Notary Handbook - the Montana Secretary of State Website

Here’s how the previous sample acknowledgements would be completed:
1. The basic form as should be completed like this:
State of Montana
County of _Yellowstone___
This instrument was acknowledged before me on __May 5 , 2012___ by ___John Doe (only)_______.
Print name of signer(s)
Affix seal/stamp as close to
signature as possible.
_____L E Egan___________________________
Notary Signature
[Montana notaries must complete the following,
if not part of stamp.]
_________________________________________
Printed Name
Notary Public for the state of _________________
Residing at________________________________
My Commission expires:___________, 20_______
2. This is how to complete a more elaborate notarial block :
State of Montana
County of ___Yellowstone___
On this _5th__ day of __May___, _2012, before me, a Notary Public for the State of __Montana________,
personally appeared __John and Mary Doe (only)____, known to me to be the persons named in the
foregoing, and acknowledged to me that _______they_______________ executed the same as
____their________ free act and deed, for the uses and purposes therein mentioned.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my notarial seal the day and year in
this certificate first above written.
Affix seal/stamp as close to
signature as possible.
_____L E Egan____________________________
Notary Signature
[Montana notaries must complete the following,
if not part of stamp.]
_________________________________________
Printed Name
Notary Public for the state of _________________
Residing at________________________________
My Commission expires:___________, 20_______
Notes:
The key word to look for to determine if you are doing an acknowledgement is “acknowledged” in the
written statement.
There are many variations on the wording of acknowledgements; these are only two of the most
common versions.
In preprinted notarial blocks with several blank spaces in them, try inserting the name of the signer
and/or pronouns referring to the signer.
It is a good habit to enter the word “only” in parentheses after entering the name(s) of the signer(s), so
that additional names cannot be entered later in an attempt to indicate that other signatures were
notarized.
If you have the combination seal/stamp you don’t have to enter the information below your signature –
it’s in the stamp!
A diagonal line through the last part of the form will indicate that the information has not been
forgotten or ignored, but is contained in the stamp.
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