Notary stamp requirements by state (2026)
Your stamp is the one piece of equipment the law is picky about. Here's what your state requires it to look like — and what to buy once you're commissioned.
Quick answer
- Do you need one?
- Almost every state requires an official stamp or seal — check your state in the table below
- What kind
- A self-inking rectangular ink stamp satisfies most states; some also allow or add an embosser
- What it must show
- Typically your name as commissioned, "Notary Public", your state, commission number and expiration — exact elements vary by state
- Cost
- Usually $15–$40 for a quality self-inking stamp
- When to buy
- AFTER your commission is issued — the stamp must match your commission details exactly
Your state's format rules
These are the current format rules from each state's statute or commissioning authority. Click your state for its full requirements page.
| State | Stamp/seal required? | Format rules |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Required | Ala. Code § 36-20-72 requires a seal of office whose impression or stamp shows your name, your office, and the state for which you were appointed. Either an ink stamp or an embosser is acceptable; documents headed for the public records must carry the notary's signature and seal. No specific shape or size is mandated in the statute. |
| Alaska | Required | AS 44.50.064 requires an official seal showing your name exactly as it appears on your commission certificate plus the words 'Notary Public' and 'State of Alaska'. It may be circular (up to 2 inches in diameter) or rectangular (up to 1 x 2.5 inches), and the impression must be sharp, legible, and photographically reproducible (AS 44.50.065). Your commission expiration date is optional on the seal — but if it isn't in the seal or the certificate wording, you must write 'My commission expires (date)' near your signature. |
| Arizona | Required | An official stamp is required on every certificate for a tangible record (A.R.S. § 41-264). The physical impression may be no more than 1.5 inches high by 2.5 inches wide and must include an image of the great seal of the State of Arizona (A.R.S. § 41-266), along with your commissioned name and commission details per SOS specifications. You may not stamp over your own or anyone else's signature. Arizona also requires a journal: paper for tangible-record notarizations, paper or electronic for electronic ones, retained at least five years (A.R.S. § 41-319). |
| Arkansas | Required | Rubber stamp or metal embosser, but always in blue or black ink (embosser impressions must be inked so they photocopy). Required elements: your official name as you sign, your county of commission (where your bond is filed), the words 'Notary Public' and 'Arkansas', your commission expiration date, and your commission number. The seal may NOT contain the Great Seal of Arkansas or an outline of the state. Sign every certificate in blue or black ink and place the seal under or near your signature. Moving counties or changing your name means buying a new seal. |
| California | Required | Must be photographically reproducible (rubber stamps are near-universal; an embosser may be used in addition). Required elements: the State Seal, the words 'Notary Public', your name as commissioned, the county where your oath and bond are filed, your commission expiration date, your commission number, and the seal manufacturer's ID. Shape: circular up to 2" diameter or rectangular up to 1" x 2.5" with a serrated or milled border. Only authorized manufacturers may make it, and it must stay under your exclusive control — your employer never gets to keep it. A sequential journal, kept locked, is also mandatory. |
| Colorado | Required | A rectangular ink stamp with a rectangular border — embossers are not allowed. Inside the border, and nothing else: your name exactly as on your certificate, 'NOTARY PUBLIC', 'STATE OF COLORADO', your notary ID number, and your commission expiration date (C.R.S. § 24-21-517). No size or ink color is mandated. A journal is also required for every notarial act (C.R.S. § 24-21-519), with a narrow employer-records exception; keep finished journals ten years, hand them to State Archives, or leave them with your employer — and report a lost or stolen stamp or journal within 30 days. |
| Connecticut | Not required | Connecticut does not require a seal or stamp — one of the few states where this is true. What the law does require on every notarization: your original signature exactly as it appears on your Certificate of Appointment, your name typed, stamped, or legibly printed near the signature if you don't use a seal, and your commission expiration date. If you choose to use a seal, it must show your name as commissioned, 'Notary Public,' and 'Connecticut'; adding 'My Commission Expires (date)' to the seal is optional. Seals come from private vendors and remain your property even if an employer paid for one. |
