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Venue

Also called: venue statement, caption

The caption on a notarial certificate identifying the jurisdiction where the notarial act was performed — commonly formatted as "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania / County of [county]".

The venue represents where the notary was physically located (or, for Remote Online Notarization, where the notary was legally authorized) at the moment of the act. It is not the county where the document will be recorded or where the signer resides. Getting the venue wrong is one of the most common defective-certificate errors.

Source: 57 Pa.C.S. §§ 315–316 (form and content of notarial certificates)

See also: acknowledgment, jurat

This page is educational information, not legal advice. Pennsylvania notary law changes; always verify against the current version of RULONA (57 Pa.C.S. §§ 301–331) and 4 Pa. Code at pa.gov. Consult a PA-licensed attorney for specific situations.