Massachusetts Acknowledgment Forms & Certificates of Authority — Complete Guide
M.G.L. c.183 §42 and M.G.L. c.222 §15 give Massachusetts notaries clear authority to use any lawful acknowledgment form. Here is exactly what those forms say, when each applies, and how to use them correctly.
What M.G.L. c.183 §42 Actually Says
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 183, Section 42 is the foundational provision governing what forms Massachusetts notaries must use when acknowledging deeds, instruments, and other documents. It has been amended twice — most recently by the 2016 update that took effect January 4, 2017. Here is the current text in full:
“The forms outlined in the appendix to this chapter and in section 15 of chapter 222 for taking acknowledgments to deeds and other instruments and for certifying the authority of officers taking proofs or acknowledgments may be used but the existence of those forms shall not preclude the use of any other forms lawfully used as required or authorized by any general or special law or any regulation or executive order regulating notaries public, including forms that acknowledge the voluntary act of an individual executing a document in a representative capacity but fail to acknowledge the deed or instrument as the voluntary or free act of the principal or grantor.”
The most important phrase: “shall not preclude the use of any other forms lawfully used.” Massachusetts does not mandate a single rigid certificate format. Notaries may use the statutory forms from M.G.L. c.222 §15, the forms in the M.G.L. c.183 appendix, or any other form authorized by law — including forms from other states when a document is to be filed or governed by that state’s law.
A Massachusetts notary who receives a deed or mortgage using a lender’s pre-printed acknowledgment form from another state is not required to cross it out and use the Massachusetts statutory form. The lender’s form is acceptable as long as it is lawfully used under any applicable law.
The Four Types of Notarial Certificate Forms
Under M.G.L. c.222 §15(a), a Massachusetts notary public may perform eight notarial acts. Four of those acts produce a written certificate that must be completed and sealed:
| Certificate Type | Used For | Signature Timing | Oath Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgment | Deeds, mortgages, POAs, most real estate instruments | May be pre-signed before appointment | No |
| Jurat | Affidavits, sworn statements, all documents requiring an oath | Must sign in notary’s presence | Yes — oath or affirmation |
| Signature Witnessing | Any document where witnessing the act of signing is required | Must sign in notary’s presence | No |
| Copy Certification | Certifying a copy of a private document | N/A — notary compares copy to original | No |
Understanding which certificate type your document needs is critical. Using a jurat certificate on a deed (an acknowledgment document) is incorrect. Using an acknowledgment certificate on an affidavit (a jurat document) is a defect that can void the notarization. See our guide on what happens when you pre-sign before the notary arrives for the consequences of mismatched certificate types.
Standard Acknowledgment Form — Statutory Language
The Massachusetts statutory acknowledgment form comes from M.G.L. c.222 §15(b). It is the form used for deeds, mortgages, powers of attorney, certificates of trust, and the vast majority of real estate instruments that must be recorded at the Registry of Deeds. The notary completes this certificate after the signer has appeared, been identified, and acknowledged the signature as their voluntary act.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS On this __ day of _________, 20__, before me, the undersigned notary public, ________________________ (name of document signer) personally appeared, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which were ____________________________________, to be the person whose name is signed on the preceding or attached document, and acknowledged to me that (he) (she) signed it voluntarily for its stated purpose. ______________________________________ [Signature of notary public] [Official seal or stamp of notary public] [Printed name of notary public] [Commission expires: ________________]
Key requirements the notary must address when completing this form:
- Date: The date the signer appears before the notary — not the date the document was signed
- Evidence of identification: Name the specific ID presented — e.g., “Massachusetts Driver’s License” or “U.S. Passport.” For acceptable IDs, see our guide on what ID is accepted for notarization in Massachusetts
- He/She/They: Strike the inapplicable pronoun — use the pronoun that corresponds to the signer
- Voluntary for its stated purpose: The signer must confirm they signed willingly — any indication of duress or incapacity requires the notary to decline
- Commission expiration: Massachusetts requires the notary’s commission expiration date on all certificates under M.G.L. c.222 §15
Under M.G.L. c.183 §29, no deed shall be recorded unless a certificate of acknowledgment is endorsed upon or annexed to it. A deed without a complete, correct acknowledgment certificate will be rejected for recording. Common rejection reasons: missing notary seal, missing expiration date, blank identification field, or wrong certificate type.
