On the _______day of ______ in the year_____, before me, the undersigned notary public, personally appeared. 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.Example of How to Complete an Acknowledgment Certificate. (Personalized Seal). The notary public must take the acknowledgment of the signer that he signed the instrument for the purposes stated therein as his own free act. An acknowledgment points to a notarial certificate that affirms acknowledgment in the presence of a public notary.