Quick answer. Below is California's statutory certificate wording, act by act. We show two forms: acknowledgment (individual) and jurat (verification on oath or affirmation). We found no official form for acknowledgment (representative capacity), signature witnessing and copy certification. There is no fixed remote sentence in the sources we read.
California's acknowledgment and jurat wording is set by statute (Civil Code § 1189 and Government Code § 8202); it is shown here as the Secretary of State's 2026 handbook prints it (pp. 12-14). The boxed notice at the top is part of the required form.
Which California certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | California 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. | Civil Code § 1189 (handbook pp. 12-13) |
| 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. | Government Code § 8202 (handbook pp. 13-14) |
| 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 |
| Copy certification | 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). | No official form found |
California certificate wording
Acknowledgment (individual) Statutory wording
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.
[Boxed notice] A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document.
State of California
County of _________ }
On ______________________ before me, (here insert name and title of the officer), personally appeared ____________________________________________, who proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person(s) whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged to me that he/she/they executed the same in his/her/their authorized capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument the person(s), or the entity upon behalf of which the person(s) acted, executed the instrument.
I certify under PENALTY OF PERJURY under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing paragraph is true and correct.
WITNESS my hand and official seal.
____________________ Notary Public Signature
(Notary Public Seal)
Jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) Statutory wording
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.
[Boxed notice] A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document.
State of California
County of ___________________
Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on this _____ day of _______, 20__, by _______________________, proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person(s) who appeared before me.
____________________ Notary Public Signature
(Notary Public Seal)
The jurat has no WITNESS line. The signer takes the oath and signs in your presence.
No official California form found
- Acknowledgment (representative capacity). California notaries may not use a certificate that requires them to determine or certify the signer's representative capacity (handbook p. 13). The Civil Code § 1189 form already says the signer acted in an authorized capacity; there is no separate representative form.
- Signature witnessing. California has no signature-witnessing certificate for notaries. The related act is the proof of execution by a subscribing witness (Civil Code § 1195, handbook p. 16), which cannot be used for powers of attorney, most deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust or other instruments affecting real property.
- Copy certification. California notaries certify copies only in narrow cases: a power of attorney under Probate Code § 4307 (the requester appears in person; the handbook's suggested format starts "(name of notary public), Notary Public, certify that on (date), I examined the original power of attorney and the copy of the power of attorney"), and copies of their own journal entries. Never birth, death or marriage certificates.
Remote and electronic acts in California
The handbook says the signer must personally appear; video or other non-physical appearance does not qualify. There is no California remote notarization certificate in the handbook. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State), checked November 7, 2026)
What a California certificate must contain
- Affix your seal clearly, not over signatures or printed matter. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State))
- Complete the acknowledgment certificate fully when you sign and seal it; acknowledgments are executed under penalty of perjury. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State))
- Never attach a certificate to a document that was mailed or delivered without the signer personally appearing. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State))
- Familiarity with the signer does not replace satisfactory evidence of identity; obtain and record it. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State))
Common California certificate mistakes
Our plain-English summary of what the official sources warn about; the source follows each one.
- Notarizing an incomplete document. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State))
- Trying to correct a completed notarial act; notarize again with a new certificate, new date and new journal entry. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State))
- Leaving off the boxed notice at the top of the acknowledgment or jurat. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State))
- Using a certificate that asks you to certify the signer's representative capacity. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State))
- Certifying a birth, death or marriage certificate. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State))
- Selecting or advising on the document or certificate; refer the signer to an attorney. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State))
- Using an interpreter instead of communicating directly with the signer. (2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California Secretary of State))
The California 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 California: each act, when it's used and the section it comes from.
- The California wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what a California 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: seven items for California, each with its source.
See the California certificate wording pack
Sources
- 2026 California Notary Public Handbook (California 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 California Secretary of State, notary public section has the final word on California practice.
California certificate questions
What is the California acknowledgment certificate wording?
Civil Code § 1189 (handbook pp. 12-13) gives: "[Boxed notice] A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document. State of California County of _________ } On ______________________ before me, (here insert name and title of the officer), personally appeared ____________________________________________, who proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person(s) whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged to me that he/she/they executed the same in his/her/their authorized capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument the person(s), or the entity upon behalf of which the person(s) acted, executed the instrument. I certify under PENALTY OF PERJURY under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing paragraph is true and correct." It closes with WITNESS my hand and official seal., Notary Public Signature and (Notary Public Seal).
What is the California jurat wording?
Government Code § 8202 (handbook pp. 13-14) gives: "[Boxed notice] A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document. State of California County of ___________________ Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on this _____ day of _______, 20__, by _______________________, proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person(s) who appeared before me." Use it only when you give the signer an oath or affirmation and they sign in front of you.
Can a California notary certify a copy?
California notaries certify copies only in narrow cases: a power of attorney under Probate Code § 4307 (the requester appears in person; the handbook's suggested format starts "(name of notary public), Notary Public, certify that on (date), I examined the original power of attorney and the copy of the power of attorney"), and copies of their own journal entries. Never birth, death or marriage certificates.
What else must a California notarial certificate show?
Affix your seal clearly, not over signatures or printed matter. Complete the acknowledgment certificate fully when you sign and seal it; acknowledgments are executed under penalty of perjury.
Is there a California remote notarization statement?
The handbook says the signer must personally appear; video or other non-physical appearance does not qualify. There is no California remote notarization certificate in the handbook.
Who decides which California 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 California Secretary of State, notary public section's guidance. We are not lawyers, and nothing here promises that a receiving office will accept a document.
Related: All states · Becoming a notary in California · Notary work in California · Arizona certificate wording · Colorado certificate wording