| Delaware | Required | Either a metal embossing seal or a black-inked rubber stamp is acceptable. It must show your name exactly as it appears on your commission, the words 'Notary Public' and 'State of Delaware,' and 'My Commission expires on' followed by the expiration date (Title 29 § 4330 also lets the Secretary of State require additional elements). You are responsible for keeping the stamping device secure, no one else may use it, and you must disable or destroy it when your commission ends. Electronic and remote notaries use an electronic seal and signature meeting secure e-notarization standards with the same wording. |
| District of Columbia | Required | DC is an embosser jurisdiction: you need a sealer (embosser) that raises the seal into the paper, plus an impression inker so every embossment photocopies legibly. Under § 1-1231.16 the seal must show your name exactly as commissioned, the words 'District of Columbia', and your commission expiration date — no extra wording allowed. You also need a jurat or acknowledgment certificate stamp because every notarization must carry the full certificate language. |
| Florida | Required | A rubber-stamp seal in photographically reproducible black ink is the official seal (s. 117.05(3)(a), F.S.). It must contain the words 'Notary Public-State of Florida', your name, your commission number, and your commission expiration date. A metal impression (embosser) seal may be used in addition to — not instead of — the rubber stamp. |
| Georgia | Required | A seal is required to complete a notarial act (signature + seal + date). Either a rubber ink stamp or an embosser is acceptable. It must show your name, the words 'Notary Public', your county of appointment, and the state name. Georgia does not require the commission expiration date on the seal, and no specific shape or size is mandated. |
| Hawaii | Required | A circular rubber stamp seal, no more than two inches in diameter, with a serrated or milled edge border, showing your name, your commission number, and the words 'notary public' and 'State of Hawaii'. You may keep only one seal (stamp or embosser), you must always add your printed name and commission expiration date beside your signature, and the seal must be surrendered to the Attorney General when your commission ends — failing to return it within 90 days can cost up to $200. |
| Idaho | Required | An inked stamp (not an embosser) with a serrated or milled-edge border, rectangular or circular. It must show your name exactly as commissioned, 'Notary Public', 'State of Idaho', and your commission number; adding the expiration date is allowed but optional. You buy it only after the SOS issues your Notary Certificate. |
| Illinois | Required | A rubber stamp seal in rectangular form, no more than one inch high by 2.5 inches long, with a serrated or milled edge border, showing 'Official Seal', your name as commissioned, 'Notary Public', 'State of Illinois', and your commission expiration date. Electronic notaries also register an electronic seal that must look identical to the physical one. |
| Indiana | Required | A seal — rubber ink stamp or embosser — is required to complete notarial acts. It must contain: the words 'Notary Public', the words 'State of Indiana', your name exactly as it appears on your commission certificate, the words 'commission number' followed by your NP0-series number, and 'my commission expires' followed by the expiration date. The word 'Seal' was required from 2018 until July 1, 2024, when HB 1032 dropped it (IC 33-42-0.5-131). No specific shape or size is mandated, and the state neither sells seals nor recommends vendors. |
| Iowa | Required | A stamp is required by law, and only the commissioned notary may use it. Under Iowa Code 9B.17 it must show: your name exactly as it appears on your commission, the words 'Notarial Seal' and 'Iowa', 'Commission Number' followed by your SOS-assigned number, and 'My Commission Expires' followed by the date (or a blank line where you hand-write it on every document). No shape or size is mandated, and the stamp must be able to photocopy along with the document. Report a lost or stolen stamp to the Secretary of State immediately. |
| Kansas | Required | Required on every notarial certificate. Either a rubber ink stamp with permanent ink or an impression seal (embosser, inked or used with foil seals) is acceptable. It must show your name exactly as it appears on your application — matching punctuation and all — plus the words 'Notary Public' and 'State of Kansas'. It may include 'My Commission Expires (date)' but must NOT include a county. No shape or size is mandated. You need the stamp before applying, since an impression goes on Form NO. |
