Quick answer. Below is Wisconsin's official sample certificate wording, act by act. We show five forms: acknowledgment (individual), acknowledgment (representative capacity), jurat (verification on oath or affirmation), signature witnessing and copy certification. There is no fixed remote sentence in the sources we read.
These are the Department of Financial Institutions' sample notary statements, reproduced as printed. They follow the short forms in Wis. Stat. 140.15, which we could not open directly.
Which Wisconsin certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | Wisconsin 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. | DFI Notary Sample Statements (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. | DFI Notary Sample Statements (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. | DFI Notary Sample Statements (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. | DFI Notary Sample Statements (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). | DFI Notary Sample Statements (5) |
Wisconsin 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
____________________ (Title of office)
[My commission expires: ____________]
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
____________________ (Title of office)
[My commission expires: ____________]
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
____________________ (Title of office)
[My commission expires: ____________]
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) by __________ (name(s) of individual(s)).
____________________ (Signature of notarial officer)
Stamp
____________________ (Title of office)
[My commission expires: ____________]
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 or attest that this is a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of __________ (name(s) of individual(s)).
Dated: __________
____________________ (Signature of notarial officer)
Stamp
____________________ (Title of office)
[My commission expires: ____________]
Remote and electronic acts in Wisconsin
The sample statements include no remote notarization sentence. No official remote sentence found in the sources we read; check with the Department of Financial Institutions before a remote act. (Notary Sample Statements, revised November 2022 (Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions), checked November 7, 2026)
What a Wisconsin certificate must contain
- Every document requiring notarization must include a notary statement; if it lacks one, a Wisconsin notary must write or type a complete statement. (Notary Sample Statements, revised November 2022 (Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions))
- Each statement has the State and County venue (the county where the notarization is done), your signature, your stamp, your title of office and your commission expiration date. (Notary Sample Statements, revised November 2022 (Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions))
Common Wisconsin certificate mistakes
Each item is our summary of an official source, named beside it.
- Stamping and signing a document that has no notary statement; DFI says you must write or type a complete one. (Notary Sample Statements, revised November 2022 (Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions))
- Writing your home county instead of the county where the notarization is done. (Notary Sample Statements, revised November 2022 (Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions))
- Using the acknowledgment for a sworn statement; use the verification on oath or affirmation. (Notary Sample Statements, revised November 2022 (Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions))
- Leaving your commission expiration date off. (Notary Sample Statements, revised November 2022 (Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions))
The Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin: each act, when it's used and the official sample it comes from.
- The Wisconsin wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what a Wisconsin 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: four items for Wisconsin, each with its source.
See the Wisconsin certificate wording pack
Sources
- Notary Sample Statements, revised November 2022 (Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions) (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 Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, notary public section or an attorney.
Wisconsin certificate questions
What is the Wisconsin acknowledgment certificate wording?
The official sample (DFI Notary Sample Statements (1)) 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 (Title of office).
What is the Wisconsin jurat wording?
The official sample (DFI Notary Sample Statements (3)) 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 Wisconsin notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. The official sample (DFI Notary Sample Statements (5)) reads: "State of __________ County of __________ I certify or attest that this is a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of __________ (name(s) of individual(s)). Dated: __________"
What else must a Wisconsin notarial certificate show?
Every document requiring notarization must include a notary statement; if it lacks one, a Wisconsin notary must write or type a complete statement. Each statement has the State and County venue (the county where the notarization is done), your signature, your stamp, your title of office and your commission expiration date.
Is there a Wisconsin remote notarization statement?
The sample statements include no remote notarization sentence. No official remote sentence found in the sources we read; check with the Department of Financial Institutions before a remote act.
Who decides which Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, notary public section'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 Wisconsin · Notary work in Wisconsin · Washington certificate wording · West Virginia certificate wording