What statement is included in a typical acknowledgment certificate?

• A. The signer appeared before the notary and acknowledged signing the instrument.
• B. The signer took an oath.
• C. The notary certified a copy.
• D. Two witnesses witnessed the signing.

Answer: (A)

An acknowledgment certificate is meant to record that the signer personally appeared before the notary and acknowledged that they signed the document. This language confirms the signer’s presence and their voluntary act of signing, which protects against someone signing on another’s behalf and gives the document a verifiable, notarized status. Taking an oath or affirmation is not part of an acknowledgment; that is the function of a jurat. Copy certification, where the notary certifies that a copy is true and correct, is a separate notarial service and not the acknowledgment language. Similarly, having two witnesses is not the typical language of an acknowledgment certificate, though some instruments may involve witnesses for other reasons. So the statement that the signer appeared before the notary and acknowledged signing the instrument is the standard inclusion in an acknowledgment certificate.