| Kentucky | Not required | Kentucky is unusual: no stamp or seal is required for paper notarizations. A signed, dated notarial certificate with your name and commission details is legally sufficient, signed the same way as the signature on file with the Secretary of State. If you choose to use a stamp (most notaries do, since out-of-state document recipients expect one), KRS 423.370 and 30 KAR 8:005 govern it — it must show your full legal name as commissioned and be capable of photocopying with the record. |
| Louisiana | Not required | Louisiana does not require a seal or stamp — the SOS states that 'a Louisiana notary's signature is his seal.' You must sign exactly as shown on the Official Notarial Signature form filed with the state, and you should include your name, notary/bar ID number, and parish. Many notaries still buy a stamp with this information for convenience, and receiving parties sometimes expect one. |
| Maine | Not required | Not required for in-person paper notarizations, though the SOS strongly recommends one; a stamp IS required for all electronic and remote notarizations. When used, it must show your name exactly as commissioned, 'Notary Public' plus 'State of Maine' or 'Maine', and your commission expiration date, and it must be capable of being copied with the record. No shape or size is mandated. |
| Maryland | Required | Required. The official stamp — ink stamp, embosser, or electronic equivalent — must show your name exactly as commissioned, the words 'Notary Public', and the county (or Baltimore City) where you were commissioned, and it must reproduce when the record is copied. The commission expiration date must appear in the stamp or elsewhere in the notarial certificate. Details are in COMAR 01.02.08. |
| Massachusetts | Required | Required. Under G.L. c. 222 § 8 the official seal or stamp must show your name exactly as commissioned, 'notary public', 'Commonwealth of Massachusetts' (or 'Massachusetts'), 'My commission expires [date]', and a facsimile of the state seal. Ink stamp or embosser both work; the seal is your exclusive property. |
| Michigan | Not required | Michigan does not require a stamp, seal, or embosser. What the law (MCL 55.287) does require on every notarized record, near your signature: your name exactly as commissioned (printed, typed, or stamped legibly), your commission details including the county of commission and expiration date, and — when notarizing outside your commission county — the statement 'Acting in the County of ____.' If you do use a stamp or seal, it must not make anything on the record illegible. You must also sign exactly the name shown on your application. |
| Minnesota | Required | Required by Minnesota Statutes 359.03. Rectangular, no more than 3/4 inch tall by 2-1/2 inches wide, with a serrated or milled edge border, and it must reproduce legibly. Required elements: the seal of the State of Minnesota, your name exactly as commissioned, 'Notary Public,' and 'My commission expires ______' with the date. For electronic notarizations the same information may be attached electronically to the record. |
| Mississippi | Required | Required on every paper notarization. Under the current SOS rules the stamp must show, in order: 'State of Mississippi,' your name as commissioned, 'Notary Public,' your county, your commission expiration date, and your SOS-assigned commission number. No abbreviations are allowed, the stamp must not contain the Mississippi state seal, and a non-inking embosser doesn't count as the official stamp. You may only order the stamp after you receive your commission — vendors require a copy of the certificate. Report a lost or stolen stamping device to the SOS within 10 days; the replacement must look different from the original. |
| Missouri | Required | Required on every certificate. Under RSMo 486.730 the seal must be a sharp, legible, permanent, photographically reproducible image placed near your signature, with a rectangular or circular border no thicker than 1/16 inch, showing: your name exactly as commissioned, your commission number, 'Notary Public,' 'Notary Seal,' 'State of Missouri,' and 'My commission expires [date].' An embosser may be used only in addition to the inked seal, never instead of it, and the seal can't be placed over writing. |
| Montana | Required | Rectangular ink stamp, about 1" x 2.5", in blue or black ink only, with a plain narrow border that is a required part of the impression. It must show a seal image, your printed name, the title 'Notary Public for the State of Montana', 'Residing at' with your city/town and state, and your commission expiration date (month/day/four-digit year). No commission number is used on the stamp. An electronic stamp must match the ink version in format, color, content, and approximate size (MCA 1-5-616; SOS handbook). |
