A Delaware notary stamp must show your name in the form the Secretary of State has on file, the words State of Delaware, the phrase My Commission expires on with your expiration date, and the words Notary Public. Size and shape are not addressed. Black ink comes from Department of State guidance, and an embosser is allowed instead. This page covers the wording, the format and the commission.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against 29 Del. C. § 4330(1) and The Governor, who may delegate the duty, with applications, registrations and records administered in practice by the Delaware Department of State through its Notary Administrator. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp required | Yes. | Delaware Department of State, Notary Administrator |
| Required wording | Five items: your name as filed, the state line, the expiration phrase with its date, the title line, and anything else the Secretary of State calls for. | 29 Del. C. § 4330(1) |
| Name line | Your name in the form the Secretary of State holds on file, rather than a preferred or shortened version. | 29 Del. C. § 4330(1) |
| State line | The words State of Delaware. | 29 Del. C. § 4330(1) |
| Expiration line | The phrase My Commission expires on, with your commission expiration date after it. | 29 Del. C. § 4330(1) |
| Title line | The words Notary Public. | 29 Del. C. § 4330(1) |
| Size and shape | Not addressed. No diameter, no outline and no minimum are set. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Ink color | Black, which comes from Department of State guidance rather than from the statute. | Delaware Department of State guidance |
| Embosser | Permitted as a full alternative to an inked stamp, which puts Delaware at the permissive end. | Delaware Department of State, Notary Administrator |
| Commission term | A first term runs two years, and a longer initial term is not available. | Delaware Department of State, Notary Administrator |
If you are still applying, read how to become a notary in Delaware for the qualifications, fees and filing steps.
To compare Delaware with every other jurisdiction, see our table of notary seal requirements by state.
Is a stamp required of a Delaware notary?
Yes. Unlike states that leave the device optional and regulate only the wording, Delaware expects a notary to hold one, and the statute then fixes what it says.
That makes the stamp a working requirement rather than a convenience purchase, and it makes the wording the part worth checking twice. When to order a Delaware notary seal covers the timing around a new commission.
Which lines must the stamp carry?
Five items, four of them concrete and one open-ended. Each is set by statute, and a stamp that omits one is short of what the law lists.
- Your name, in the form the Secretary of State has on file
- The words State of Delaware
- The phrase My Commission expires on, followed by the date your commission ends
- The words Notary Public
- Anything further the Secretary of State calls for
The name line follows the record, not your preference. If you registered under a full legal name, that is what belongs on the die, even where you sign documents in a shorter form day to day. A sample Delaware notary stamp format shows how the five items fit together on one impression.
What does the fifth item mean for your order?
It is a catch-all. The statute closes its list by allowing the Secretary of State to require further information, which means the four named lines are a floor rather than a complete description of every stamp.
The practical handling is to build the four named lines first and confirm that nothing further has been asked of you before the die is cut. A summary of Delaware notary seal requirements is a useful cross-check at that point.
What size and shape should the stamp be?
Neither is addressed. No diameter, no outline and no minimum appear in the rules read here, so a rectangle and a circle are equally acceptable and the dimensions are yours to choose.
The constraint that does bite is space. Four lines of type plus a date need room, and a die chosen for a small footprint is where the expiration date usually becomes hard to read after a document is copied.
Which ink color should you use?
Black. That instruction comes from Department of State guidance rather than from the statute, which is worth knowing because the two sources are not always read together.
A colored pad may look distinctive, but it works against the one color instruction Delaware gives and against legibility on a copied record. Order the pad in black. Self-inking Delaware notary stamps handle inking without a separate pad.
Can you use an embosser instead?
Yes. An embosser is permitted as a full alternative to an inked stamp, which places Delaware at the permissive end compared with states that treat a raised impression as an optional extra alongside a required inked one.
Weigh the choice on how your documents travel. A raised impression carries well on a paper original held in a file, while an inked impression is what survives a scan or a photocopy. Notaries who work across both often keep one of each. Choosing between Delaware notary supplies goes through the formats side by side.
How long does a Delaware commission run?
Two years for a first term, and only two years. There is no longer initial term available to buy up front, so the expiration date on your first stamp is fixed by that two-year cycle.
The expiration date is the line on the die that ages. Because the phrase and the date are both required content, a stamp carrying a lapsed date no longer states your current commission, whatever the rest of the impression says.
What do you do if the stamp is lost or stolen?
Report it promptly. The statute uses that word without a day count, while the Delaware Notary Administrator's lost seal page asks for notice within 10 days, plus a law enforcement report after theft. Treat 10 days as the outer limit.
Treat the device the way you would a signature tool rather than office stationery. A stamp that can be picked up and used carries your name, your title and your commission date, which is the whole of what a Delaware impression asserts.
How do you report a name or address change?
Both are handled through your online Notary Profile. A change of name and a change of address are logged in the same place, so one route covers the pair.
A name change has a second consequence the profile update does not fix: the die still shows the old name, and your name as held on file is required content. That is a reorder rather than an amendment. What a Delaware notary kit contains is worth reading if you are replacing more than the stamp.
Who commissions Delaware notaries?
The Governor, who may delegate the duty. Applications, registrations and records are administered in practice by the Delaware Department of State through its Notary Administrator.
Delaware notaries are commissioned rather than licensed, and the vocabulary matters on an order form. The date on your stamp is a commission expiration date, which is why the required phrase reads the way it does.
What should you check on the proof before the die is made?
Four things: the spelling of your name against the record, the state line, the exact expiration phrase, and the date itself. Read the date digit by digit rather than at a glance.
Then take a test impression on the paper you notarize on and copy it. If the date or the name fills in on the copy, the type is too small or the pad too wet, and both are cheaper to fix before the stamp goes into service.
Frequently asked questions
Am I licensed as a notary in Delaware?
No. Notaries are commissioned, not licensed. The stamp reflects that with a commission expiration date rather than any license detail.
Is there a maximum size for the stamp?
None is stated. Size and shape are not addressed at all, so the working limit is the space your documents leave and keeping every line readable after copying.
Can I use blue ink if my office prefers it?
Black is what Department of State guidance calls for. That guidance is the only color instruction in the sources read here, so a different color works against it.
Does an embosser have to be used alongside an inked stamp?
No. It is permitted as a full alternative rather than as an addition, so one device or the other satisfies the requirement.
Do I need a new stamp when my commission is renewed?
The expiration date is required content, so a new term brings a date the old die no longer shows. The wording has to state your current commission accurately.
How quickly must a lost stamp be reported?
Promptly under the statute, and within 10 days according to the Notary Administrator's lost seal page. Reporting the same day keeps you inside both.
Have your commission paperwork in front of you when you order, and copy the name and expiration date straight from it. When both are confirmed, order from the Delaware notary stamps and seals collection.
