name and the date of the acknowledgment
  • The notary’s signature and printed name, exactly as they appear on the commission application
  • “Notary public, State of Michigan, County of ___,” naming the county of commission
  • “My commission expires ___”
  • “Acting in the County of ___,” when the act happens outside the county of commission
  • A statement that an electronic or remote notarization system was used, if applicable

Build your Michigan notary acknowledgment with Document Genius, and the notary only needs to complete their part.