Seven of the 54 U.S. jurisdictions in the table below make the notary seal optional, 13 restrict its ink color, and 18 put figures on the size of the impression. Embosser rules split just as sharply: 16 jurisdictions accept an embossed seal on its own, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands want an embosser on top of the inked stamp, and Colorado and Hawaii bar embossers. Each row draws on the state guide it links. This page compares required wording, size, ink, embossers, lost stamps, name changes and commission terms across all 54.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against the statute or board rule cited in each row. Sources read September 2026.
| Jurisdiction | Stamp or seal and its wording | Size, ink and embosser | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Required. Name, Notary Public, and Alabama or State of Alabama. | No size, shape or ink rule; embosser may replace the stamp. | Ala. Code § 36-20-72(a) |
| Alaska | Required. Name as on the commission certificate, Notary Public, State of Alaska. | Circle to 2 in. or 1 by 2.5 in. rectangle; no ink color; embosser only as an extra. | Alaska Stat. § 44.50.064(b)(1) |
| Arizona | Required. Great seal, name, county, expiration date, commission number, notary public. | Any shape within 1.5 by 2.5 in.; dark ink; embosser only as an extra. | A.R.S. § 41-266(A)(1), (B) |
| Arkansas | Name as signed officially, bond county, notary public, Arkansas, commission number, expiration date. | No size or shape; blue or black ink; an inked embosser may replace the stamp. | A.C.A. § 21-14-107(b)(2) |
| California | Required, with two narrow exceptions. State Seal, Notary Public, name, number, expiration date, county, vendor ID. | Circle to 2 in. or 1 by 2.5 in. rectangle, serrated or milled edge; no ink color; embosser only as an extra. | § 8207 |
| Colorado | Name as on the commission, notary public, state of Colorado, expiration date, notary ID number. | Bordered rectangle, no size; no ink color; embossers prohibited. | C.R.S. § 24-21-517(1)(a) |
| Connecticut | Optional. If used: name as on the appointment certificate, Notary Public, Connecticut, expiration line. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser not mentioned. | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 3-94k |
| Delaware | Required. Name as on file, State of Delaware, My Commission expires on line, Notary Public. | No size or shape; black ink by Department of State guidance; embosser a full alternative. | 29 Del. C. § 4330(1) |
| District of Columbia | Required. Name as commissioned, Notary Public at the center, District of Columbia, expiration date. | Circle, border up to 1.75 in.; no ink color; seal built around an embosser. | D.C. Code § 1-1231.16(a)(1) |
| Florida | Required, as a rubber stamp seal on paper. Name, commission number, expiration date, Notary Public-State of Florida. | No size or shape; photographically reproducible black ink; impression seal only as an extra. | Fla. Stat. § 117.05(3)(a) |
| Georgia | Required. Name as on the commission certificate, Notary Public, Georgia or GA, county. | No size, shape or ink color; inked stamp or embossed mark. | O.C.G.A. § 45-17-6(a)(1) |
| Guam | Required: inked stamp and embosser. Name as commissioned, territorial Notary Public legend, expiration line, address. | Rectangular border, no size; black ink; embosser needed in addition. | 5 GCA § 33412(a) |
| Hawaii | Name, commission number, notary public, State of Hawaii. | Circle of 1 to 2 in., serrated or milled edge; no ink color; embossers barred since February 2022. | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 456-3 |
| Idaho | Name, commission number, Notary Public, State of Idaho. | Round or rectangular, serrated or milled edge, caps in a separate section; no ink color; no stand-alone embosser. | Idaho Code § 51-117(1), (2) |
| Illinois | Required. Official Seal, printed name, Notary Public, State of Illinois, Commission No., expiration line. | Rectangle to 1 by 2.5 in., serrated or milled border; black ink; embosser not a stand-in. | 5 ILCS 312/3-101(a) |
| Indiana | Required. Name as on the commission certificate, notary public, state of Indiana, number, expiration line. | No size, shape or ink color; seal may be embossed. | Ind. Code § 33-42-10-2(a) |
| Iowa | Required. Name, Notarial Seal, Iowa, Commission Number, expiration line with a date or a blank. | No size, shape or ink color; embossed seal counts fully. | Iowa Code § 9B.17(1)(a) |
| Kansas | Required. Name as on the commission application, notary public, State of Kansas, a write-in expiration date. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser is decoration only. | K.S.A. 53-5a18(a) |