| Nebraska | Required | An ink stamp seal is required, engraved with four elements: 'State of Nebraska', the words 'General Notary' or 'General Notarial', your name exactly as commissioned, and your commission expiration date. The SOS instructions don't prescribe a shape or size — any office-supply store can make one from your commission certificate. |
| Nevada | Required | A rectangular ink stamp no larger than 1 inch by 2.5 inches, in indelible, photographically reproducible ink. It must show your name, 'Notary Public, State of Nevada', your appointment expiration date, and your certificate-of-appointment number; the Nevada Great Seal is optional, and non-resident notaries must add the word 'nonresident'. Keep it locked up when not in use — that's a statutory duty. |
| New Hampshire | Required | Since February 6, 2022, RSA 455:3 requires every notarial act on a record to be made under an embossed official seal or the legible imprint of a rubber or electronic official stamp showing your name, the words 'Notary Public, New Hampshire', and your commission expiration date. Whenever you sign as a notary you must also type, print, or stamp your name and state your commission expiration on the document. No shape or size is specified, and the state does not supply the stamp. |
| New Jersey | Required | Every notarial act must be evidenced by a certificate and stamped. The official stamp must include your name, the title 'Notary Public, State of New Jersey', and your commission expiration date, and it must photocopy cleanly with the document. No shape or size is mandated. The stamping device legally belongs to you, not your employer — even if the employer paid for it. |
| New Mexico | Required | Your official stamp must contain the words 'State of New Mexico' and 'Notary Public', your legal name exactly as it appears on your Certificate of Commission, your commission number and expiration date, and the Great Seal of the State of New Mexico, in 10-point font. You must register the stamp with the Secretary of State within 45 days of commissioning (and again within 45 days of each renewal). Report a lost or stolen stamp within 30 days and register a replacement. |
| New York | Not required | No seal or stamp is legally required. Instead, Executive Law 137 requires that beneath your signature you print, typewrite, or stamp in black ink: your name, the words 'Notary Public State of New York', the county where you qualified, and your commission expiration date (plus any county where your certificate of official character is filed). Nearly everyone buys a rubber stamp with this statement to avoid writing it out each time. |
| North Carolina | Required | Choose circular or rectangular: circular seals must be 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter, rectangular ones no more than 1 inch high by 2.5 inches long, each with a visible border. The seal must show your name exactly as commissioned, the words 'Notary Public', your county of commissioning, and 'North Carolina' or 'N.C.'. The seal is your exclusive property — an employer can't keep it when you leave. |
| North Dakota | Required | The official stamp must include your name, the jurisdiction ('Notary Public' and 'State of North Dakota'), and your commission expiration date, and it must photocopy with the document. Size limits: circular stamps up to 1-5/8 inches in diameter, rectangular up to 7/8 by 2-5/8 inches. Two timing quirks: you buy the stamp only after the state sends your Certificate of Authorization, and you must return an impression for verification before your commission is finalized. Destroy or deface the device when your term ends or the stamp is replaced. |
| Ohio | Required | ORC 147.04 requires a seal showing the Ohio coat of arms inside a circle at least three-quarters of an inch and at most one inch in diameter, surrounded by 'Notary Public', 'Notarial Seal', or similar words, plus 'State of Ohio'. Ink stamp or embosser both qualify. Your name can appear on the seal itself or be printed, typed, or stamped legibly near your signature on each document. |
| Oklahoma | Required | Required. Either a metal embosser or a rubber ink stamp is fine. It must contain at least your name, 'State of Oklahoma', and 'Notary Public'; the commission number and expiration date may be included but are not required on the physical seal. No shape or size is specified. Note that your notarial certificate wording must still show the commission number and expiration date, and the electronic seal used for RON must include both. |
