The certificate of acknowledgment (PDF) must be in the form set forth in California Civil Code section 1189. We're going to show California notaries how to fill out a California acknowledgment and a California jewelry form.How to fill out the California All-Purpose Acknowledgment Form? Upon receipt, the individual has 20 days to complete, sign, and return the notice and acknowledgement. Any certificate of acknowledgment taken within the State of California shall be in this format. Here is a step-by-step procedure to perform a proper notarization: Step 1: Personal appearance is required. Judicial Council Form POS-015 is required to be used as the Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt.