The certificate of acknowledgment (PDF) must be in the form set forth in California Civil Code section 1189. WITNESS my hand and official seal. Signature. (Seal).A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual. Fill out, sign, and affix your official seal to the Notary certificate. The wording requirements for acknowledgment certificates vary from state to state. A complete notary acknowledgment includes the name(s) of the parties that the notary witnessed sign the document. When filling out a Notary Acknowledgement or Jurat make sure that the following steps are taken to ensure the perfect notarization. California Acknowledgement serves as an essential component in notarization. It's crucial to confirm signers' identities, ensuring they sign willingly. Failure to fill out this section will not affect the validity of the certificate.