Utah Notary Practice Test

In the acknowledgment for John Doe, which name should the notary place in the blank?

1. The name of the person who commissioned the notary

2. His own name

3. John Doe

4. The name of the signing witness

The correct answer is: John Doe

In an acknowledgment, the notary's role is to verify the identity of the person signing a document and confirm that they did so willingly and with an understanding of the content. For this task, the notary must fill in the name of the individual who is being acknowledged in the document. In this case, that person is John Doe. Including John Doe's name in the acknowledgment is essential because it clearly identifies the signatory of the document and ensures that the notary's verification pertains to the correct individual. The acknowledgment serves as a formal declaration by the notary that John Doe appeared before them, and by filling in his name, the notary validates the authenticity of the signature on the document. Using the name of the person who commissioned the notary, the notary's own name, or the signing witness's name would not be appropriate, as these do not relate directly to the individual whose signature is being verified. The acknowledgment specifically needs to reflect the signatory's identity to maintain the integrity of the notarization process.