| Kentucky | Optional. If used: name, title, jurisdiction, commission number, expiration date. | No size, shape or ink color for paper; embosser contemplated for tangible records. | KRS 423.370 |
| Louisiana | Optional. Name and state notary ID number with your signature, typed, printed or stamped. | No design, size or ink rule; any style, embosser included. | La. R.S. 35:12(B) |
| Maine | Optional. If used: Notary Public, State of Maine or just Maine, name as commissioned, expiration date. | Rectangular or circular by rule, no size; no ink color; embosser not stated; imprint must copy. | 4 M.R.S. § 1918 |
| Maryland | Required. Name and office, county of residence, expiration date unless the certificate shows it. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser a complete substitute. | Md. Code, State Gov't § 18-217(a)(1), (b) |
| Massachusetts | Required. Name as on the commission, commonwealth seal facsimile, notary public with (Commonwealth of) Massachusetts, expiration line. | No size or outline; black ink where ink is used; embosser permitted. | M.G.L. c.222 § 8(b)(1) |
| Michigan | Optional. A printed block instead: act date, name, state and county line, expiration line, acting county if needed. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser only beside a reproducible imprint. | MCL 55.287(2) |
| Minnesota | Required. State seal, name as commissioned, Notary Public, expiration line. | Rectangle to 3/4 by 2.5 in., serrated or milled border; no ink color; embosser cannot be the stamp. | Minn. Stat. § 359.03, subd. 3(a) |
| Mississippi | Required. State of Mississippi, name, Notary Public, office county, expiration date, commission ID number. | No size, shape or ink color; non-inking embossers and crimpers ruled out. | Miss. Admin. Code Rule 1-5-3.1(A) |
| Missouri | Required on paper. State of Missouri, Notary Public, Notary Seal, name, commission ID number, expiration line. | Rectangular or circular border, no size; no ink color; embosser only as an extra. | RSMo § 486.730.1 |
| Montana | Required. Printed name, Notary Public for the State of Montana, residence town line, full-year expiration date. | Bordered rectangle about 1 by 2.5 in.; blue or black ink; embosser an add-on. | Mont. Code Ann. § 1-5-616(2)(a) |
| Nebraska | Required. State of Nebraska, General Notary (or General Notarial), name as commissioned, expiration date. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser cannot replace the stamp. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 64-210(1) |
| Nevada | Name, Notary Public, State of Nevada, expiration date, certificate of appointment number. | Rectangle only, to 1 by 2.5 in.; indelible, reproducible ink, no color named; embosser only as an extra. | NRS 240.040 |
| New Hampshire | Required. Name, notary public, New Hampshire, expiration date. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser a full substitute. | RSA 455:3, II |
| New Jersey | Required on each notarial certificate. Name, Notary Public, State of New Jersey, expiration date. | No size, shape or ink color; stamp may be inked or embossed. | N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.5 |
| New Mexico | Name, commission number, expiration date, State of New Mexico, Notary Public, great seal. | No size, shape or color; permanent ink that photocopies; embosser alone falls short. | NMSA 1978 §§ 14-14A-16(A), 14-14A-2(L) |
| New York | Optional. Still required: name, signature, Notary Public State of New York, qualifying county, expiration date, venue. | No size or shape; black ink; embosser not addressed. | N.Y. Exec. Law § 137 |
| North Carolina | Required. Name as commissioned, Notary Public, county with County or Co., North Carolina, N.C. or NC. | Circle of 1.5 to 2 in. or 1 by 2.5 in. rectangle; no ink color; embosser unsettled. | G.S. 10B-37(b) |
| North Dakota | Name and expiration date as on the commission, Notary Public, State of North Dakota, in a border. | Circle to 1 5/8 in. or 7/8 by 2 5/8 in. rectangle; no ink color; act silent on embossers. | N.D. Cent. Code § 44-06.1-16(1) |
| Ohio | Required. State coat of arms, notary public or notarial seal around it, State of Ohio, name. | Circle of 3/4 to 1 in.; no ink color; embosser valid alone. | Ohio Rev. Code § 147.04 |
| Oklahoma | Required. Name, Notary Public, State of Oklahoma. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser or inked rubber stamp, or an electronic seal by rule. | 49 O.S. § 5(A) |
| Oregon | Required. Official Stamp, printed name, state seal, Notary Public, Oregon, Commission No., expiration date. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser only as an extra. | OAR 160-100-0100(1) |
