Quick answer. New Hampshire's law sets the wording below. We show six forms: acknowledgment (individual), acknowledgment (representative capacity), verification upon oath or affirmation, signature witnessing, attestation of a copy of a document and paper copy of an electronic record. There is no fixed remote sentence in the sources we read.
Which New Hampshire certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | New Hampshire 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. | RSA 456-B:8, I |
| 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. | RSA 456-B:8, II |
| Verification upon 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. | RSA 456-B:8, III |
| 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. | RSA 456-B:8, IV |
| Attestation of a copy of a document | 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). | RSA 456-B:8, V |
| Paper copy of an electronic record | Certifying that a paper printout matches an electronic record. | RSA 456-B:8, VI |
New Hampshire 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 instrument was acknowledged before me on (date) by (name(s) of person(s))
___________________________ (Signature of notarial officer)
(Seal, if any)
___________________________ Title (and Rank)
[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 instrument was acknowledged before me on (date) by (name(s) of person(s)) as (type of authority, e.g., officer, trustee, etc.) of (name of party on behalf of whom instrument was executed).
___________________________ (Signature of notarial officer)
(Seal, if any)
___________________________ Title (and Rank)
[My commission expires: _____]
Verification upon 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 person(s) making statement).
___________________________ (Signature of notarial officer)
(Seal, if any)
___________________________ Title (and Rank)
[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 person(s)).
___________________________ (Signature of notarial officer)
(Seal, if any)
___________________________ Title (and Rank)
[My commission expires: _____]
Attestation of a copy of a document 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 document in the possession of ____________________ .
Dated _______________
___________________________ (Signature of notarial officer)
(Seal, if any)
___________________________ Title (and Rank)
[My commission expires: _____]
Other New Hampshire forms
Paper copy of an electronic record Statutory wording
Certifying that a paper printout matches an electronic record.
State of __________________
(County) of __________________
I certify that this record is a true and correct copy of an electronic record printed by me or under my supervision.
Dated __________________
___________________________ (Signature of notarial officer)
(Seal, if any)
___________________________ Title (and Rank)
[My commission expires: _____]
Remote and electronic acts in New Hampshire
RSA 456-B:8 has no separate remote sentence, and the remote section of the manual was beyond what we could read. No official remote sentence found in the sources we read; check with the New Hampshire Department of State before a remote act. (Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Manual, February 2022 (Office of the Attorney General and Department of State), checked November 7, 2026)
What a New Hampshire certificate must contain
- Every notarial act needs a certificate that is completed, signed and dated, identifies the jurisdiction and contains your title; for a notary public it also carries your official seal or stamp and your commission expiration date. (Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Manual, February 2022 (Office of the Attorney General and Department of State))
- A rubber stamp shows your name, Notary Public, New Hampshire and your expiration date; an embossed seal shows your name, Notary Public and New Hampshire, with a separate stamp for the expiration date. (Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Manual, February 2022 (Office of the Attorney General and Department of State))
- Copy certification: confirm the copy is a full, true and accurate reproduction and use the copy-certification wording; your signature alone is not enough. Never certify a copy of a vital record, an apostille, a naturalization or citizenship certificate, or a recorded instrument. (Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Manual, February 2022 (Office of the Attorney General and Department of State))
Common New Hampshire certificate mistakes
Our plain-English summary of what the official sources warn about; the source follows each one.
- Signing a blank document or a blank jurat. (Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Manual, February 2022 (Office of the Attorney General and Department of State))
- Completing a certificate when the signer didn't appear, even if you know them or they confirmed by phone. (Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Manual, February 2022 (Office of the Attorney General and Department of State))
- Certifying a copy of a birth, death or marriage record (a vital record). (Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Manual, February 2022 (Office of the Attorney General and Department of State))
- Altering a certificate or pre- or post-dating it; adding a missing expiration date is allowed, other changes may be tampering with a public record. (Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Manual, February 2022 (Office of the Attorney General and Department of State))
- Notarizing your own signature. (Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Manual, February 2022 (Office of the Attorney General and Department of State))
- Signing as a notary before you have taken the oath of office. (Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Manual, February 2022 (Office of the Attorney General and Department of State))
The New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire: each act, when it's used and the section it comes from.
- The New Hampshire wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what a New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire, each with its source.
See the New Hampshire certificate wording pack
Sources
- RSA 456-B:8 Short Forms (New Hampshire General Court) (checked November 7, 2026)
- Notary Public and Justice of the Peace Manual, February 2022 (Office of the Attorney General and Department 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. Questions about a particular document go to the New Hampshire Department of State, notary and justice of the peace commissions or an attorney.
New Hampshire certificate questions
What is the New Hampshire acknowledgment certificate wording?
RSA 456-B:8, I gives: "State of _______________________ (County) of ____________________ This instrument was acknowledged before me on (date) by (name(s) of person(s))" It closes with (Signature of notarial officer), (Seal, if any) and Title (and Rank).
What is the New Hampshire jurat wording?
RSA 456-B:8, III gives: "State of _______________________ (County) of ____________________ Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on (date) by (name(s) of person(s) making statement)." Use it only when you give the signer an oath or affirmation and they sign in front of you.
Can a New Hampshire notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. RSA 456-B:8, V gives: "State of _______________________ (County) of ____________________ I certify that this is a true and correct copy of a document in the possession of ____________________ . Dated _______________"
What else must a New Hampshire notarial certificate show?
Every notarial act needs a certificate that is completed, signed and dated, identifies the jurisdiction and contains your title; for a notary public it also carries your official seal or stamp and your commission expiration date. A rubber stamp shows your name, Notary Public, New Hampshire and your expiration date; an embossed seal shows your name, Notary Public and New Hampshire, with a separate stamp for the expiration date.
Is there a New Hampshire remote notarization statement?
RSA 456-B:8 has no separate remote sentence, and the remote section of the manual was beyond what we could read. No official remote sentence found in the sources we read; check with the New Hampshire Department of State before a remote act.
Who decides which New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Department of State, notary and justice of the peace commissions'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 New Hampshire · Notary work in New Hampshire · North Dakota certificate wording · New Jersey certificate wording