48 U.S.C. § 742
Section 742 · Acknowledgment of deeds
Amended 2 times on record
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Deeds and other instruments affecting land situate in the District of Columbia, or any other territory or possession of the United States, may be acknowledged in Puerto Rico before any notary public appointed therein by proper authority, or any officer therein who has ex officio the powers of a notary public. The certificate by such notary shall be accompanied by the certificate of the executive secretary of Puerto Rico to the effect that the notary taking such acknowledgment is in fact such notarial officer.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Codification
Section is also set out in D.C. Code, §45–606.
Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in act Mar. 22, 1902, ch. 273, 32 Stat. 88, except that that act required the certificate of the attorney general of Puerto Rico, rather than of the executive secretary of Puerto Rico as required by this section.
Change of Name
“Puerto Rico” substituted in text for “Porto Rico” pursuant to act May 17, 1932, which is classified to section 731a of this title.