| Pennsylvania | Required, as a rubber stamp. Commonwealth line, Notary Seal, name and Notary Public, county, expiration date, seven-digit ID. | Up to 1 by 3.5 in., plain border; no ink color; embosser only as an extra. | 57 Pa.C.S. § 317(1) |
| Puerto Rico | Required. No wording prescribed; the impression matches your specimen registered with the Supreme Court's Secretary. | No size, shape or ink rule; embosser not addressed. | Ley Notarial Arts. 7 and 8 |
| Rhode Island | Required. Name as commissioned, NOTARY PUBLIC, RHODE ISLAND, in an edge border. | Round or rectangular, no size; no ink color; embosser a full alternative, one condition. | R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-30.1-13(1) |
| South Carolina | Required. Notary public, State of South Carolina, name; no county or date. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser a full alternative. | S.C. Code § 26-1-5(18) |
| South Dakota | Name, South Dakota, notary public; a rubber stamp adds Seal and a border. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser a complete substitute. | SDCL § 18-1-3.1 |
| Tennessee | Required. Name on top, electing county on the bottom, Tennessee Notary Public legend in the center. | Circle, no diameter; any legible ink but black or yellow, copying black; a blind emboss alone fails the copy test. | Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1360-07-02-.01 |
| Texas | Required on every act. Five-pointed star, Notary Public, State of Texas, expiration date, ID number, name. | Circle to 2 in. or 1 by 2.5 in. rectangle, serrated or milled edge; no ink color; a blind emboss fails the copy test. | Tex. Gov't Code § 406.013(a), (b) |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Required: blue ink stamp and embosser. Name, NOTARY PUBLIC, NP number, expiration date, judicial district. | No size or shape; blue ink; embosser needed in addition. | 3 V.I.C. § 827(1) |
| Utah | Name and commission number as commissioned, state of Utah, notary public, expiration line, great seal. | Rectangle to 1 by 2.5 in.; purple ink in person, black for remote acts; embosser only as an extra. | Utah Code § 46-1-16(3)(b) |
| Vermont | Optional. If used: Notary Public, Vermont, commission number, name as signed on your oath. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser may fully replace the stamp. | Vt. Admin. Code Rule 5-3(b)(iii)(B) |
| Virginia | Required on paper documents. Name as commissioned, Notary Public, Commonwealth of Virginia. | No size, shape or ink color; embosser no substitute, as it will not photocopy. | 2024 Notary Handbook |
| Washington | Name as commissioned, commission number, expiration date, notary public, state of Washington. | Minimums of 1 5/8 in. round or 1 by 1 5/8 in. rectangular; no ink color; embosser a supplement. | RCW 42.45.150(1) |
| West Virginia | Required. Name, an address, expiration date, Official Seal, Notary Public, State of West Virginia. | Bordered rectangle to 1 by 2.5 in.; any ink color; embosser only as an extra. | W. Va. Code § 39-4-17(1) |
| Wisconsin | Required. Name with full legal surname, Notary Public, State of Wisconsin. | No size, shape or ink color; imprint must copy; embosser a full alternative. | Wis. Stat. § 140.17(1m) |
| Wyoming | Required. Name as on the certificate, ID number, Notary Public, State of Wyoming, expiration line. | Bordered rectangle about 1 by 2.5 in.; blue or black ink; embosser cannot replace the stamp. | Wyo. Stat. § 32-3-116(a)(ii)(D) |
Two companion tables cover the rest of a notary's paperwork: notary journal requirements in all 54 jurisdictions and remote online notarization and the electronic notary seal by state. Terms such as jurat and commission are defined in the seal and stamp glossary.
What wording do notary seals share from state to state?
Forty-three of the 54 rows call for the same three items: your name, the words Notary Public and the name of the state or territory. Alabama, Oklahoma and South Carolina ask for nothing beyond that trio. Puerto Rico prescribes no wording at all.
Your name is often tied to a specific document. Georgia and Indiana match it to the commission certificate, Kansas to the commission application, Delaware to the Secretary of State's file, Arkansas to your official signature, and Vermont to the name you signed on your oath of office.
Several of the remaining rows vary the three items. Iowa's legend reads Notarial Seal and Iowa, and Nebraska's reads State of Nebraska, General Notary. Arizona, California and Minnesota list a state seal image rather than a written state line, and Maryland lists a county instead.
Which states add a commission number, county or state emblem?
