View a list of the available Notary Public forms available from the California Secretary of State's office here. This article and video will show Notaries to fill out each part of a notarial certificate, and common mistakes to avoid.It is essential to sign the document only in the presence of a notary public. Here is a step-by-step procedure to perform a proper notarization: Step 1: Personal appearance is required. View information about the notary public acknowledgment form here. The certificate of acknowledgment (PDF) must be in the form set forth in California Civil Code section 1189. My legal name is ______. Notary Public: A notary public witnesses the signature and affirms the witness's identity, adding further credibility to the document. A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document.