| Oregon | Required | The official stamp must be legible and contain the Oregon state seal plus, in uppercase to the right of the seal: 'OFFICIAL STAMP', your printed name, 'NOTARY PUBLIC-OREGON', 'COMMISSION NO.' with your number, and 'MY COMMISSION EXPIRES' with the date (month spelled out, two-digit day, four-digit year). Black or another dark ink is recommended so the imprint photocopies cleanly, and the stamp may never overlap signatures or text. |
| Pennsylvania | Required | A rubber ink stamp no larger than 1 inch by 3.5 inches. It must show 'Commonwealth of Pennsylvania', the words 'Notary Seal', your name and the title 'Notary Public', your county, and your commission expiration date. Under regulations effective March 28, 2026, the stamp must also carry your seven-digit commission number — if you hold an older stamp, confirm with the Department of State whether you can keep using it until renewal. |
| Rhode Island | Required | A stamp is required on every notarial act. It must be an inked stamp, round or rectangular, with an edge border, showing your name exactly as commissioned plus 'Notary Public' and 'Rhode Island', and it must photocopy along with the document (RIGL § 42-30.1-13). An embosser may be used only if it meets all stamp requirements and is paired with an ink highlighter so the impression shows on copies. |
| South Carolina | Required | A seal of office is required and must be affixed to your notarial acts (S.C. Code § 26-1-60). Ink stamp or embosser both qualify. Required elements: your name (matching your commission), the words 'Notary Public', and 'State of South Carolina' (§ 26-1-5). No shape or size is specified. Your commission expiration date must appear in the stamp/seal or elsewhere in the notarial certificate (§ 26-1-90(B)). |
| South Dakota | Required | Required — an impression of the seal must be filed with your application before you are commissioned. Rubber ink stamp or embosser both work, in a circle, square, or rectangle; no size or color rules. It must show your name exactly as commissioned, the words 'Notary Public' and 'South Dakota', and a border fully surrounding the imprint. Rubber-stamp and electronic seals must also contain the word 'seal' inside the border. The commission expiration date may NOT appear inside the border — SDCL 18-1-3.1 requires you to write, stamp, or print it below or outside the seal instead. |
| Tennessee | Required | The seal design is prescribed by the Secretary of State: circular, with your name as commissioned at the top, your county of election at the bottom, and 'State of Tennessee Notary Public' (or 'Tennessee Notary Public') in the center. It must be a rubber or similar ink stamp — not an embosser — imprinted in any clearly legible color except black or yellow, and it must appear black when photocopied. The seal is surrendered to the county (through the county clerk) when your term ends or you resign (TCA § 8-16-114). |
| Texas | Required | Circular (max 2" diameter) or rectangular (max 1" x 2.5") with a serrated or milled border. It must show a five-pointed star with 'Notary Public, State of Texas', your name as commissioned, your notary ID number (required for commissions issued or renewed after January 1, 2016), and your expiration date. Embosser or indelible-ink stamp both work, but the impression must photocopy legibly. |
| Utah | Required | Rectangular seal with a border no larger than 1 inch by 2.5 inches, and it must stamp in purple ink for in-person notarizations — a Utah signature quirk (electronic seals for remote notarizations render in black). Required elements: your name exactly as it appears on the commission, the words 'Notary Public', 'State of Utah', 'My commission expires on (date)', your commission number, and a facsimile of the great seal of Utah. You need a new seal with each new commission or legal name change (Utah Code § 46-1-16). |
| Vermont | Not required | Vermont is one of the few states where no stamp is required. Every certificate must be signed and show the date, jurisdiction, the title 'notary public,' the notary's name, commission number, and commission expiration date — you may stamp that information, print or type it, or mix both. If you do use a stamp (ink or embosser, any shape), it must be copyable and show at minimum your name as signed on your oath, the word 'Vermont,' the title 'Notary Public,' and your commission number (last 7 digits is enough). The Vermont State Seal may not appear on a notary stamp. |
