Certificates
Acknowledgments
An acknowledgment is a formal declaration before
an authorized official such as a notary, by a person
who has signed a document, that the document is his
or her act. Acknowledgments are governed by the
Uniform Acknowledgment Act. Five forms are listed in
that act. The person acknowledging the document must
personally appear before the notary.
In addition, the person may sign the document in
the notary’s presence, or acknowledge that the
signature on the document is his or her own.
To view the
Uniform Acknowledgment Act, click
here.
SAMPLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
)SS:
County of
)
On this, the________day of __________, 20____,
before me a notary public, the undersigned officer,
personally appeared________________, known to me (or
satisfactorily proven) to be the person whose name
is subscribed to the within instrument, and
acknowledged that he executed the same for the
purposes therein contained.
In witness hereof, I hereunto set my hand and
official seal.
___________________________
Notary Public
(1) For an individual acting in his or her own
right:
Commonwealth
Of Pennsylvania
County Of
__________
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me
this (date) by (name of person
acknowledging) , who is personally known to me or
who has produced (type of identification) as
identification.
(Signature of person taking
acknowledgment)
(Name typed, printed or stamped)
(Title or rank)
(Serial number, if any)
(2) For a corporation:
Commonwealth
Of Pennsylvania
County Of
__________
The foregoing instrument was
acknowledged before me this (date) by (name
of officer or agent, title of officer or agent) of
(name of corporation acknowledging) , a (state
or place of incorporation) corporation, on behalf
of the corporation. He/she is personally known to me
or has produced (type of identification) as
identification.
(Signature of
person taking acknowledgment)
(Name typed,
printed or stamped)
(Title or rank)
(Serial number, if
any)
(3) For a partnership:
Commonwealth
Of Pennsylvania
County Of
__________
The foregoing instrument was
acknowledged before me this (date) by (name
of acknowledging partner or agent) , partner (or
agent) on behalf of (name of partnership) ,
a partnership. He/she is personally known to me or has
produced (type of identification) as
identification.
(Signature of
person taking acknowledgment)
(Name typed,
printed or stamped)
(Title or rank)
(Serial number, if
any)
(4) For an individual
acting as principal by an attorney in fact:
Commonwealth
Of Pennsylvania
County Of
__________
The foregoing instrument was
acknowledged before me this (date) by (name
of attorney in fact) as attorney in fact, who is
personally known to me or who has produced (type of
identification) as identification on behalf of (name
of principal).
(Signature of
person taking acknowledgment)
(Name typed,
printed or stamped)
(Title or rank)
(Serial number, if
any)
(5) By any public officer,
trustee, or personal representative:
Commonwealth
Of Pennsylvania
County Of
__________
The foregoing instrument was
acknowledged before me this (date) by (name
and title of position) , who is personally known
to me or who has produced (type of identification)
as identification.
(Signature of
person taking acknowledgment)
(Name typed,
printed or stamped)
(Title or rank)
(Serial number, if
any)
(6) For an acknowledgment in
a representative capacity:
Commonwealth
Of Pennsylvania
County Of
__________
The foregoing
instrument was acknowledged before me this _____ day
of __________, 20 __________, by (name of person)
as (type of authority, . . . e.g. officer, trustee,
attorney in fact) for (name of party on behalf
of whom instrument was executed).
(Signature
of Notary Public - COMMONWEALTH OF Pennsylvania)
(Print,
Type, or Stamp Commissioned Name of Notary Public)
Personally
Known __________ OR Produced Identification __________
Type of
Identification Produced
Oaths
An oath is a formal declaration or promise to
perform an act faithfully and truthfully or an
affirmation of the truth of a statement. Oaths are
usually given for three purposes: (1) That a
statement is the truth; (2) That the testimony he or
she will be giving will be the truth; (3) That he or
she will faithfully perform the duties of a public
office.
SAMPLE OATHS
| Notary: |
Do
you solemnly swear that the statements
contained in this affidavit are true to the
best of your knowledge and belief? |
| Affiant: |
I do. |
| Notary: |
Do you solemnly
swear that the testimony that you are about
to give will be the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth. |
| Affiant: |
I do. |
Notary Public's Oath of Office
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania )
)SS:
County of
)
I, Joe Q. Notary, having been duly appointed and
commissioned a Notary Public in and for the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, do solemnly swear (or
affirm) that I will support, obey and defend the
Constitution of the United States and the
Constitution of this Commonwealth and that I will
discharge the duties of my office with fidelity.
Depositions
A deposition is an involuntary sworn statement
made by a witness for use in the witness’ absence
at a legal proceeding.
In taking a deposition, the notary should first
make sure the witness is sworn in. The notary should
then personally record or supervise the recording of
the testimony of the witness. After the testimony is
transcribed the notary should let the witness read
and sign the transcribed copy of the deposition. The
notary then certifies that the witness was sworn and
that this document is a true and record of the
witness’ testimony. The deposition should be
sealed in an envelope and filed with the court or
sent to the prothonotary for filing.
If a videotaped deposition is requested, the
notary should make sure the witness is sworn.
However, it is unnecessary to have a stenographic
transcript and the witness’ signature. The
videotape should be given to the attorney for the
party requesting the deposition.
The certificate for a transcribed deposition
should comply with the following format:
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania )
)SS:
County of
)
Certificate of Officer Before Whom
Deposition is Taken
I,______________________(Name of Officer),
a_________________(Title) do hereby certify that,
pursuant to________________(Specify the stipulation,
notice or order of court under which the deposition
was taken) the deposition of __________(Name of
Witness) was duly taken at___________(Place)
on___________(Date) at ___________o’clock ___m.
before me. The said__________________(Name of
witness) was first duly sworn (or affirmed) by me
according to law to tell the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth and thereupon did testify
as set forth in the above transcript of testimony.
The testimony was taken down in my presence
stenographically by_______(Name of stenographer)
under my direction.
I do further certify that the above deposition is
full, complete and true record of all the testimony
given by the said witness.
___________________________
Officer
Affidavits
An affidavit is a voluntary, sworn written
statement.
The name of the affiant, the person giving the
statement, must be mentioned in the affidavit and
the affiant is required to sign the affidavit in the
notary’s presence.
Sample Affidavit
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
)
)SS:
County of
)
Before me, the undersigned notary public, this
day, personally, appeared______________ to me known,
who being duly sworn according to law, deposes the
following:
Affiant’s Statement)
(Signature of Affiant)
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this__________day of_______________,19___.
___________________________
Notary Public
CERTIFICATES
A notary public may certify that a document is an
accurate copy of an original document, or that a
statement is true. The notary public must make sure
that the copy is exactly the same as the original.
Pennsylvania Notaries public may not certify
certain Federal, State or County records. Only the
agencies where these records are filed may certify
copies, because they alone hold the original
documents or records. This would include the
following types of documents:
 | Birth records
| Death records
| Marriage records
| Corporate records
i.e. Articles of
Incorporation |
| | |
Sample Certificate
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
)
)SS:
County of
)
I certify that the attached copy of a
____________dated is a true, correct and complete
copy of the original_________________________.
In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand and
official seal.
___________________________
Notary Public
| 
