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Iowa Code 9b.15 states that all notarial acts must be evidenced by a notarial certificate. There are certain requirements that all certificates must follow. When you are performing a notarial act in the state of Iowa, there should always be a certificate completed in the process.

Please see Iowa code 9B.16 for examples of short form certificates, or feel free to use the ones we have provided below!

Iowa Notarial Short Form Certificates

PLEASE NOTE: This is not an exclusive list of certificates of Iowa notaries, and should you need more information, you can always check Iowa code 9b or refer to your notary handbook.

A notary should not be suggesting which certificate to use. If someone is requesting your services and they do not have a certificate attached to their documents, they must tell you what they need to have done. You cannot suggest which to use as you do not know the conditions of the document. If the requestor states "I was told that I need my signature witnessed and notarize" - thus giving you a specific request - then you can proceed to obtain the correct certificate for the act.