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The purpose of this section is to familiarize the notary with the form most frequently used by the California Notary Public- an acknowledgement.

Upon completion of this section, you will be able to describe:

(1)     What is an acknowledgment                   
(2)     Definition of Personally Known
(3)     When to use an acknowledgment
(4)     What the notary public certifies to when (s)he uses an acknowledgment
(5)     What the notary public journal needs when an acknowledgment is used
(6)     Should the acknowledgment be completely filled out
(7)     Completing an acknowledgment which contains false information
(8)     Completing an acknowledgment required in another State
(9)     Personal appearance (Notarial Wording)
(10)   Signing the acknowledgment in front of the notary not required

Definition of an Acknowledgment

Acknowledgment:  in law, formal declaration or admission by a person who executed an instrument (e.g., deed) that the instrument is his. The acknowledgment is made before a court, a notary public, or any other authorized person. Acknowledgment permits the instrument to be given in evidence without any further proof of its execution (e.g., witnesses).

Personally known:  For purposes of this article, "personally knows" means having an acquaintance, derived from association with the individual in relation to other people and based upon a chain of circumstances surrounding the individual, which establishes the individual's identity with at least reasonable certainty.  
 (KS50-CC1185)


Satisfactory Evidence:  For the purposes of this section "satisfactory evidence" means the absence of any information, evidence, or other circumstances which would lead a reasonable person to believe that the person making the acknowledgment is not the individual he or she claims to be. 
 (KS51-CC1185)
 

When is an Acknowledgment used

An acknowledgment is used by a notary public when a signer brings in a document and needs proof that (s)he executed the document.

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