Twenty-three rows put a commission or identification number on the face, including Florida, Illinois and Texas. Eleven add a county, and eight carry a state seal or coat of arms, such as Arizona's great seal and Ohio's coat of arms.
The expiration date is more common still: 37 rows call for the date or an expiration line. Alabama, Rhode Island and South Carolina leave it off their required lists, and a few states bend the rule, as the FAQ below explains.
County lines appear in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, but the county differs: the county holding your bond in Arkansas, your county of residence in Maryland and the county whose legislative body elected you in Tennessee. The state emblem group is Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon and Utah; Texas uses a five-pointed star instead.
Which jurisdictions make the notary stamp optional?
Seven: Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, New York and Vermont. Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine and Vermont still fix the wording of any stamp you decide to use, and the other three require set details on the record with or without a stamp.
Michigan's block adds the act date and, when you work outside your county of commission, an acting county line. New York's six required details include your signature and the venue of the act, with the printed ones in black ink.
Of the other 47, 37 rows say plainly that a seal or stamp is required, though California allows two narrow exceptions and Missouri applies the rule to paper acts. The remaining 10 set out what the seal must show without a separate statement on use.
What states require an embossed notary seal?
Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands are the two that require an embosser, and both want it in addition to an inked stamp, never instead of it. The District of Columbia builds its seal around an embosser. No other row makes one mandatory.
In Guam the inked stamp is black and sits inside a rectangular border. The Virgin Islands stamp is inked in blue and names your judicial district, St. Croix or St. Thomas and St. John. An order for either territory is two devices, not one. The District's seal is circular, and its border may not exceed 1.75 inches.
Where can an embosser replace the inked stamp, and where is it barred?
Sixteen jurisdictions accept an embossed seal in place of the inked stamp, among them Alabama, Maryland, New Hampshire and Ohio. Colorado and Hawaii bar embossers outright, and 22 others allow one only beside the inked stamp or rule it out as the sole seal.
The full substitute group is Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin. Two carry conditions: an Arkansas embosser has to be inked, and Rhode Island attaches one condition to the choice.
The extra only group, where an embosser may sit beside the inked stamp but never replace it, is Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and West Virginia. Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, Virginia and Wyoming rule the embosser out as the seal itself; Kansas calls it decoration only.
Tennessee and Texas permit embossing, but a blind emboss alone fails their copy tests. Kentucky contemplates an embosser for tangible records, Louisiana and Massachusetts permit one, and six rows, including Connecticut and Puerto Rico, say nothing either way.
What ink color does each state require for a notary stamp?
Thirteen jurisdictions restrict ink color. Delaware, Florida, Guam, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York call for black; Arkansas, Montana and Wyoming allow blue or black; the U.S. Virgin Islands wants blue; Utah wants purple in person; Tennessee bans black; Arizona asks for dark ink.
Eight of those rules sit in statute: Arkansas, Florida, Guam, Massachusetts, Montana, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming. The other five rows cite a state or territorial office as the source: Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Utah switches to black for remote acts. Tennessee accepts any legible color but black or yellow, provided a non-color copier turns the impression black, and Massachusetts applies black only where the seal uses ink.
The other 41 rows name no ink color. West Virginia says outright that color is your choice, while Nevada wants indelible ink that reproduces photographically and New Mexico wants permanent ink that photocopies, with no color named.
Which states require an impression that copies clearly?
Nine rows set a reproduction standard: Florida, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. An uninked emboss does not photocopy, so New Mexico treats an embosser alone as falling short on paper and Virginia refuses one as a substitute.
Mississippi's device must leave the document legible when copied, filmed or scanned. Georgia and North Carolina state plainly that no reproduction standard applies.
How do notary stamp sizes and shapes compare?
Eighteen rows give dimensions, and 10 of them use a 1 by 2.5 inch rectangle, among them Nevada and Illinois. Pennsylvania allows 3.5 inches of width, Ohio's circle is 3/4 to 1 inch, and Washington sets minimums rather than maximums.
That 1 by 2.5 inch rectangle is the cap in Alaska, California, Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas, Utah and West Virginia, and the approximate size in Montana and Wyoming. Minnesota caps its rectangle at 3/4 by 2.5 inches and North Dakota at 7/8 by 2 5/8 inches, while Arizona allows any shape up to 1.5 by 2.5 inches. Round seals run up to 2 inches in Alaska, California and Texas, 1.5 to 2 inches in North Carolina, 1 to 2 inches in Hawaii and no more than 1.75 inches in the District of Columbia. Washington wants at least 1 5/8 inches round or 1 by 1 5/8 inches rectangular.
