The New York booklet gives “taking an acknowledgment” its own separate definition. It includes the act of the person named in the instrument telling the notary that they are that person and acknowledging execution of the instrument; it also includes the notary’s act of obtaining satisfactory evidence of identity. The notary “certifies to the taking of the acknowledgment” by signing the official certificate.
This definition is useful because it breaks the process into its two living parts: what the signer does and what the notary does. That is why the term is more active than the bare noun acknowledgment.
Practical note: New York’s phrase reminds the reader that the notary is not merely filling in a form. The officer is obtaining identity evidence and then certifying a completed legal act.
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