Quick answer. These are the Vermont certificates as the statute prints them. We show six forms: acknowledgment (individual), acknowledgment (representative capacity), jurat (verification on oath or affirmation), attesting a signature, copy certification and remote or electronic act statement. The remote-act statement is in 26 V.S.A. § 5379(j)(2).
Which Vermont certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | Vermont 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. | 26 V.S.A. § 5368(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. | 26 V.S.A. § 5368(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. | 26 V.S.A. § 5368(3) |
| Attesting a signature | 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. | 26 V.S.A. § 5368(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). | 26 V.S.A. § 5368(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. | 26 V.S.A. § 5379(j)(2) |
Vermont 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 Vermont [County] of ______________________
This record was acknowledged before me on ______ (Date) by ______ (Name(s) of individual(s))
Signature of notary public ______________________
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 Vermont [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 notary public ______________________
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 Vermont [County] of ______________________
Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on ______ (Date) by ______________________ (Name(s) of individuals making statement)
Signature of notary public ______________________
Stamp [______________]
Title of office ______ [My commission expires: ______]
Attesting a signature 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 Vermont [County] of ______________________
Signed [or attested] before me on ______ (Date) by ______________________ (Name(s) of individual(s))
Signature of notary public ______________________
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 record 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.
26 V.S.A. § 5379(i) says the certificate and the § 5368 short form must indicate that the act was performed using communication technology; a short form containing a statement substantially like this one is sufficient.
What a Vermont certificate must contain
- The certificate is executed at the time of the act, signed and dated by you in the same manner as on file with the Office of Professional Regulation, identifies the jurisdiction, contains your title of office and gives your commission expiration date. (26 V.S.A. § 5367(a); 26 V.S.A. chapter 103, Notaries Public (Vermont General Assembly))
- On paper, affix or emboss your official stamp on the certificate, or instead clearly print or type your name and commission number on it. (26 V.S.A. § 5367(b)(1); 26 V.S.A. chapter 103, Notaries Public (Vermont General Assembly))
- Don't sign the certificate until the act has been performed. (26 V.S.A. § 5367(e); 26 V.S.A. chapter 103, Notaries Public (Vermont General Assembly))
- The Office of Professional Regulation also publishes slightly modified examples that it says include every element the statute requires; either the statute's wording or those examples can be checked against your document. (26 V.S.A. § 5368 Short-form certificates, examples (Vermont Office of Professional Regulation))
Common Vermont certificate mistakes
Each item is our summary of an official source, named beside it.
- Signing before the act is performed. (26 V.S.A. chapter 103, Notaries Public (Vermont General Assembly))
- Using no stamp and also not printing or typing your name and commission number. (26 V.S.A. chapter 103, Notaries Public (Vermont General Assembly))
- Leaving out the commission expiration date. (26 V.S.A. chapter 103, Notaries Public (Vermont General Assembly))
- Leaving the communication-technology statement off a remote certificate. (26 V.S.A. chapter 103, Notaries Public (Vermont General Assembly))
- Using the acknowledgment wording when the document needs a sworn statement (verification on oath or affirmation). (26 V.S.A. chapter 103, Notaries Public (Vermont General Assembly))
The Vermont 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 Vermont: each act, when it's used and the section it comes from.
- The Vermont wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what a Vermont 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 Vermont, each with its source.
See the Vermont certificate wording pack
Sources
- 26 V.S.A. chapter 103, Notaries Public (Vermont General Assembly) (checked November 7, 2026)
- 26 V.S.A. § 5368 Short-form certificates, examples (Vermont Office of Professional Regulation) (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 Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (notaries public) or an attorney.
Vermont certificate questions
What is the Vermont acknowledgment certificate wording?
26 V.S.A. § 5368(1) gives: "State of Vermont [County] of ______________________ This record was acknowledged before me on ______ (Date) by ______ (Name(s) of individual(s))" It closes with Signature of notary public, Stamp [] and Title of office [My commission expires: ].
What is the Vermont jurat wording?
26 V.S.A. § 5368(3) gives: "State of Vermont [County] of ______________________ Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on ______ (Date) by ______________________ (Name(s) of individuals making statement)" Use it only when you give the signer an oath or affirmation and they sign in front of you.
Can a Vermont notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. 26 V.S.A. § 5368(5) gives: "State of ______________________ County of ______________________ I certify that this is a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of ______________________ Dated ______________________"
What else must a Vermont notarial certificate show?
The certificate is executed at the time of the act, signed and dated by you in the same manner as on file with the Office of Professional Regulation, identifies the jurisdiction, contains your title of office and gives your commission expiration date. On paper, affix or emboss your official stamp on the certificate, or instead clearly print or type your name and commission number on it.
Is there a Vermont remote notarization statement?
Yes. 26 V.S.A. § 5379(j)(2): "This notarial act involved the use of communication technology." 26 V.S.A. § 5379(i) says the certificate and the § 5368 short form must indicate that the act was performed using communication technology; a short form containing a statement substantially like this one is sufficient.
Who decides which Vermont 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 Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation (notaries public)'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 Vermont · Notary work in Vermont · Virginia certificate wording · Washington certificate wording