Quick answer. Washington's law sets the wording below. We show seven forms: acknowledgment (individual), acknowledgment (representative capacity), jurat (verification on oath or affirmation), signature witnessing, copy certification, certifying an event or act and remote or electronic act statement. The remote-act statement is in RCW 42.45.280.
Which Washington certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | Washington 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. | RCW 42.45.140(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. | RCW 42.45.140(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. | RCW 42.45.140(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. | RCW 42.45.140(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). | RCW 42.45.140(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. | RCW 42.45.280 |
| Certifying an event or act | Certifying that an event described in a document occurred or an act was performed. | RCW 42.45.140(6) |
Washington 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 individuals).
____________________ (Signature of notary public)
(Stamp)
____________________ (Title of office)
My commission expires: ____________ (date)
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 individuals) 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: ____________ (date)
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 individuals making statement).
____________________ (Signature of notary public)
(Stamp)
____________________ (Title of office)
My commission expires: ____________ (date)
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 individuals).
____________________ (Signature of notary public)
(Stamp)
____________________ (Title of office)
My commission expires: ____________ (date)
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 notary public)
(Stamp)
____________________ (Title of office)
My commission expires: ____________ (date)
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.
Added to the RCW 42.45.140 short form when the act is performed for a remotely located individual. RCW 42.45.280 says the certificate must indicate that the act was performed using communication technology, and the form is sufficient if it contains a statement substantially as shown. Only an electronic records notary public located in Washington may do this, after notifying the Department of Licensing of the technologies used.
Other Washington forms
Certifying an event or act Statutory wording
Certifying that an event described in a document occurred or an act was performed.
State of __________
County of __________
I certify that the event described in this document has occurred or been performed.
Dated: __________
____________________ (Signature of notary public)
(Stamp)
____________________ (Title of office)
My commission expires: ____________ (date)
What a Washington certificate must contain
- The certificate is signed and dated when the act is performed, never before, with the signature that matches the one on file with the Department of Licensing. (Washington State Notary Public Guide (Department of Licensing))
- It must show the jurisdiction (the State of Washington and county venue), your title of office and your commission expiration date. RCW 42.45.140 says the short forms are sufficient only if completed with the information RCW 42.45.130 requires. (RCW 42.45.140 Short form certificates (Washington State Legislature))
- Your official stamp goes on the certificate in permanent ink and must be able to be photocopied. (Washington State Notary Public Guide (Department of Licensing))
- The certificate must be part of the record or securely attached to it; if it is on a separate page, note the attachment on both. (Washington State Notary Public Guide (Department of Licensing))
- Certified copies: compare the copy with the original and confirm it is a full, true and accurate reproduction; making the copy yourself is the simplest way. Don't copy public records whose issuer forbids copying; the requester should get those from the issuing office. (Washington State Notary Public Guide (Department of Licensing))
Common Washington certificate mistakes
Our plain-English summary of what the official sources warn about; the source follows each one.
- Signing or stamping the certificate before the signer appears and the act is complete. (Washington State Notary Public Guide (Department of Licensing))
- Choosing the certificate for the signer. The guide notes that a notary who is not an attorney may not help select the certificate (RCW 42.45.230); the signer or their attorney decides. (Washington State Notary Public Guide (Department of Licensing))
- Accepting a photocopy of an ID or a signature match instead of the signer appearing in person. (Washington State Notary Public Guide (Department of Licensing))
- Leaving the certificate loose: an attached certificate on its own page must be securely attached and noted on both pages. (Washington State Notary Public Guide (Department of Licensing))
- Notarizing your own signature or a record in which your spouse or domestic partner has an interest. (Washington State Notary Public Guide (Department of Licensing))
- Using the remote form without the communication-technology statement, or performing remote acts without first notifying the Department as an electronic records notary. (RCW 42.45.280 Electronic records notary public (Washington State Legislature))
The Washington 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 Washington: each act, when it's used and the section it comes from.
- The Washington wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what a Washington 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 Washington, each with its source.
See the Washington certificate wording pack
Sources
- RCW 42.45.140 Short form certificates (Washington State Legislature) (checked November 7, 2026)
- RCW 42.45.280 Electronic records notary public (Washington State Legislature) (checked November 7, 2026)
- Washington State Notary Public Guide (Department of Licensing) (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 Washington State Department of Licensing, notary program or an attorney.
Washington certificate questions
What is the Washington acknowledgment certificate wording?
RCW 42.45.140(1) gives: "State of __________ County of __________ This record was acknowledged before me on (date) by (name(s) of individuals)." It closes with (Signature of notary public), (Stamp) and (Title of office).
What is the Washington jurat wording?
RCW 42.45.140(3) gives: "State of __________ 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 Washington notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. RCW 42.45.140(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 Washington notarial certificate show?
The certificate is signed and dated when the act is performed, never before, with the signature that matches the one on file with the Department of Licensing. It must show the jurisdiction (the State of Washington and county venue), your title of office and your commission expiration date. RCW 42.45.140 says the short forms are sufficient only if completed with the information RCW 42.45.130 requires.
Is there a Washington remote notarization statement?
Yes. RCW 42.45.280: "This notarial act involved the use of communication technology." Added to the RCW 42.45.140 short form when the act is performed for a remotely located individual. RCW 42.45.280 says the certificate must indicate that the act was performed using communication technology, and the form is sufficient if it contains a statement substantially as shown. Only an electronic records notary public located in Washington may do this, after notifying the Department of Licensing of the technologies used.
Who decides which Washington 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 Washington State Department of Licensing, 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 Washington · Notary work in Washington · Vermont certificate wording · Wisconsin certificate wording