Quick answer. These are the Ohio certificates as the statute prints them. We show seven forms: acknowledgment (individual), acknowledgment by a corporation, acknowledgment by a limited liability company, acknowledgment by a partnership, acknowledgment by an attorney in fact, acknowledgment by a public officer, trustee or personal representative and jurat (verification on oath or affirmation). We found no official form for signature witnessing and copy certification. There is no fixed remote sentence in the sources we read.
Which Ohio certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | Ohio 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. | R.C. 147.55(A) |
| Acknowledgment by a corporation | 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. | R.C. 147.55(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. | R.C. 147.542(C)(3)(b), (F) |
| Acknowledgment by a limited liability company | An officer or member signs for a limited liability company. | R.C. 147.55(C) |
| Acknowledgment by a partnership | A partner or agent signs for a partnership. | R.C. 147.55(D) |
| Acknowledgment by an attorney in fact | An attorney in fact signs for the principal. | R.C. 147.55(E) |
| Acknowledgment by a public officer, trustee or personal representative | A public officer, trustee or personal representative signs in that role. | R.C. 147.55(F) |
| 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 |
Ohio 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 ___________________________
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this (date) by (name of person acknowledging).
____________________ (Signature of person taking acknowledgment)
____________________ (Title or rank)
Acknowledgment by a corporation 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 ___________________________
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this (date) by (name of officer or agent, title of officer or agent) of (name of corporation acknowledging), a (state or place of incorporation) corporation, on behalf of the corporation.
____________________ (Signature of person taking acknowledgment)
____________________ (Title or rank)
R.C. 147.55 also has forms for a limited liability company (C), a partnership (D), an attorney in fact (E) and a public officer, trustee or personal representative (F); all six are in the pack.
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.
Sworn to and subscribed before me
(or: affirmed to and subscribed before me)
____________________ (Signature of person taking acknowledgment)
____________________ (Title or rank)
Ohio prints no full jurat form. R.C. 147.542 accepts a jurat containing the words "Sworn to and subscribed before me," "affirmed to and subscribed before me" or their substantial equivalent, and (F) lists what every certificate must show: the state and county venue, the jurat wording, the date of the act, your signature exactly as on your commission, your printed name below your signature or stamp, and your seal and commission expiration date. The pack's fill-in jurat lays out exactly those elements and nothing else.
Other Ohio forms
Acknowledgment by a limited liability company Statutory wording
An officer or member signs for a limited liability company.
State of ____________________________
County of ___________________________
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this (date) by (name of member or managing member, title of member or managing member) of (name of limited liability company acknowledging), a (jurisdiction of formation) limited liability company, on behalf of the limited liability company.
____________________ (Signature of person taking acknowledgment)
____________________ (Title or rank)
Acknowledgment by a partnership Statutory wording
A partner or agent signs for a partnership.
State of ____________________________
County of ___________________________
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this (date) by (name of acknowledging partner or agent), partner (or agent) on behalf of (name of partnership), a partnership.
____________________ (Signature of person taking acknowledgment)
____________________ (Title or rank)
Acknowledgment by an attorney in fact Statutory wording
An attorney in fact signs for the principal.
State of ____________________________
County of ___________________________
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this (date) by (name of attorney in fact) as attorney in fact on behalf of (name of principal).
____________________ (Signature of person taking acknowledgment)
____________________ (Title or rank)
Acknowledgment by a public officer, trustee or personal representative Statutory wording
A public officer, trustee or personal representative signs in that role.
State of ____________________________
County of ___________________________
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this (date) by (name and title of position).
____________________ (Signature of person taking acknowledgment)
____________________ (Title or rank)
No official Ohio form found
- Signature witnessing. Ohio's notarial certificate rules in R.C. 147.542 cover acknowledgments and jurats; we found no signature-witnessing certificate. Check with the Ohio Secretary of State.
- Copy certification. We found no copy-certification certificate in the Ohio sections we read. Check with the Ohio Secretary of State.
