District of Columbia Code
Chapter 12A - Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts
§ 1–1231.14. Certificate of notarial act

(a) Notarial acts performed shall be evidenced by a certificate. The certificate shall:
(1) Be executed contemporaneously with the performance of the notarial act;
(2) Be dated;
(3) Identify the jurisdiction in which the notarial act is performed;
(4) Contain the notarial officer's title of office; and
(5) If the notarial officer is a notary public:
(A) Be signed by the notary public in the same manner as on file with the Mayor; and
(B) Indicate the date of expiration, if any, of the notary's commission.
(b)(1) If a notarial act regarding a tangible record is performed by a notary public, an official seal shall 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 subsection (a)(2), (3), and (4) of this section, an official seal may be affixed to or embossed on the certificate.
(2) If a notarial act regarding an electronic record is performed by an electronic notary and the certificate contains the information specified in subsection (a)(2), (3), and (4) of this section, an official seal shall be attached to or logically associated with the certificate.
(c) A certificate of a notarial act is sufficient if it meets the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this section and it:
(1) Is in a short form as set forth in § 1-1231.15;
(2) Is in a form otherwise permitted by the law of the District;
(3) Is in a form permitted by the law applicable in the jurisdiction in which the notarial act was performed; or
(4) Sets forth the actions of the notarial officer and the actions are sufficient to meet the requirements of the notarial act as provided in §§ 1-1231.04, 1-1231.05, and 1-1231.06 or law of the District other than this chapter.
(d) 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 §§ 1-1231.03, 1-1231.04, and 1-1231.05.
(e) A notarial officer shall not affix the officer's signature to, or logically associate it with, a certificate until the notarial act has been performed.
(f) If a notarial act is performed regarding a tangible record, a certificate shall be part of, or securely attached directly to, the record. If a notarial act is performed regarding an electronic record, the certificate shall be affixed to, or logically associated with, the electronic record. If the Mayor has issued rules establishing standards pursuant to § 1-1231.31 for attaching, affixing, or logically associating the certificate, the process shall conform to the standards.
(Dec. 4, 2018, D.C. Law 22-189, § 15, 65 DCR 11606.)