A U.S. Virgin Islands notary needs two devices: a blue ink stamp and an embosser, with the embosser used in addition to the stamp. The stamp shows your name as on your commission documents, NOTARY PUBLIC, your Notary Public number, your expiration date and your judicial district. No size or shape is set. This page covers wording, devices, term, loss and ordering.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against 3 V.I.C. § 827(1) and the Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Matches your commission documents. | 3 V.I.C. § 827(1) |
| Title | The words NOTARY PUBLIC. | 3 V.I.C. § 827(1) |
| Notary Public number | Your number, written in the territory's NP format. | 3 V.I.C. § 827(1) |
| Expiration date | The date your commission ends. | 3 V.I.C. § 827(1) |
| Judicial district | St. Croix, or St. Thomas and St. John. | 3 V.I.C. § 827(1) |
| Dimensions and outline | No measurement or shape is given. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Ink | Blue. | The Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands |
| Embosser | Needed as well as the ink stamp, not in its place. | The Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands |
| Term and renewal | Four years; $5,000 bond; $75 renewal fee; file within two months of expiration. | The Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands |
| Lost or stolen device | Prompt notice to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor once you know. | The Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands |
For the same rule in the other 53 jurisdictions, read notary seal requirements by state.
What goes on a Virgin Islands notary stamp?
Five items under 3 V.I.C. § 827(1): your name, matching your commission documents; NOTARY PUBLIC; your Notary Public number; the date your commission expires; and your judicial district.
Only NOTARY PUBLIC reads the same on every Virgin Islands stamp. The other four come from your own commission and district, so each stamp is built around one notary's details.
Our guide to U.S. Virgin Islands notary stamp requirements covers each line, and our U.S. Virgin Islands notary stamp format sample shows a finished face.
How should the number and judicial district appear?
Your Notary Public number goes on the stamp in the territory's NP format, and your judicial district is shown in one of two forms: St. Croix, or St. Thomas and St. John.
Copy the number exactly as issued, in its NP format, rather than retyping it from memory. For the district, reproduce the full entry that applies to you.
Do you need an embosser as well as the ink stamp?
Yes. The embosser is needed on top of the ink stamp, so a Virgin Islands notary works with two devices. That two-device setup has no match among the US states.
Plan the purchase as a pair: the blue ink stamp and the embosser, with neither one standing in for the other. Our overview of U.S. Virgin Islands notary seal requirements covers the embosser side.
What ink color does the stamp use?
Blue. The ink stamp for a Virgin Islands notary is a blue ink stamp, so order it in blue. The color is part of what makes the stamp compliant.
This page does not tie the blue ink requirement to a numbered code section. The wording list is what comes from 3 V.I.C. § 827(1).
How large should the stamp be?
The size and shape are not addressed, so no measurement or outline is required. Choose a face that holds all five items legibly, including a judicial district entry that can run to St. Thomas and St. John.
Five items in blue need space to stay sharp. A stamp that is too small can blur the number or the date, which defeats the point of carrying them on the face.
What if a device is lost or stolen?
Promptly tell the Office of the Lieutenant Governor once you know the device is missing. The duty begins when you find out, and it calls for prompt notice rather than a set number of days.
Replace the missing device before your next notarization. Because both devices are required, a missing embosser matters as much as a missing stamp.
What about a name or address change?
The Lieutenant Governor's office covers both in its current notary FAQ. For a new address, send the office a letter with your old and new addresses. To keep notarizing under a new name, apply for an amended commission using the office's Change of Name Form; our U.S. Virgin Islands commission guide covers the steps.
Your name on the stamp follows your commission documents. If those documents change, the stamp should change with them so the two keep matching.
How long does a Virgin Islands commission last?
Four years. Each commission carries a $5,000 bond, and renewing it costs a $75 fee, so both figures belong in your plans well before the term ends.
Your expiration date is printed on the stamp, so a stamp made for one term shows the wrong date once the next begins. Budget for a new ink stamp with each commission.
When should you file for renewal?
Within two months of your commission's expiration. Starting inside that window gives you time to receive the new commission details and order a stamp that shows the new expiration date.
Keep the $75 renewal fee and the $5,000 bond in mind as you plan. Our note on U.S. Virgin Islands notary stamp renewal covers the renewal side in more detail.
Who commissions Virgin Islands notaries?
The Lieutenant Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, working through the Notary Public Division, which operates on St. Croix and St. Thomas. That office also receives your report of a lost or stolen device.
For a start-up list, see our guide to supplies for becoming a notary in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What should you have ready when ordering?
Your name, matching your commission documents, plus your Notary Public number in NP format, your expiration date and your judicial district. Order a blue ink stamp and an embosser together.
No size is set, so pick a face that keeps every line readable. Our U.S. Virgin Islands notary supply list is a quick cross-check before you submit.
How do you check both impressions before first use?
Stamp a blank sheet in blue and confirm all five items: name, NOTARY PUBLIC, Notary Public number, expiration date and judicial district. Then emboss the same sheet and check the raised impression is clean.
Compare the name and number character by character against your commission documents. Fix any error before the stamp is used on a client's document.
U.S. Virgin Islands sets separate seal rules for other licensed professions too; see the U.S. Virgin Islands engineer, architect and land surveyor seal requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Will a stamp made for a US state work in the Virgin Islands?
No. The territory's stamp calls for items a state stamp would not carry, including a Notary Public number in NP format and a judicial district, and it is used alongside an embosser.
Can a notary on St. John show St. John alone?
The district is shown either as St. Croix or as St. Thomas and St. John. St. John appears as part of the St. Thomas and St. John entry, not as a district of its own.
If I emboss, can the ink stamp be black?
No. The embosser is an addition, not a substitute, and the ink stamp itself is blue. Using an embosser does not change the ink color.
Does the $75 fee cover the bond?
They are separate figures. The $75 is the renewal fee, and the $5,000 is the bond that goes with the four-year commission.
Is there a deadline for reporting a lost embosser?
The notice rule speaks of a device, with prompt notice to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor once you know it is lost or stolen. No number of days is attached.
Order your blue ink stamp and embosser together from our notary stamps collection.