| Virginia | Required | A sharp, legible, permanent, and photographically reproducible seal image is required on paper notarizations (Va. Code § 47.1-16). It must show your name exactly as it appears on your commission, 'Notary Public', and 'Commonwealth of Virginia'. No shape or size is mandated, and the registration number is not required on paper certificates — but you must write your commission expiration date after each certificate ('My commission expires the ___ day of ___, ___'). Since July 1, 2026, stamp vendors must verify proof of commission before selling a seal. |
| Washington | Required | Under WAC 308-30-070 the stamp must be at least 1-5/8 inches in diameter if circular, or 1 inch by 1-5/8 inches if rectangular, printed in at least 8-point type. It must show the words 'notary public' and 'state of Washington', your commissioned name, your commission number, and your expiration date. It cannot contain the Washington state seal, and it must reproduce when photocopied. Stamp vendors will ask to see your commission before making one. |
| West Virginia | Required | A rubber stamp seal no larger than 1 x 2.5 inches with a border. It must contain the words 'Official Seal', 'Notary Public', and 'State of West Virginia', plus your name, your address (home or business, as listed on your commission), and your commission expiration date. Order it only after your commission letter arrives — the letter dictates the exact wording — and report any change or loss of the stamp to the Secretary of State. |
| Wisconsin | Required | An engraved official seal or official rubber stamp containing 'State of Wisconsin', 'Notary Public', and your printed name including your full current last name. Wisconsin does not put the commission expiration date on the seal — you write the expiration date near your signature when you notarize (attorneys with permanent commissions state that instead). No specific shape or size is mandated in the DFI's application instructions. |
| Wyoming | Required | Rectangular, approximately 1 inch by 2.5 inches, in blue or black ink, with a border outline. Inside the border: your commission name, the words 'Notary Public' and 'State of Wyoming', your commission ID number, and 'My commission expires' followed by the date. The stamp cannot include your county of residence, the Great Seal of Wyoming, or any other image — a deliberate break from the old county-based format. Anyone commissioned or renewed after July 1, 2021 needs a stamp in the new design; your Appointment Letter includes the exact specifications. |
What to buy
Self-inking notary stamp (search Amazon)
One line of honesty: any reputable self-inking stamp cut to your state's format works — you're paying for the die quality and refillable pad, not the brand. Expect $15–$40. Vendors will ask for your commission certificate.
Notary embosser (search Amazon)
Optional in nearly every state. Adds a physical crimp some notaries like as a fraud deterrent. Skip it unless your state's rules (table above) call for a seal press or you want one.
Many notaries simply buy from their bonding agency or a notary supplier during commissioning — that's fine too. What matters is the format match, not the store.
Ordering checklist
- Wait for your commission certificate — the stamp must match it exactly.
- Check your state's row in the table above for shape, size, and required elements.
- Order with your commissioned name — middle initial and all — not a variation.
- Proof the vendor's mockup against your certificate before it's cut.
- Store it locked up; most states hold you responsible for misuse of your seal.
The stamp is one of only a few things you actually need — see the full notary supplies checklist before you buy anything else.
Notary stamp FAQ
Can I buy a notary stamp before I'm commissioned?
Order it only after your commission certificate arrives. The stamp must reproduce your commissioned name, commission number, and expiration date exactly, and several states require vendors to see proof of commission before making one.
Ink stamp or embosser?
The ink stamp is the workhorse — it photocopies and scans, which is why most states specify one. An embosser is optional almost everywhere and mainly ceremonial today; some notaries add one as a fraud deterrent since the crimp is hard to photocopy convincingly. Buy the ink stamp first; add an embosser only if you want it.
What happens if my stamp doesn't meet my state's format rules?
Recorders and lenders can reject the document, which means a redo at your expense and, for signing agents, a reputation hit. Match your state's specified shape, dimensions, and required elements exactly — the table above summarizes them, and your commission paperwork usually restates them.
What do I do with my old stamp when I renew?
Destroy or deface it so it can't be misused — many states require this by rule. Your renewal commission gets a new expiration date (and often a new number), so the old stamp is invalid the day your new term starts.