Under Hawaii law, the following notarial act is: Taking an ______________.

• A. deed
• B. certificate
• C. acknowledgment
• D. bond

Answer: (C)

Taking an acknowledgment is the notarial act being described. An acknowledgment means the signer appears before the notary, proves their identity, and declares that they signed the document for its intended purpose and that the signature is theirs and voluntary. The notary’s role is to verify identity, witness the signing or the acknowledgment, and then complete the notarial certificate and apply the seal. This is distinct from a deed, which is the actual instrument being signed; a certificate, while related to the notarial act, is the accompanying statement the notary provides; and a bond is a different financial instrument that may be signed but is not the act of acknowledging a signature.