Legal Definitions - proof of acknowledgment

Definition: Proof of acknowledgment is a certification by an authorized officer that a person's signature on a document is genuine and was made freely. This certification is based on a third party's testimony and does not require the person to appear before the notary.

Examples:

• A person signs a legal document and sends it to a notary public for proof of acknowledgment. The notary public contacts a third party who knows the person and can verify their signature. Based on this verification, the notary public certifies that the signature is genuine and was made freely.
• A father publicly acknowledges a child as his own by signing the child's birth certificate or baptismal certificate. This is a formal acknowledgment.
• A father acknowledges a child as his own by receiving the child into his family and supporting them. This is an informal acknowledgment.

These examples illustrate how proof of acknowledgment can be used to verify the authenticity of a signature on a legal document or to establish paternity.