{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/55.1-620.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/55.1-620.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/55.1-620.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/55.1-620.html"}],"law_id":62752,"edition_id":1,"section_id":62752,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-620","catch_line":"Meaning of “acknowledged before me.”","history":"1970, c. 719, \u00a7 55-118.5; 1997, c. 801; 2019, c. 712.","full_text":"For the purposes of this article, “acknowledged before me” means:\n\n1\n\nThat the person acknowledging appeared before the person taking the acknowledgment;2\n\nThat the person acknowledging acknowledged he executed the instrument;3\n\nThat, in the case of:\n\t\t\ta. A natural person acknowledging, he executed the instrument for the purposes stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\tb. A corporation, the officer or agent acknowledged he held the position or title set forth in the instrument and certificate, he signed the instrument on behalf of the corporation by proper authority, and the instrument was the act of the corporation for the purpose stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\tc. A partnership, the partner or agent acknowledged he signed the instrument on behalf of the partnership by proper authority and he executed the instrument as the act of the partnership for the purposes stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\td. A person acknowledging as principal by an attorney-in-fact, he executed the instrument by proper authority as the act of the principal for the purposes stated in the instrument; or\n\t\t\te. A person acknowledging as a public officer, trustee, administrator, guardian, conservator, or other representative, he signed the instrument by proper authority and he executed the instrument in the capacity and for the purposes stated in the instrument; and4\n\nThat the person taking the acknowledgment either knew or had satisfactory evidence that the person acknowledging was the person named in the instrument or certificate.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":228793,"text":"For the purposes of this article, “acknowledged before me” means:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":228794,"text":"That the person acknowledging appeared before the person taking the acknowledgment;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":228795,"text":"That the person acknowledging acknowledged he executed the instrument;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":228796,"text":"That, in the case of:\n\t\t\ta. A natural person acknowledging, he executed the instrument for the purposes stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\tb. A corporation, the officer or agent acknowledged he held the position or title set forth in the instrument and certificate, he signed the instrument on behalf of the corporation by proper authority, and the instrument was the act of the corporation for the purpose stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\tc. A partnership, the partner or agent acknowledged he signed the instrument on behalf of the partnership by proper authority and he executed the instrument as the act of the partnership for the purposes stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\td. A person acknowledging as principal by an attorney-in-fact, he executed the instrument by proper authority as the act of the principal for the purposes stated in the instrument; or\n\t\t\te. A person acknowledging as a public officer, trustee, administrator, guardian, conservator, or other representative, he signed the instrument by proper authority and he executed the instrument in the capacity and for the purposes stated in the instrument; and","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":228797,"text":"That the person taking the acknowledgment either knew or had satisfactory evidence that the person acknowledging was the person named in the instrument or certificate.","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15221,"edition_id":1,"name":"Uniform Recognition of Acknowledgments Act","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13525,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:53:08","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:53:08","permalink":{"id":245529,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15221,"identifier":"3","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3","url":"\/55.1\/II\/6\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13525,"edition_id":1,"name":"Recordation of Documents","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13524,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","permalink":{"id":245459,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13525,"identifier":"6","token":"55.1\/II\/6","url":"\/55.1\/II\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13524,"edition_id":1,"name":"Real Estate Settlements and Recordation","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12707,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","permalink":{"id":245369,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13524,"identifier":"II","token":"55.1\/II","url":"\/55.1\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12707,"edition_id":1,"name":"Property and Conveyances","identifier":"55.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":244769,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12707,"identifier":"55.1","token":"55.1","url":"\/55.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":57962,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-616","catch_line":"\"Notarial acts\" defined; who may perform notarial acts outside the Commonwealth for use in the Commonwealth","url":"\/55.1-616\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-616","metadata":false},{"id":79509,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-617","catch_line":"Proof of authority of person performing notarial act","url":"\/55.1-617\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-617","metadata":false},{"id":86563,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-618","catch_line":"What person taking acknowledgment shall certify","url":"\/55.1-618\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-618","metadata":false},{"id":75765,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-619","catch_line":"When form of certificate of acknowledgment accepted","url":"\/55.1-619\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-619","metadata":false},{"id":62752,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-620","catch_line":"Meaning of \"acknowledged before me.