Jurat Form — Statutory Language
The jurat certificate is used for affidavits and sworn statements of all types. Unlike an acknowledgment, a jurat requires three things to occur simultaneously at the notary appointment: the signer must appear in person, sign the document in the notary’s presence, and take an oath or affirmation that the contents of the document are true. Never pre-sign a document that requires a jurat.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS On this __ day of _________, 20__, before me, the undersigned notary public, ________________________ (name of document signer) personally appeared, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which were ____________________________________, and signed the preceding or attached document in my presence, and swore or affirmed to me that the contents of the document are truthful and accurate to the best of (his) (her) knowledge and belief. ______________________________________ [Signature of notary public] [Official seal or stamp of notary public] [Printed name of notary public] [Commission expires: ________________]
Documents that always require a jurat include: affidavits of all types, affidavits of title at real estate closings, voluntary administration statements for probate, self-proving will affidavits (M.G.L. c.190B §2-504), and any document labeled “sworn statement” or where the signer is attesting to the truth of contents under penalty of perjury.
Signature Witnessing Form
A signature witnessing under M.G.L. c.222 §15(d) is the notary’s certification that the signer appeared and signed the document in the notary’s presence. No oath is required. No acknowledgment of voluntary intent is included beyond the fact of witnessing. This form is less common than acknowledgments and jurats but appears in certain specialized instruments.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS On this __ day of _________, 20__, before me, the undersigned notary public, ________________________ (name of document signer) personally appeared, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which were ____________________________________, and signed the preceding or attached document in my presence. ______________________________________ [Signature of notary public] [Official seal or stamp of notary public] [Printed name of notary public] [Commission expires: ________________]
Copy Certification Form
A copy certification under M.G.L. c.222 §15(e) certifies that a copy of a document is a true and complete copy of the original. The notary must physically handle the original, make or supervise the making of the copy, and compare the two. Massachusetts notaries cannot certify copies of vital records (birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates) — those can only be certified by the issuing agency.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS I, ________________________ [notary's name], a notary public, do hereby certify that the attached document is a true and complete copy of the original document described as: ____________________________________________ [Description of original document] and that to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief, the original document was not a public record, a copy of which is available from an official source. Dated this __ day of _________, 20__. ______________________________________ [Signature of notary public] [Official seal or stamp of notary public] [Commission expires: ________________]
Certificate of Authority Forms
A Certificate of Authority does not appear as a standalone statutory form in M.G.L. c.222 §15 — it is incorporated into the acknowledgment certificate when the signer is acting in a representative capacity rather than in their own individual capacity. The acknowledgment for a corporate officer, trustee, attorney-in-fact, or executor includes additional language certifying the representative’s authority. Here is the standard form for each capacity:
Corporate Officer or Authorized Representative
On this __ day of _________, 20__, before me, the undersigned notary public, ________________________ personally appeared, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which were _______________, to be the person whose name is signed on the preceding document in the capacity of __________________ [title, e.g., President] of _____________________ [name of corporation], and acknowledged to me that (he) (she) signed it voluntarily as the free act of _____________________ [name of corporation] for its stated purpose. ______________________________________ [Signature of notary public] [Seal] [Commission expires: ____________]
Attorney-in-Fact (Under Power of Attorney)
On this __ day of _________, 20__, before me, the undersigned notary public, ________________________ personally appeared, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which were _______________, to be the person whose name is signed on the preceding document as attorney-in-fact for ____________________ [principal's name], and acknowledged to me that (he) (she) signed it voluntarily as the free act of the said principal for its stated purpose. ______________________________________ [Signature of notary public] [Seal] [Commission expires: ____________]
Trustee
On this __ day of _________, 20__, before me, the undersigned notary public, ________________________ personally appeared, proved to me through satisfactory evidence of identification, which were _______________, to be the person whose name is signed on the preceding document as Trustee of the ________________________ Trust, and acknowledged to me that (he) (she) signed it voluntarily in that capacity as the free act of said Trust for its stated purpose. ______________________________________ [Signature of notary public] [Seal] [Commission expires: ____________]
The 2017 Amendment — Representative Capacity Forms
The January 4, 2017 amendment to M.G.L. c.183 §42 added an important clarification about representative capacity acknowledgments. The amended statute explicitly includes forms that “acknowledge the voluntary act of an individual executing a document in a representative capacity but fail to acknowledge the deed or instrument as the voluntary or free act of the principal or grantor.”
