2020 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 140. Notaries public; notarial acts.
140.15 Certificate of notarial act.

140.15 Certificate of notarial act.

(1) A notarial act must be evidenced by a certificate. The certificate must satisfy all of the following:

(a) Be executed contemporaneously with the performance of the notarial act.

(b) Be signed and dated by the notarial officer and, if the notarial officer is a notary public, be signed in the same manner as on file with the department.

(c) Identify the jurisdiction in which the notarial act is performed.

(d) Contain the title of office of the notarial officer.

(e) If the notarial officer is a notary public, indicate the date of expiration, if any, of the officer's commission.

(2) If a notarial act regarding a tangible record is performed by a notary public, an official stamp must be affixed to or embossed on the certificate. If a notarial act is performed regarding a tangible record by a notarial officer other than a notary public and the certificate contains the information specified in sub. (1) (b), (c), and (d), an official stamp may be affixed to or embossed on the certificate. If a notarial act regarding an electronic record is performed by a notarial officer and the certificate contains the information specified in sub. (1) (b), (c), and (d), an official stamp may be attached to or logically associated with the certificate.

(3) A certificate of a notarial act is sufficient if it meets the requirements of subs. (1) and (2) and satisfies any of the following:

(a) Is in a short form set forth in s. 140.16.

(b) Is in a form otherwise permitted by the law of this state.

(c) Is in a form permitted by the law applicable in the jurisdiction in which the notarial act was performed.

(d) Sets forth the actions of the notarial officer and the actions are sufficient to meet the requirements of the notarial act as provided in ss. 140.05, 140.06, and 140.07 or law of this state other than this chapter.

(4) By executing a certificate of a notarial act, a notarial officer certifies that the officer has complied with the requirements and made the determinations specified in ss. 140.04, 140.05, and 140.06.

(5) A notarial officer may not affix the officer's signature to, or logically associate it with, a certificate until the notarial act has been performed.

(6) If a notarial act is performed regarding a tangible record, a certificate must be part of, or securely attached to, the record. If a notarial act is performed regarding an electronic record, the certificate must be affixed to, or logically associated with, the electronic record. If the department has established standards pursuant to s. 140.27 for attaching, affixing, or logically associating the certificate, the process must conform to the standards.

History: 2019 a. 125.