\"","url":"\/55.1-620\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-620","metadata":false},{"id":60693,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-621","catch_line":"Statutory short forms of acknowledgment","url":"\/55.1-621\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-621","metadata":false},{"id":64006,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-622","catch_line":"Application of article; article cumulative","url":"\/55.1-622\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-622","metadata":false},{"id":65930,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-623","catch_line":"Uniform interpretation","url":"\/55.1-623\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-623","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":75765,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-619","catch_line":"When form of certificate of acknowledgment accepted","url":"\/55.1-619\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-619","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":60693,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-621","catch_line":"Statutory short forms of acknowledgment","url":"\/55.1-621\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-621","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-620\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1970. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 719 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1970 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1997, chapter 801<\/a>; in 2019, chapter 712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":245547,"object_type":"law","relational_id":62752,"identifier":"55.1-620","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-620","url":"\/55.1-620\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-620\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-620","dublin_core":{"Title":"Meaning of “acknowledged before me.”","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-620","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

For the purposes of this article, “acknowledged before me” means:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> That the person acknowledging appeared before the person taking the acknowledgment; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> That the person acknowledging acknowledged he executed the instrument; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> That, in the case of:\n\t\t\ta. A natural person acknowledging, he executed the instrument for the purposes stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\tb. A corporation, the officer or agent acknowledged he held the position or title set forth in the instrument and certificate, he signed the instrument on behalf of the corporation by proper authority, and the instrument was the act of the corporation for the purpose stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\tc. A partnership, the partner or agent acknowledged he signed the instrument on behalf of the partnership by proper authority and he executed the instrument as the act of the partnership for the purposes stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\td. A person acknowledging as principal by an attorney-in-fact<\/span><\/span>, he executed the instrument by proper authority as the act of the principal for the purposes stated in the instrument; or\n\t\t\te. A person acknowledging as a public officer, trustee, administrator, guardian, conservator, or other representative, he signed the instrument by proper authority and he executed the instrument in the capacity and for the purposes stated in the instrument; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> That the person taking the acknowledgment either knew or had satisfactory evidence<\/span> that the person acknowledging was the person named in the instrument or certificate. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nMEANING OF “ACKNOWLEDGED BEFORE ME.” (\u00a7 55.1-620)\n\nFor the purposes of this article, “acknowledged before me” means:\n\n1. That the person acknowledging appeared before the person taking the\nacknowledgment;\n\n2. That the person acknowledging acknowledged he executed the instrument;\n\n3. That, in the case of:\n\t\t\ta. A natural person acknowledging, he executed the instrument for the\npurposes stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\tb. A corporation, the officer or agent acknowledged he held the position or\ntitle set forth in the instrument and certificate, he signed the instrument on\nbehalf of the corporation by proper authority, and the instrument was the act of\nthe corporation for the purpose stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\tc. A partnership, the partner or agent acknowledged he signed the instrument\non behalf of the partnership by proper authority and he executed the instrument\nas the act of the partnership for the purposes stated in the instrument;\n\t\t\td. A person acknowledging as principal by an attorney-in-fact, he executed\nthe instrument by proper authority as the act of the principal for the purposes\nstated in the instrument; or\n\t\t\te. A person acknowledging as a public officer, trustee, administrator,\nguardian, conservator, or other representative, he signed the instrument by\nproper authority and he executed the instrument in the capacity and for the\npurposes stated in the instrument; and\n\n4. That the person taking the acknowledgment either knew or had satisfactory\nevidence that the person acknowledging was the person named in the instrument or\ncertificate.\n\nHISTORY: 1970, c. 719, \u00a7 55-118.5; 1997, c. 801; 2019, c. 712.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}