Quick answer. Below is Iowa's statutory certificate wording, act by act. We show six forms: acknowledgment (individual), acknowledgment (representative capacity), jurat (verification on oath or affirmation), signature witnessing, copy certification and remote or electronic act statement. The remote-act statement is in Iowa Code 9B.14A(5)(b).
Which Iowa certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | Iowa 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. | Iowa Code 9B.16(1) |
| 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. | Iowa Code 9B.16(2) |
| 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. | Iowa Code 9B.16(3) |
| 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. | Iowa Code 9B.16(4) |
| 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). | Iowa Code 9B.16(5) |
| Remote or electronic act statement | The signer appears by audio-video communication technology instead of in person, where your state authorizes it and you have any required approval. The certificate must say so. | Iowa Code 9B.14A(5)(b) |
Iowa 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.
State of __________
[County] of __________
This record was acknowledged before me on __________ (Date) by __________ Name(s) of individual(s)
____________________ Signature of notarial officer
Stamp
[____________________] Title of office
[My commission expires: ____________]
Acknowledgment (representative capacity) Statutory wording
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.
State of __________
[County] of __________
This record was acknowledged before me on __________ (Date) by __________ Name(s) of individual(s) as (type of authority, such as officer or trustee) of (name of party on behalf of whom record was executed).
____________________ Signature of notarial officer
Stamp
[____________________] Title of office
[My commission expires: ____________]
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.
State of __________
[County] of __________
Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on __________ (Date) by __________ Name(s) of individual(s) making statement
____________________ Signature of notarial officer
Stamp
[____________________] Title of office
[My commission expires: ____________]
Signature witnessing Statutory wording
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.
State of __________
[County] of __________
Signed (or attested) before me on __________ (Date) by __________ Name(s) of individual(s)
____________________ Signature of notarial officer
Stamp
[____________________] Title of office
[My commission expires: ____________]
Copy certification Statutory wording
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 __________
[County] of __________
I certify that this is a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of __________
Dated __________
____________________ Signature of notarial officer
Stamp
[____________________] Title of office
[My commission expires: ____________]
Remote or electronic act statement Statutory wording
The signer appears by audio-video communication technology instead of in person, where your state authorizes it and you have any required approval. The certificate must say so.
This notarial act involved the use of communication technology
Iowa Code 9B.14A(4) says the certificate for a remotely located individual must indicate that the act was performed using communication technology; a 9B.16 short form containing a statement substantially like this one is sufficient.
What an Iowa certificate must contain
- Every notarial act is evidenced by a certificate executed at the time of the act, signed and dated by you in the same manner as your signature on file with the Secretary of State. (Iowa Code 9B.15(1); Iowa Code chapter 9B, Notarial Acts (2026), Iowa Legislature)
- It identifies the jurisdiction (the State and, in the short forms, the bracketed County line), contains your title of office and gives your commission expiration date, if any. (Iowa Code 9B.15(1); Iowa Code chapter 9B, Notarial Acts (2026), Iowa Legislature)
- On a paper record, a notary public's official stamp must be affixed to or embossed on the certificate. (Iowa Code 9B.15(2); Iowa Code chapter 9B, Notarial Acts (2026), Iowa Legislature)
- Copy certification: determine that the copy is a full, true and accurate transcription or reproduction. You may also certify that a paper copy of an electronic record is accurate. (Iowa Code 9B.4(3), 9B.5(4); Iowa Code chapter 9B, Notarial Acts (2026), Iowa Legislature)
Common Iowa certificate mistakes
Each item is our summary of an official source, named beside it.
- Suggesting which certificate to use. The Secretary of State says the requester states what they need, and the notary then uses the matching certificate. (Notarial Certificates, Iowa Secretary of State)
- Treating the 9B.16 short forms as the only valid wording; the Secretary of State notes they are examples, not a complete list. (Notarial Certificates, Iowa Secretary of State)
- Notarizing a record in which you or your spouse is a party or has a direct beneficial interest; the act is voidable. (Iowa Code chapter 9B, Notarial Acts (2026), Iowa Legislature)
- Leaving the stamp off a paper certificate. (Iowa Code chapter 9B, Notarial Acts (2026), Iowa Legislature)
- Omitting the communication-technology statement on a remote act. (Iowa Code chapter 9B, Notarial Acts (2026), Iowa Legislature)
The Iowa 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 the area: each act, when it's used and the section it comes from.
- The Iowa wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what an area 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: five items for the area, each with its source.
See the Iowa certificate wording pack
Sources
- Iowa Code chapter 9B, Notarial Acts (2026), Iowa Legislature (checked November 7, 2026)
- Notarial Certificates, Iowa 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 Iowa Secretary of State, notary section has the final word on the area practice.
Iowa certificate questions
What is the Iowa acknowledgment certificate wording?
Iowa Code 9B.16(1) gives: "State of __________ [County] of __________ This record was acknowledged before me on __________ (Date) by __________ Name(s) of individual(s)" It closes with Signature of notarial officer, Stamp and [] Title of office.
What is the Iowa jurat wording?
Iowa Code 9B.16(3) gives: "State of __________ [County] of __________ Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on __________ (Date) by __________ Name(s) of individual(s) making statement" Use it only when you give the signer an oath or affirmation and they sign in front of you.
Can an Iowa notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. Iowa Code 9B.16(5) gives: "State of __________ [County] of __________ I certify that this is a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of __________ Dated __________"
What else must an Iowa notarial certificate show?
Every notarial act is evidenced by a certificate executed at the time of the act, signed and dated by you in the same manner as your signature on file with the Secretary of State. It identifies the jurisdiction (the State and, in the short forms, the bracketed County line), contains your title of office and gives your commission expiration date, if any.
Is there an Iowa remote notarization statement?
Yes. Iowa Code 9B.14A(5)(b): "This notarial act involved the use of communication technology" Iowa Code 9B.14A(4) says the certificate for a remotely located individual must indicate that the act was performed using communication technology; a 9B.16 short form containing a statement substantially like this one is sufficient.
Who decides which Iowa 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 Iowa Secretary of State, notary section's guidance. We are not lawyers, and nothing here promises that a receiving office will accept a document.
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