An acknowledgment is one of the most common types of notarial acts, but it often confuses Notaries. Here are 5 steps to performing an acknowledgment.Acknowledgments and jurats are different notarizations with different purposes, each requires its own certificate wording. 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. To be appointed as a notary public, an individual must: 1. Be at least 18 years old; 2. An acknowledgment is a declaration to a qualified public officer that the declarant executed the instrument in which the declarant's signature appears. How do I find information about becoming a notary? Visit the Secretary of State's website. When a notary takes an acknowledgment, the notary must ensure that the signer is not acknowledging signing the document under duress.