PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

You can get the required acknowledgments and verifications done before certain officials. In the United States, any person who is legally allowed to give oaths (for example, a notary) can handle them. If you are in another country, a U.S. diplomat or consular officer can do it, or a local official who can give oaths if a U.S. diplomatic or consular officer certifies their authority, or if the foreign country gives an apostille (a special certificate) that has the same effect. These actions are valid only if they follow the laws of the state or country where they are made.

Title 15, §1061

Commerce and Trade, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Acknowledgments and verifications required under this chapter may be made before any person within the United States authorized by law to administer oaths, or, when made in a foreign country, before any diplomatic or consular officer of the United States or before any official authorized to administer oaths in the foreign country concerned whose authority is proved by a certificate of a diplomatic or consular officer of the United States, or apostille of an official designated by a foreign country which, by treaty or convention, accords like effect to apostilles of designated officials in the United States, and shall be valid if they comply with the laws of the state or country where made.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Acts Feb. 20, 1905, ch. 592, § 2, 33 Stat. 724; Feb. 18, 1909, ch. 144, 35 Stat. 627.

Amendments

1982—Pub. L. 97–247 substituted “is” for “shall be” after “whose authority”, and inserted “, or apostille of an official designated by a foreign country which, by treaty or convention, accords like effect to apostilles of designated officials in the United States”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1982 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–247 effective Aug. 27, 1982, see section 17(a) of Pub. L. 97–247, set out as a note under section 41 of Title 35, Patents. Repeal and Effect on Existing RightsRepeal of inconsistent provisions, effect of this chapter on pending proceedings and existing registrations and rights under prior acts, see notes set out under section 1051 of this title.

§1061 Execution of Acknowledgments and Verifications