The Notary Acknowledgment is the California All-Purpose Acknowledgment certificate that the Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder publishes as a PDF titled Notary Certificate Requirements. A notary public or other officer completes it and attaches it to a signed document to confirm who signed. It is a certificate wording, not an application or a tax form. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original document and the county's rules for recorded documents are published by the Clerk/Recorder.
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What is Notary Acknowledgment – Sacramento County, CA?
The Notary Acknowledgment is the California All-Purpose Acknowledgment, the certificate wording a notary public or other officer completes and attaches to a signed document to verify the identity of the person who signed it. The Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder publishes it as a PDF.
The certificate rests on Civil Code section 1189, which SB 1050 (Chapter 197, Statutes of 2014) amended so that any certificate of acknowledgment taken within the State of California must be in this form, effective January 1, 2015. The Clerk/Recorder's rules for recorded documents repeat the point under "Notary Acknowledgment (CIV 1189)".
The printed certificate opens with a boxed notice: the officer verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document. It then has blanks for the state and county, the date, the officer's name and title, and the name(s) of the person(s) who appeared. A penalty-of-perjury statement, the line "Witness my hand and official seal," a seal area and the officer's signature complete it.
It is not a jurat. The Clerk/Recorder's rules say an affidavit subscribed and sworn to before a notary in California must have a jurat attached in the format of Government Code section 8202, which is a different certificate.
Who needs to file Notary Acknowledgment – Sacramento County, CA?
The main users are notaries public and other officers who take acknowledgments in California: they complete this certificate and attach it to the document the signer acknowledged. The Clerk/Recorder's page states that any certificate of acknowledgment taken within the State of California must be in this format.
People who prepare or sign documents that will be notarized and presented for recording also need to know it, because the certificate attached to the document must follow this wording.
Do not use it for an affidavit that is subscribed and sworn to before a notary. That document needs a jurat under Government Code section 8202, not an acknowledgment. The sources state the format requirement for acknowledgments taken within California and say nothing about certificates taken elsewhere.
The notary's role is limited to identity: the certificate states that the officer does not verify that the signed document is truthful, accurate, or valid.
When to file Notary Acknowledgment – Sacramento County, CA
The certificate is completed when a signer acknowledges a document before a notary public or other officer in California, at the time the document is notarized. It has no filing deadline of its own: it travels with the document it is attached to. The format has applied to certificates taken in California since January 1, 2015.
If a document that was already recorded is presented for re-recording, the Clerk/Recorder's rules require it to be re-signed and re-acknowledged or re-verified as a new document, unless an exception applies. The exceptions are a document exempted by Section 27287 or another law, one recorded solely to correct a recording sequence, and one recorded solely to make a minor correction with a corrective affidavit.
How to fill out Notary Acknowledgment – Sacramento County, CA
Confirm an acknowledgment is needed
Use this certificate when a signer acknowledges a document before a notary public or other officer in California. For a sworn affidavit, a jurat under Government Code section 8202 is required instead.
Read the boxed notice
The notice at the top states that the officer verifies only the signer's identity, not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of the document. Leave the printed wording unchanged.
Complete the state and county lines
The form prints State of California. Write the county where the acknowledgment is taken on the County of line.
Enter the date and officer details
On the On ___ before me line, enter the date of the acknowledgment, then the officer's name and title where the form says (Insert name and title of officer).
Enter the name of each signer
After personally appeared, write the name(s) of the person(s) who proved their identity to the officer on the basis of satisfactory evidence.
Keep the certification wording as printed
The paragraph about the person(s) executing the instrument and the PENALTY OF PERJURY statement are fixed text under Civil Code section 1189.
Add the officer's signature and seal
The officer signs on the (Signature) line and places the official seal in the (Seal) area, under "Witness my hand and official seal."
Review and download the completed PDF
Check the county, date, officer title and signer names against the signed document. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and attach it to the document it acknowledges.
How to submit Notary Acknowledgment – Sacramento County, CA
The certificate is not submitted on its own. It is attached to the document the signer acknowledged, and that document is then used or presented for recording as its own rules require.
- Recording with the Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder: the county's rules for recorded documents require original signature(s), or a certified copy, on instruments presented for recording. The first page must reserve at least the top 2-½ inches for recording information, and documents need at least a ½ inch margin on the two vertical sides, except in that reserved space. A document that does not conform needs an attached first-page sheet that does; standard recording fees are charged for that page, and a surcharge applies if any part of a document does not meet the page definition. Ask the Clerk/Recorder for current fees.
- Re-recording: each re-recorded document must include a cover sheet that complies with Section 27361.6 and states the reason for re-recording.
- Information and forms: the Sacramento County Public Law Library, 609 - 9th Street, First Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 874-6012.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using a different acknowledgment wording for a certificate taken in California; Civil Code section 1189 requires this format.
- Attaching an acknowledgment to an affidavit that is sworn before a notary; the Clerk/Recorder's rules call for a jurat in the Government Code section 8202 format.
- Leaving out the boxed notice that the officer verifies only the signer's identity, not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of the document.
- Presenting a document for recording without an original signature or a certified copy; the rules require original signature(s) unless the law provides otherwise.
- Submitting a first page that does not reserve the top 2-½ inches for recording information, which means an extra conforming first page is needed.
- Re-recording a document without re-signing and re-acknowledging it, when none of the stated exceptions applies.
- Re-recording for a minor correction without a Corrective Affidavit attached to the original recorded document.
- Omitting the officer's signature or seal at the end of the certificate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Notary Acknowledgment form?
It is the California All-Purpose Acknowledgment certificate that a notary public or other officer completes and attaches to a signed document. It verifies only the identity of the person who signed, and the Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder publishes it as a PDF.
Is this a Sacramento County property tax form?
No. It is a notary certificate, not a property tax document. The Clerk/Recorder lists it among its rules for recorded documents, where Civil Code section 1189 sets the acknowledgment format used on documents presented for recording.
Do I have to use this exact acknowledgment wording in California?
Yes, for certificates of acknowledgment taken within California. Civil Code section 1189, as amended by SB 1050 (Chapter 197, Statutes of 2014), requires this form, effective January 1, 2015.
What is the difference between an acknowledgment and a jurat?
An acknowledgment confirms the signer's identity, as this form does. A jurat goes on an affidavit subscribed and sworn to before a notary and follows Government Code section 8202, a different format listed separately by the Clerk/Recorder.
Does the notary verify that my document is true?
No. The boxed notice on the certificate says the officer verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document.
Do I need original signatures to record a notarized document?
Generally yes. Government Code section 27201(b)(1) requires original signature(s) on instruments presented for recording, except as otherwise provided by law, and a certified copy is also acceptable.
Do I need a new acknowledgment to re-record a document?
Usually. A document presented for re-recording must be re-signed and re-acknowledged or re-verified as a new document unless it is exempted by law, corrects a recording sequence, or makes a minor correction with a Corrective Affidavit.
Can I fill out the Notary Acknowledgment online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the Clerk/Recorder and does not file or notarize anything; the notary completes and signs the certificate.
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