Minnesota requires an official notary stamp: a rectangle no taller than 3/4 inch and no wider than 2.5 inches, edged with a serrated or milled border. It shows the state seal, your commissioned name, the title Notary Public and your expiration date, and an embosser cannot take its place. This page covers wording, size, ink, embossers, commission dates, changes and ordering.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a) and The Governor, who appoints with the advice and consent of the Senate, with the Minnesota Secretary of State administering applications and the commission record. Discipline and revocation sit somewhere else again, with the commissioner of commerce. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State seal | The Minnesota state seal itself, reproduced as a device on the stamp. | Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a) |
| Name | Your name in the form shown on your commission. An ex officio notary uses their own name. | Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a) |
| Title | Notary Public. An ex officio notary under § 358.15 uses Notarial Officer instead. | Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a) |
| Expiration line | My commission expires, followed by the date, or My term is indeterminate when that is the case. | Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a) |
| Legibility | The impression must be capable of legible reproduction. | Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a) |
| Shape and size | A rectangle measuring 3/4 inch high and 2.5 inches wide at most. | Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a) |
| Border | A serrated or milled edge around the rectangle. | Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a) |
| Embosser | Cannot serve as the official stamp. | Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a) |
| Ink color | The notary act names none. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Lost or stolen stamp | No provision, and no reporting deadline of any kind. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
For the same rule in the other 53 jurisdictions, read notary seal requirements by state.
What must a Minnesota notary stamp say?
Five things, all from Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a). They are the Minnesota state seal, your commissioned name, the title Notary Public, the line My commission expires with its date, and an impression that reproduces legibly.
Ex officio notaries change two lines. Their own name stands in for the commissioned name, and Notarial Officer replaces Notary Public, following the reference to § 358.15 in the same subdivision.
Where a term has no end date, the expiration line reads My term is indeterminate instead of a date. Our overview of Minnesota notary seal requirements has more background on each line.
What size and shape does the stamp have to be?
A rectangle no more than 3/4 inch tall and 2.5 inches wide, framed by a serrated or milled edge. All five required items have to fit inside that outline, including the state seal artwork.
The border is part of the requirement, not trim. Ask to see the edge on the proof, and confirm the finished stamp prints it all the way around the rectangle.
Can an embosser be your official stamp?
No. An embosser is not permitted as your official stamp in Minnesota. The official stamp is the bordered rectangle described in Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a), and a raised impression does not stand in for it.
If you already own an embosser from another state or an earlier purchase, it does not meet the Minnesota requirement. Budget for the rectangular stamp first. Our guide to Minnesota notary stamp law covers related points.
What ink color does Minnesota require?
None. The notary act does not specify an ink color. What the required wording does demand is an impression that reproduces legibly, so choose an ink that copies and scans cleanly on the documents you handle.
Test the stamp on plain paper and on a photocopy before a signing. If the copy loses the state seal or the border, adjust your pressure before using the stamp on a real certificate.
When does a Minnesota notary commission expire?
Every term ends on January 31 in the fifth calendar year after the commission's year of issue. Depending on the month you were commissioned, the actual length falls between a full five years and about four years and two months.
A commission issued early in a year gets close to the full five years, while one issued late in the year gets noticeably less. Plan your renewal around the January 31 date rather than around the anniversary of your appointment.
Because the expiration date is part of the stamp's required wording, a stamp showing an old date no longer states your current expiration after you renew. Our article on Minnesota notary stamp renewal requirements is a useful companion.
What must you do after a name or address change?
You have 30 days to tell the Secretary of State about a new name or a new address. Because your stamp shows the commissioned form of your name, a name change also means checking whether the stamp still matches.
An address change does not touch the stamp, since no address is among the five required items. A name change is different: keep the stamp and the commission record in agreement. For more practical pointers, see what to know about Minnesota notary stamp requirements.
What if your stamp is lost or stolen?
The law is silent on it. Loss or theft of a notary stamp is not addressed in Minnesota, and no deadline is set for reporting either one or for doing anything else about it.
Silence is not permission to keep notarizing without a stamp, because the stamp itself is still required. Order a replacement before your next appointment.
Who commissions Minnesota notaries?
The Governor appoints notaries with the Senate's advice and consent. The Minnesota Secretary of State handles applications and keeps the commission record, while discipline and revocation belong to the commissioner of commerce.
That split tells you where to go. Commission paperwork and change notices run through the Secretary of State, while discipline or revocation proceedings sit with the commissioner of commerce.
What should you give the maker when ordering?
Your name exactly as your commission shows it, your expiration date, and confirmation that the stamp is a bordered rectangle within 3/4 by 2.5 inches carrying the state seal. Ex officio notaries should give their name and ask for Notarial Officer.
- Name in the form shown on the commission
- Expiration date, which falls on a January 31
- Title line: Notary Public, or Notarial Officer if ex officio
- Minnesota state seal as the device
- Rectangle within 3/4 by 2.5 inches with a serrated or milled edge
Confirm the expiration date against your commission before anything is made. Before you submit the order, run through our summary of Minnesota notary stamp requirements as a final checklist.
How do you check a new stamp before the first notarization?
Stamp a test sheet and measure it: no taller than 3/4 inch and no wider than 2.5 inches, with a serrated or milled edge all the way around. Then read the five required items against Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a).
Photocopy the test impression and check the copy, since legible reproduction is itself one of the required items. More practical notes are in our Minnesota notary public seal guidelines.
Frequently asked questions
Does the stamp show a commission number or an address?
No. The five items in Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a) are the state seal, your name, your title, the expiration line and legible reproduction. Neither a commission number nor an address is among them.
Will a state outline or the word Minnesota do in place of the state seal?
No. The first required item is the actual state seal device of Minnesota. An outline of the state or its name in type is not that device, so the seal artwork has to be on the stamp.
Is a plain line border acceptable?
The border has to be serrated or milled. A plain ruled line is neither, so a stamp with a simple line around it does not meet the border requirement.
Can the stamp be smaller than 3/4 by 2.5 inches?
Yes. Both figures are stated as upper limits, and no minimum is given. A smaller rectangle works as long as the border and all five items still fit and reproduce legibly.
Do the words My commission expires have to appear in full?
The stated line is My commission expires plus the date. Where a term is indeterminate, the line reads My term is indeterminate instead, and in both cases a shortened form is not the stated wording, so keep it written out.
Once your commission details are confirmed, order a rectangular stamp from our Minnesota stamps and seals collection, with your name and January 31 expiration date exactly as the commission shows them.
