property
acknowledgment
An acknowledgment is a formal declaration by a person signing a document, made before a notary public or other authorized official, that the signature is genuine and given voluntarily. Acknowledgment of a deed is usually not required for the deed to be valid between the parties, but most states require it before the deed can be recorded in the public records.
- Exam tip
- Typical trap: acknowledgment is needed for recording, not for validity. The grantor, not the grantee, makes the acknowledgment.
- Example
- A seller signs a deed in front of a notary, who verifies the seller's ID and completes the acknowledgment. The county clerk then accepts the deed for recording.
Related terms & state variants
Sources
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Last verified: 2026-10-23