Legal Definitions - certificate of acknowledgment

A certificate of acknowledgment is a document that verifies the authenticity of a signature on a legal document. It is typically signed by an authorized officer, such as a notary public, who confirms that the signer appeared before them and acknowledged signing the document freely.

• When you sign a mortgage agreement, you may need to have your signature notarized and obtain a certificate of acknowledgment to prove that you signed the document.
• A father who wants to formally acknowledge a child as his own may sign a written declaration that meets the state's requirements for execution and obtain a certificate of acknowledgment.

These examples illustrate how a certificate of acknowledgment is used to verify the authenticity of a signature on a legal document, whether it is a mortgage agreement or a formal acknowledgment of paternity.