Quick answer. These are the Massachusetts certificates as the statute prints them. We show five forms: acknowledgment (individual), acknowledgment (representative capacity), jurat (verification on oath or affirmation), signature witnessing and copy certification. There is no fixed remote sentence in the sources we read.
M.G.L. c.222, § 15 gives model certificates a notary may use; other forms required by court rules or other laws may be used instead. Pick the bracketed choices that fit.
Which Massachusetts certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | Massachusetts 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. | M.G.L. c.222, § 15(b) |
| 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. | M.G.L. c.222, § 15(b) |
| 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. | M.G.L. c.222, § 15(c) |
| 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. | M.G.L. c.222, § 15(d) |
| 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). | M.G.L. c.222, § 15(e) |
Massachusetts 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.
On this ____ day of ___________, 20__, before me, the undersigned notary public, ________________________ (name of document signer) personally appeared, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which were _______________________, to be the person whose name is signed on the preceding or attached document, and acknowledged to me that (he) (she) signed it voluntarily for its stated purpose.
_________________ (official signature and seal of notary public)
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.
Use the § 15(b) acknowledgment above and add the capacity that applies:
(as partner for ____________, a partnership)
(as ____________ for ______________, a corporation or other entity)
(as attorney in fact for ________________, the principal)
(as ___________ for _______________, (a) (the) _________________)
_________________ (official signature and seal of notary public)
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.
On this ____ day of ___________, 20__, before me, the undersigned notary public, ________________________ (name of document signer) personally appeared, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which were _______________________, to be the person who signed the preceding or attached document in my presence and who swore or affirmed to me that the contents of the document are truthful and accurate to the best of (his) (her) knowledge and belief.
_________________ (official signature and seal of notary public)
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.
On this ____ day of ___________, 20__, before me, the undersigned notary public, ________________________ (name of document signer) personally appeared, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which were _______________________, to be the person whose name is signed on the preceding or attached document in my presence.
_________________ (official signature and seal of notary public)
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).
On this ____ day of ___________, 20__, I certify that the (preceding) (following) (attached) document is a true, exact, complete and unaltered copy made by me of __________________ (description of the document), presented to me by ______________________.
_________________ (official signature and seal of notary public)
Remote and electronic acts in Massachusetts
The § 15 model certificates have no remote sentence. No official remote sentence found in the sources we read; check with the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Commissions Section before a remote act. (M.G.L. c.222, § 15 (Massachusetts General Court), checked November 7, 2026)
What a Massachusetts certificate must contain
- Section 15 lists the acts a Massachusetts notary may perform: acknowledgments, oaths and affirmations, jurats, signature witnessings, copy certifications, witness summonses and subpoenas, and witnessing the opening of a bank safe, vault or box. (M.G.L. c.222, § 15; M.G.L. c.222, § 15 (Massachusetts General Court))
- Each model certificate records the date, the signer's name, the satisfactory evidence of identification used, and your official signature and seal. (M.G.L. c.222, § 15; M.G.L. c.222, § 15 (Massachusetts General Court))
- Section 15 also covers a signature by mark, signing for a principal who can't sign, and using other forms required by court rules or other laws. (M.G.L. c.222, § 15; M.G.L. c.222, § 15 (Massachusetts General Court))
Common Massachusetts certificate mistakes
Each item is our summary of an official source, named beside it.
- Leaving the identification blank: every model certificate names the evidence of identification you relied on. (M.G.L. c.222, § 15 (Massachusetts General Court))
- Using the acknowledgment when the signer must sign in your presence and swear to the contents (a jurat). (M.G.L. c.222, § 15 (Massachusetts General Court))
- Using signature witnessing for a sworn statement; witnessing involves no oath. (M.G.L. c.222, § 15 (Massachusetts General Court))
- Certifying a copy you didn't make yourself; the § 15(e) form says the copy was made by you. (M.G.L. c.222, § 15 (Massachusetts General Court))
- Leaving both pronoun choices, or all three (preceding) (following) (attached) choices, unstruck. (M.G.L. c.222, § 15 (Massachusetts General Court))
The Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts: each act, when it's used and the section it comes from.
- The Massachusetts wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what a Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts, each with its source.
See the Massachusetts certificate wording pack
Sources
- M.G.L. c.222, § 15 (Massachusetts General Court) (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. If anything here differs from what the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Commissions Section tells you, follow the office.
Massachusetts certificate questions
What is the Massachusetts acknowledgment certificate wording?
M.G.L. c.222, § 15(b) gives: "On this ____ day of ___________, 20__, before me, the undersigned notary public, ________________________ (name of document signer) personally appeared, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which were _______________________, to be the person whose name is signed on the preceding or attached document, and acknowledged to me that (he) (she) signed it voluntarily for its stated purpose." It closes with (official signature and seal of notary public).
What is the Massachusetts jurat wording?
M.G.L. c.222, § 15(c) gives: "On this ____ day of ___________, 20__, before me, the undersigned notary public, ________________________ (name of document signer) personally appeared, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which were _______________________, to be the person who signed the preceding or attached document in my presence and who swore or affirmed to me that the contents of the document are truthful and accurate to the best of (his) (her) knowledge and belief." Use it only when you give the signer an oath or affirmation and they sign in front of you.
Can a Massachusetts notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. M.G.L. c.222, § 15(e) gives: "On this ____ day of ___________, 20__, I certify that the (preceding) (following) (attached) document is a true, exact, complete and unaltered copy made by me of __________________ (description of the document), presented to me by ______________________."
What else must a Massachusetts notarial certificate show?
Section 15 lists the acts a Massachusetts notary may perform: acknowledgments, oaths and affirmations, jurats, signature witnessings, copy certifications, witness summonses and subpoenas, and witnessing the opening of a bank safe, vault or box. Each model certificate records the date, the signer's name, the satisfactory evidence of identification used, and your official signature and seal.
Is there a Massachusetts remote notarization statement?
The § 15 model certificates have no remote sentence. No official remote sentence found in the sources we read; check with the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Commissions Section before a remote act.
Who decides which Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Commissions Section's guidance. We are not lawyers, and nothing here promises that a receiving office will accept a document.
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