Quick answer. New Jersey's commissioning office publishes the wording below. We show six forms: acknowledgment (individual), acknowledgment (representative capacity), jurat (verification on oath or affirmation), signature witnessing, copy certification and remote act: notary's witnessing statement. The remote-act statement is in Notary Public Manual p. 21.
These are the certificate forms in Chapter 6 of the State's Notary Public Manual (pp. 13-15), which cites P.L. 2021, c.179 (N.J.S.A. 52:7-10 et seq.) and N.J.A.C. 17:50 as their authority.
Which New Jersey certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | New Jersey 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. | Notary Public Manual p. 13 |
| 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. | Notary Public Manual p. 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. | Notary Public Manual pp. 13-14 |
| 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. | Notary Public Manual p. 14 |
| 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). | Notary Public Manual p. 15 |
| Remote act: notary's witnessing 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. | Notary Public Manual p. 21 |
New Jersey 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 __________
County of __________
This record was acknowledged before me on (date) by ____________ (Name(s) of individual(s))
____________________ Signature of notarial officer
Stamp
First Name, MI, Last Name
Notary Public, State of New Jersey
My commission expires (mm/dd/yyyy)
Acknowledgment (representative capacity) Official sample
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
First Name, MI, Last Name
Notary Public, State of New Jersey
My commission expires (mm/dd/yyyy)
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 __________
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
First Name, MI, Last Name
Notary Public, State of New Jersey
My commission expires (mm/dd/yyyy)
Signature witnessing Official sample
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) ____________ (Name(s) of individual(s))
____________________ Signature of notarial officer
Stamp
First Name, MI, Last Name
Notary Public, State of New Jersey
My commission expires (mm/dd/yyyy)
Copy certification 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 __________
County of __________
I certify that this is a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of ____________ (name).
Dated (date)
____________________ Signature of notarial officer
Stamp
First Name, MI, Last Name
Notary Public, State of New Jersey
My commission expires (mm/dd/yyyy)
Remote act: notary's witnessing statement Official sample
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.
I ____________ [name of the notarial officer] witnessed, by means of communication technology, ____________ [name of remotely located individual] sign the attached record and declaration on ________ [date].
The manual pairs this with the remotely located individual's signed declaration: "I declare under penalty of perjury that the record to which this declaration is attached is the same record on which [name of notarial officer] performed a notarial act and before whom I appeared by means of communication technology on [date]." The certificate for a remote act must also indicate that communication technology was used (manual p. 22).
What a New Jersey certificate must contain
- The certificate is executed at the same time as the act, signed and dated by you, identifies the jurisdiction (state and county), contains your title of office, shows your commission expiration date and is stamped. (New Jersey Notary Public Manual, September 14, 2026 (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services))
- The official stamp includes your name, Notary Public, State of New Jersey and your commission expiration date; on paper it goes near your signature, clear, readable and able to be copied with the record. (New Jersey Notary Public Manual, September 14, 2026 (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services))
- Copy certification is permitted: determine that the copy is a full, true and accurate transcription or reproduction of the record. (New Jersey Notary Public Manual, September 14, 2026 (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services))
Common New Jersey certificate mistakes
Our plain-English summary of what the official sources warn about; the source follows each one.
- Signing the certificate before the act is performed. (New Jersey Notary Public Manual, September 14, 2026 (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services))
- Notarizing with no certificate attached to or part of the record. (New Jersey Notary Public Manual, September 14, 2026 (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services))
- A smudged or unreadable stamp, or one placed away from your signature. (New Jersey Notary Public Manual, September 14, 2026 (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services))
- Letting someone else use your stamping device. (New Jersey Notary Public Manual, September 14, 2026 (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services))
- Leaving the communication-technology indication off a remote act's certificate. (New Jersey Notary Public Manual, September 14, 2026 (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services))
- Notarizing a record in which you, your spouse or civil union partner is a party or has a direct beneficial interest. (New Jersey Notary Public Manual, September 14, 2026 (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services))
The New Jersey 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 official sample it comes from.
- The New Jersey wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what a 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: six items for the area, each with its source.
See the New Jersey certificate wording pack
Sources
- New Jersey Notary Public Manual, September 14, 2026 (Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services) (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 New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (notary public) tells you, follow the office.
New Jersey certificate questions
What is the New Jersey acknowledgment certificate wording?
The official sample (Notary Public Manual p. 13) reads: "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 First Name, MI, Last Name.
What is the New Jersey jurat wording?
The official sample (Notary Public Manual pp. 13-14) reads: "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 a New Jersey notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. The official sample (Notary Public Manual p. 15) reads: "State of __________ County of __________ I certify that this is a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of ____________ (name). Dated (date)"
What else must a New Jersey notarial certificate show?
The certificate is executed at the same time as the act, signed and dated by you, identifies the jurisdiction (state and county), contains your title of office, shows your commission expiration date and is stamped. The official stamp includes your name, Notary Public, State of the area and your commission expiration date; on paper it goes near your signature, clear, readable and able to be copied with the record.
Is there a New Jersey remote notarization statement?
Yes. Notary Public Manual p. 21: "I ____________ [name of the notarial officer] witnessed, by means of communication technology, ____________ [name of remotely located individual] sign the attached record and declaration on ________ [date]." The manual pairs this with the remotely located individual's signed declaration: "I declare under penalty of perjury that the record to which this declaration is attached is the same record on which [name of notarial officer] performed a notarial act and before whom I appeared by means of communication technology on [date]." The certificate for a remote act must also indicate that communication technology was used (manual p. 22).
Who decides which New Jersey 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 Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (notary public)'s guidance. We are not lawyers, and nothing here promises that a receiving office will accept a document.
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