A New York notary acknowledgment is used to confirm the legitimacy of an individual's identity and signature on a document. Services include witnessing the signing of important documents, taking affidavits and depositions and giving oaths.The signer instead makes a mark (such as an "X") or other symbols on the document. Write in the actual date that the signer personally appeared before you and you completed the notarization. I'm going to take a minute here and we're going to cover how to properly do an all-purpose acknowledgement for the state of California. WITNESS my hand and official seal. Signature. (Seal). A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual. A notary public must use a certificate in substantially the following form in notarizing an attested copy. How do I authenticate a notary's signature? Some forms must be signed in the presence of a notary public or deputy clerk.