Quick answer. Arkansas's commissioning office publishes the wording below. We show three forms: acknowledgment (individual), jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) and photocopy certificate. We found no official form for acknowledgment (representative capacity) and signature witnessing. There is no fixed remote sentence in the sources we read.
The wording below is from the Arkansas Secretary of State's own certificate templates and Notary FAQ, reproduced as printed. We did not find statutory short forms in the official sources we read.
Which Arkansas certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | Arkansas source |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgment (individual) | The signer declares that the signature on the document is theirs and that they signed willingly. No oath is given. Deeds, powers of attorney and many contracts use it. | Secretary of State template: Notary Acknowledgment |
| Jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) | The signer swears or affirms that the statements in the document are true, and signs in front of you. Affidavits and other sworn statements use it. | Secretary of State Notary FAQ (basic jurat) |
| Photocopy certificate | You certify that a copy is a true copy of an original presented to you, only for documents your state lets notaries copy (vital records and recorded documents are usually excluded). | Secretary of State template: Photocopy Acknowledgment |
| Acknowledgment (representative capacity) | Like an acknowledgment, but the signer signs for someone else: a company, a trust, a partnership, or a principal under a power of attorney. The certificate names the capacity and the party represented. | No official form found |
| Signature witnessing | You watch the signer sign and confirm who they are. There is no oath, and the signer does not need to state that the contents are true. | No official form found |
Arkansas certificate wording
Acknowledgment (individual) Official sample
The signer declares that the signature on the document is theirs and that they signed willingly. No oath is given. Deeds, powers of attorney and many contracts use it.
State of Arkansas
County of ____________________
On this the _______ day of ______, 20____, before me, _________________________________, the undersigned notary, personally appeared ____________________________________ known to me (or satisfactorily proven) to be the person whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged that he/she/they executed the same for the purposes therein contained.
In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and official seal.
________________________________ Signature of Notary Public
[Seal of Office]
My commission expires: __________________
Jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) Official sample
The signer swears or affirms that the statements in the document are true, and signs in front of you. Affidavits and other sworn statements use it.
State of Arkansas
County of ____________________
Subscribed and sworn to before me on this ____ day of ________, 20____.
(Seal)
________________________________ Signature of Notary Public
The FAQ says the jurat is followed by the seal and the notary's signature. The Secretary of State's affidavit template opens with the affiant's statement: "I, ____________________________, being duly sworn, depose and say as follows:"
Photocopy certificate Official sample
You certify that a copy is a true copy of an original presented to you, only for documents your state lets notaries copy (vital records and recorded documents are usually excluded).
State of Arkansas
County of ____________________
I, _______________________________, affirm that the above/attached is a true and perfect copy of the original document _________________________, presented to me by ______________________ on this ________ day of ___________, 20____.
___________________________ Signature of Notary Public
[Seal of Office]
My commission expires: __________________
The FAQ also says notaries may not make and certify copies of birth certificates, other vital records or public records; birth certificate copies come from the Health Department's vital records division.
No official Arkansas form found
- Acknowledgment (representative capacity). The Secretary of State's templates have no separate representative-capacity acknowledgment. No official form found; check with the Arkansas Secretary of State.
- Signature witnessing. No official signature-witnessing certificate found in the Secretary of State's templates; check with the Arkansas Secretary of State.
Remote and electronic acts in Arkansas
The FAQ gives no remote or electronic certificate sentence and says a notary may not notarize without the signer physically present, including over webcam. Arkansas has a separate e-notary program; check with the Secretary of State before any electronic act. (Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State), checked November 7, 2026)
What an Arkansas certificate must contain
- The certificate needs a venue (the county where you stood), the date, and a narrative of who signed and what you witnessed, with your printed name as it appears on your seal, your signature and your seal near the signature. (Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State))
- Complete the certificate before you sign and seal it. (Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State))
- Seals and signatures are in blue or black ink, the seal must photocopy, and it shows your commission expiration date (so renewal means a new stamp). The seal may not include the Great Seal of Arkansas or an outline of the state. (Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State))
- The certificate must be in English even when the document is in another language. (Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State))
Common Arkansas certificate mistakes
Summarized in our own words from the official sources named after each item.
- Using whiteout. Line through in ink and initial instead. (Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State))
- Leaving blanks in the certificate for the client to fill in later. (Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State))
- A smeared seal: stamp a clear impression nearby, or prepare a separate certificate with the same wording. (Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State))
- Notarizing a signature someone else brought in, or a spouse's signature carried in by the other spouse. (Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State))
- Certifying a copy of a birth certificate or other vital or public record. (Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State))
- Using a stamp that shows an old name or county. (Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State))
The Arkansas certificate wording pack
$15 one time. The wording on this page is public law and stays free here; the pack is the fill-in files and the organizing.
- A one-page "which certificate do I use?" chart for Arkansas: each act, when it's used and the official sample it comes from.
- The Arkansas wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what an Arkansas certificate must contain (venue, seal, commission details).
- Fill-in certificates in Word, one per page, with matching PDFs, so you can attach a loose certificate when a document needs one.
- A common-mistakes checklist from the official sources: six items for Arkansas, each with its source.
See the Arkansas certificate wording pack
Sources
- Affidavit and Acknowledgment templates (Arkansas Secretary of State) (checked November 7, 2026)
- Notary FAQs, updated 2024 (Arkansas Secretary of State) (checked November 7, 2026)
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Notaries follow their own state's law and the official handbook, and the receiving office decides what it accepts, so nothing here guarantees a document will be accepted. The Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services (notary) has the final word on Arkansas practice.
Arkansas certificate questions
What is the Arkansas acknowledgment certificate wording?
The official sample (Secretary of State template: Notary Acknowledgment) reads: "State of Arkansas County of ____________________ On this the _______ day of ______, 20____, before me, _________________________________, the undersigned notary, personally appeared ____________________________________ known to me (or satisfactorily proven) to be the person whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged that he/she/they executed the same for the purposes therein contained." It closes with In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and official seal., Signature of Notary Public and [Seal of Office].
What is the Arkansas jurat wording?
The official sample (Secretary of State Notary FAQ (basic jurat)) reads: "State of Arkansas County of ____________________ Subscribed and sworn to before me on this ____ day of ________, 20____." Use it only when you give the signer an oath or affirmation and they sign in front of you.
Can an Arkansas notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. The official sample (Secretary of State template: Photocopy Acknowledgment) reads: "State of Arkansas County of ____________________ I, _______________________________, affirm that the above/attached is a true and perfect copy of the original document _________________________, presented to me by ______________________ on this ________ day of ___________, 20____." The FAQ also says notaries may not make and certify copies of birth certificates, other vital records or public records; birth certificate copies come from the Health Department's vital records division.
What else must an Arkansas notarial certificate show?
The certificate needs a venue (the county where you stood), the date, and a narrative of who signed and what you witnessed, with your printed name as it appears on your seal, your signature and your seal near the signature. Complete the certificate before you sign and seal it.
Is there an Arkansas remote notarization statement?
The FAQ gives no remote or electronic certificate sentence and says a notary may not notarize without the signer physically present, including over webcam. Arkansas has a separate e-notary program; check with the Secretary of State before any electronic act.
Who decides which Arkansas certificate to use?
The person asking for the notarization, or whoever drafted the document, tells you which notarial act they need; a notary who isn't an attorney shouldn't choose it for them. If a document has no certificate, follow the Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services (notary)'s guidance. We are not lawyers, and nothing here promises that a receiving office will accept a document.
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