An acknowledgment is a formal declaration made by a signer to a notary public that they signed the document voluntarily and understand its contents.
Missouri law requires that the signer must personally appear before the notary when making an acknowledgment.
The primary purpose of an acknowledgment is to verify the identity of the signer and confirm that they signed the document voluntarily.
The acknowledgment certificate must include the notary's commission number, the date of acknowledgment, and the expiration date of the notary's commission.
The notary must confirm the identity of the signer and ensure that the signature on the document was made voluntarily, even if the document was signed prior to appearing before the notary.
