Free South Carolina Notary Acknowledgment Template

A South Carolina notary acknowledgment is a notarial act certified by a notary (S.C. Code § 26-1-5). At a single time and place, you appear, the notary identifies you, and you sign the record in their presence. Title 26, Chapter 1 of the South Carolina Code governs it.

The Governor appoints South Carolina notaries for ten-year terms, and each may act anywhere in the state (§§ 26-1-10, 26-1-80).

Identification

Satisfactory evidence means a current federal or state government ID with your photo, signature, and physical description. A current passport works even without a physical description. Otherwise, one credible witness the notary personally knows, or two witnesses who show qualifying ID, can vouch for you under oath (§ 26-1-5).

Seal and Signature

The seal shows the notary’s name, “notary public,” and “State of South Carolina,” and it can be an ink stamp or an embosser. In addition, § 26-1-90 says the notary signs exactly as commissioned, with their name legible and the commission expiration date shown. Even so, a missing seal or expiration date doesn’t void the act if the notary’s official title appears (§ 26-1-60).

What a Notary Won’t Do

A notary can’t notarize a signature on a blank or incomplete document. Nor can they notarize one on a document without notarial certificate wording. They also can’t act if they’re a signer, party, or beneficiary of the record, with limited exceptions.

Fees

A notary may charge up to $5 per signature for an acknowledgment (§ 26-1-100). Travel fees need your advance agreement, and notaries don’t have to charge at all. Because fees can change, confirm the amount when you book.

Yes. South Carolina’s definition of an acknowledgment includes the signing itself. Under § 26-1-5(1), the notary certifies that you signed the record in their physical presence while they personally watched.

So don’t sign ahead of time. Bring the document unsigned, along with your ID, and sign it at the appointment.

Personal appearance also means real physical presence. By statute, you and the notary must be together. That way, you can freely see each other, talk, and pass records back and forth.

Plan the visit around signing on the spot.

1. Make sure the document includes acknowledgment certificate wording, in English.
2. Complete every blank on the document before the appointment.
3. Bring a current government photo ID with your signature.
4. Sign in front of the notary, who must watch you do it.
5. The notary signs by hand in ink and adds their name and commission expiration date.
6. The notary affixes their seal of office to the certificate.

Section 26-1-120(D) says an acknowledgment certificate must comply with the Uniform Recognition of Acknowledgments Act, Chapter 3 of Title 26. Building on the Chapter 1 rules, a South Carolina notary acknowledgment should include:

• The state and county where the act takes place
• An acknowledgment statement with the date and each signer’s name
• The notary’s handwritten signature, exactly as commissioned
• Their name in legible form
• The date their commission expires
• The notary’s seal, or at least their official title

Also, the certificate itself must be in English under § 26-1-90(M), though it may accompany a record in another language. Create your South Carolina notary acknowledgment with Document Genius so the wording is in place.