Remote and electronic acts in Ohio
Ohio has no fixed remote sentence. If an electronic document was signed in your physical presence and notarized under R.C. 147.591, or an online notarization was performed under R.C. 147.60 to 147.66, the certificate must include a statement to that effect. (R.C. 147.542, Notarial certificates (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 3, 2025), checked November 7, 2026)
What an Ohio certificate must contain
- Provide a completed notarial certificate for every notarial act, preprinted, by ink stamp, handwritten or on a separate attached page. (R.C. 147.542(A), (E); R.C. 147.542, Notarial certificates (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 3, 2025))
- Every certificate shows the state and county venue, the acknowledgment or jurat wording, the date, your signature exactly as on your commission, your printed name below your signature or stamp, and your seal and commission expiration date. (R.C. 147.542(F); R.C. 147.542, Notarial certificates (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 3, 2025))
- Never use an acknowledgment certificate when you administered an oath or affirmation, or a jurat certificate when you didn't. (R.C. 147.542(D); R.C. 147.542, Notarial certificates (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 3, 2025))
- If a certificate shows the wrong type of notarization, provide a correct certificate at no charge. (R.C. 147.542(B); R.C. 147.542, Notarial certificates (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 3, 2025))
Common Ohio certificate mistakes
Our plain-English summary of what the official sources warn about; the source follows each one.
- Advising a signer which act to choose. You may explain the difference between an acknowledgment and a jurat, but unless you are an attorney you may not advise which suits their situation. (R.C. 147.542, Notarial certificates (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 3, 2025))
- Using a jurat with no oath or affirmation, or an acknowledgment after giving one. (R.C. 147.542, Notarial certificates (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 3, 2025))
- Signing differently from your commission name. (R.C. 147.542, Notarial certificates (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 3, 2025))
- Leaving your printed name off below your signature or stamp. (R.C. 147.542, Notarial certificates (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 3, 2025))
- Leaving out the electronic or online notarization statement on those acts. (R.C. 147.542, Notarial certificates (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 3, 2025))
The Ohio 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 Ohio: each act, when it's used and the section it comes from.
- The Ohio wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what an Ohio 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 Ohio, each with its source.
See the Ohio certificate wording pack
Sources
- R.C. 147.55, Statutory short forms of acknowledgment (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 6, 2023) (checked November 7, 2026)
- R.C. 147.542, Notarial certificates (Ohio Revised Code, effective April 3, 2025) (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 Ohio Secretary of State, notary commissions tells you, follow the office.
Ohio certificate questions
What is the Ohio acknowledgment certificate wording?
R.C. 147.55(A) gives: "State of ____________________________ County of ___________________________ The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this (date) by (name of person acknowledging)." It closes with (Signature of person taking acknowledgment) and (Title or rank).
What is the Ohio jurat wording?
R.C. 147.542(C)(3)(b), (F) gives: "Sworn to and subscribed before me (or: affirmed to and subscribed before me)" Use it only when you give the signer an oath or affirmation and they sign in front of you.
Can an Ohio notary certify a copy?
We found no copy-certification certificate in the Ohio sections we read. Check with the Ohio Secretary of State.
What else must an Ohio notarial certificate show?
Provide a completed notarial certificate for every notarial act, preprinted, by ink stamp, handwritten or on a separate attached page. Every certificate shows the state and county venue, the acknowledgment or jurat wording, the date, your signature exactly as on your commission, your printed name below your signature or stamp, and your seal and commission expiration date.
Is there an Ohio remote notarization statement?
Ohio has no fixed remote sentence. If an electronic document was signed in your physical presence and notarized under R.C. 147.591, or an online notarization was performed under R.C. 147.60 to 147.66, the certificate must include a statement to that effect.
Who decides which Ohio 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 Ohio Secretary of State, notary 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 Ohio · Notary work in Ohio · Nevada certificate wording · Oklahoma certificate wording