Quick answer. Below is Pennsylvania's statutory certificate wording, act by act. We show seven forms: acknowledgment (individual), acknowledgment (representative capacity), jurat (verification on oath or affirmation), signature witnessing, copy certification, certifying a deposition transcript and remote or electronic act statement. The remote-act statement is in 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(d)(1).
Which Pennsylvania certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | Pennsylvania 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. | 57 Pa.C.S. § 316(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. | 57 Pa.C.S. § 316(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. | 57 Pa.C.S. § 316(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. | 57 Pa.C.S. § 316(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). | 57 Pa.C.S. § 316(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. | 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(d)(1) |
| Certifying a deposition transcript | Certifying the transcript of a deposition you took. | 57 Pa.C.S. § 316(6) |
Pennsylvania 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) who represent that (he, she or they) are authorized to act on behalf 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 __________ 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.
Section 306.1(c) says the certificate for a remotely located individual must indicate that the act was performed by means of communication technology; the short-form statement shown is one the law treats as sufficient.
Other Pennsylvania forms
Certifying a deposition transcript Statutory wording
Certifying the transcript of a deposition you took.
State of __________
County of __________
I certify that this is a true and correct copy of the transcript of the deposition of __________.
Dated __________
____________________ Signature of notarial officer
Stamp
____________________ Title of office
My commission expires: ____________
What a Pennsylvania certificate must contain
- The certificate is executed at the time of the act, signed and dated, identifies the county and state where the act is performed, and contains your title of office. (57 Pa.C.S. § 315(a); 57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (Pennsylvania General Assembly))
- Sign exactly and only as your name appears on your commission, and show your commission expiration date on the certificate. (57 Pa.C.S. § 315; 57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (Pennsylvania General Assembly))
- The seal is a rubber stamp showing, in this order: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Notary Seal; your name as commissioned and the words Notary Public; the county where you maintain an office; your commission expiration date. Maximum 1 inch high by 3.5 inches wide, with a plain border. (57 Pa.C.S. § 317; 57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (Pennsylvania General Assembly))
- Copy certification: you must determine that the copy is a complete and accurate transcription or reproduction of the record. You may also certify that a paper copy of an electronic record is a true and correct copy. (57 Pa.C.S. §§ 304(c), 305(d); 57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (Pennsylvania General Assembly))
Common Pennsylvania certificate mistakes
Summarized in our own words from the official sources named after each item.
- Signing with a name that differs from the commission (a nickname or a missing middle initial that the commission shows). (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (Pennsylvania General Assembly))
- A seal that leaves out the county or expiration date, or is not in the order section 317 sets. (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (Pennsylvania General Assembly))
- Notarizing a record in which you or your spouse has a direct or pecuniary interest. (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (Pennsylvania General Assembly))
- Keeping the signer's original record: a notary may not withhold an original record the person provided. (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (Pennsylvania General Assembly))
- Leaving out the communication-technology statement on a remote act. (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (Pennsylvania General Assembly))
The Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania: each act, when it's used and the section it comes from.
- The Pennsylvania wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what a Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, each with its source.
See the Pennsylvania certificate wording pack
Sources
- 57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (Pennsylvania General Assembly) (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 Pennsylvania Department of State, notary program or an attorney.
Pennsylvania certificate questions
What is the Pennsylvania acknowledgment certificate wording?
57 Pa.C.S. § 316(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 Pennsylvania jurat wording?
57 Pa.C.S. § 316(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 a Pennsylvania notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. 57 Pa.C.S. § 316(5) gives: "State of __________ County of __________ I certify that this is a true and correct copy of a __________ in the possession of __________. Dated __________"
What else must a Pennsylvania notarial certificate show?
The certificate is executed at the time of the act, signed and dated, identifies the county and state where the act is performed, and contains your title of office. Sign exactly and only as your name appears on your commission, and show your commission expiration date on the certificate.
Is there a Pennsylvania remote notarization statement?
Yes. 57 Pa.C.S. § 306.1(d)(1): "This notarial act involved the use of communication technology." Section 306.1(c) says the certificate for a remotely located individual must indicate that the act was performed by means of communication technology; the short-form statement shown is one the law treats as sufficient.
Who decides which Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Department of State, notary program'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 Pennsylvania · Notary work in Pennsylvania · Oregon certificate wording · Rhode Island certificate wording