California Acknowledgment Certificate

A California Notary Acknowledgment is the most common notarial act in California in which a Notary Public certifies having positively identified a document signer who admitted having signed the document. 

The primary function of an acknowledgment is the positive identification of a document signer, verifying that the person who signed the document is, in fact, the person who is signing it. The Notary Public confirms the identity of the signer and the signer acknowledges being the signer of the document. 

Three requirements for the execution of an Acknowledgment:

1. The signer must personally appear before the Notary Public
2.The signer must be positively identified using satisfactory evidence
3. The signer must acknowledge his/her signature

Reference: Civil Code § 1189