Shape without size. Colorado and Guam fix a rectangle and Tennessee a circle without measurements, while Idaho, Maine, Missouri and Rhode Island accept round or rectangular. The other 29 rows set neither size nor shape.
How fast must a lost or stolen notary stamp be reported?
Ten days is the most common deadline, set in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey and North Carolina. Illinois wants notice the next business day and Florida immediately, while Washington allows ten business days and Colorado 30 days.
Several rows add steps. Missouri attaches a police report to the notice, and Texas wants one when the seal was stolen, plus a replacement seal before you act again. Utah wants law enforcement told right away, and Arizona sets a $1,000 civil penalty for a late report.
Sixteen rows require notice with no day count, including Iowa, Kansas, Maryland and Wisconsin, and Rhode Island's wording is permissive. The remaining 23 either say no reporting rule exists or do not cover the point, among them Alabama, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio.
What changes after a new name or address?
Thirty days is the usual notice window, stated in 20 rows including Colorado, Ohio and Pennsylvania. New York allows five days, Rhode Island and Wisconsin ten, the District of Columbia 15, North Carolina and South Carolina 45, and Florida and North Dakota 60.
Some changes also mean a new stamp. California gives you 30 days from filing an amended oath and bond to get a new seal, Kansas wants a new stamp and specimens of it before your next act after a name change, Massachusetts calls for a new seal when your name changes, and Guam calls for one after a move.
How long does a notary commission run, and does renewal need a new stamp?
Four years is the most common term, stated in 20 rows including Illinois, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Arkansas and South Carolina run ten years, Indiana eight, Massachusetts seven, and Vermont two. Louisiana and Puerto Rico set no term at all.
Five-year terms apply in the District of Columbia, New Hampshire, Ohio and West Virginia, six-year terms in Idaho, South Dakota and Wyoming, and Iowa residents get three years.
A new stamp at renewal is required in Arizona, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wyoming, and each New Hampshire term puts a new date on the face. In Hawaii renewal alone does not call for a replacement seal, and North Carolina lets a notary recommissioned within three months keep the old seal while its details still match.
What should you have ready before ordering a notary stamp?
Have your commission paperwork in hand, since rows such as Georgia, Indiana and Wyoming tie the printed name to the commission certificate. List every number, county and date your row requires, then check its shape, size limit, ink and embosser rule.
Some orders need more than one item. Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands call for a stamp and an embosser, and Utah's in-person and remote acts use different ink colors. A Pennsylvania seal has to be a rubber stamp, and Oregon spells out the month in the expiration date.
Commission terms and what to do with a stamp that is lost, stolen or past its date are covered in how long a notary stamp is good for.
Frequently asked questions
Can the expiration date be left blank on a notary stamp?
In a few states, yes. A Kansas stamp carries a blank space where you write the date in by hand, and Iowa lets the My Commission Expires line hold either the printed date or nothing. Maryland lets the date come off the stamp when your notarial certificate shows it instead.
Which states require a serrated or milled border?
California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota and Texas. Pennsylvania calls for a plain border, and Colorado, Guam, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming require a border or outline without naming a serrated or milled edge.
Can the state name be abbreviated on a notary stamp?
Georgia accepts GA, and North Carolina accepts N.C. or NC and lets the county line read Co. Alabama and Maine accept the state name alone, without State of. Massachusetts accepts Massachusetts or Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Virginia's line reads Commonwealth of Virginia.
Why does a California notary seal carry a vendor number?
California lists a seal vendor identification number among the six required elements. It identifies who made the seal rather than the notary, so the manufacturer sets it, not you.
What controls the design of a Puerto Rico notary seal?
Your registered specimen, filed with the Secretary of the Supreme Court. Neither the Ley Notarial nor the Reglamento Notarial sets wording, size, shape or ink for the sello, and your working impression has to reproduce that facsimile. Notario Público and Puerto Rico with your name is customary lettering, not a codified rule.
What does a Louisiana notary show instead of a seal?
Your name plus the state-assigned notary identification number, typed, printed legibly or stamped. An attorney notary may give a bar roll number in its place.
With your row checked, browse our notary stamps and have your commission details ready so the name, numbers and dates on the order match your state's rule.