Before the amendment, some Registries of Deeds questioned whether a corporate acknowledgment that certified the officer’s voluntary act — but not the corporation’s — was sufficient. The 2017 amendment resolved that question: such forms are valid and acceptable. For Massachusetts real estate attorneys and title professionals, this eliminates a source of title objections that arose from older corporate acknowledgment forms.
This change aligns Massachusetts practice with the broader direction of the Land Court’s acknowledgment guidelines and the Mass.gov memorandum on form of acknowledgments and powers of attorney from the Land Court’s Chief Title Examiner. Corporate document notarization can now proceed confidently with either the individual-acknowledgment format or the representative-capacity format.
Which Form Does Your Document Require?
Use this decision framework before any notary appointment:
If you are unsure which form your document requires, call us before the appointment. We will confirm the correct certificate type based on your specific document in 60 seconds — preventing a failed notarization before it happens.
Questions About Your Document?
Call before your appointment — we confirm the correct form in under a minute.
When Alternate Forms Are Acceptable
M.G.L. c.183 §42 and M.G.L. c.222 §15(h) both confirm that Massachusetts notaries are not required to use the statutory forms in all circumstances. Alternate forms are acceptable when:
- Required or allowed by any court rule or court form, including the Land Court’s rules for registered land
- Required by any Massachusetts General Law, federal law, or regulation — including M.G.L. c.190B §2-504 for self-proving will affidavits
- The document contains an alternative form from another state and is to be filed or recorded in, or governed by, that other state’s laws
- The form appears on a pre-printed form published by a governmental or financial institution that has its own acknowledgment language
For mortgage closings, lenders typically provide their own closing packages with pre-printed acknowledgment certificates. Massachusetts notaries working on these packages can complete the lender’s form — they are not required to substitute the Massachusetts statutory form.
What a Notary Must Not Do with Certificates
M.G.L. c.222 §16 governs notary misconduct. Regardless of which form is used, several behaviors are prohibited:
- Blank certificates: A notary shall not sign and seal a blank certificate for later attachment to a document — M.G.L. c.222 §16(e)
- False information: A notary shall not execute a certificate containing information the notary knows or believes to be false — M.G.L. c.222 §16(d)
- Backdating: Dating a certificate for any date other than when the notarial act was actually performed is official misconduct
- Remote completion: Completing a certificate without the signer personally appearing before the notary (outside of authorized RON, which is not yet operational in Massachusetts as of April 2026)
- Incomplete documents: Notarizing a document with blank fields — the notary must decline until the document is fully completed
For a comprehensive look at notary misconduct in Massachusetts, see our guide on notary fraud in Massachusetts and how to protect yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Content reviewed by James Lumas, Lead Editor. Sources: M.G.L. c.183 §42 (as amended by 2016, 289, Sec. 2, effective January 4, 2017); M.G.L. c.222 §§15 and 16 (as inserted by 2016 Acts c.289, effective January 4, 2017); Mass.gov Land Court Memorandum on Acknowledgments. Not legal advice. Last updated April 26, 2026.
