An Ohio notary seal is required before you take on any official duty, and it is built around the state coat of arms. The emblem sits in a circle of three quarters to one inch, ringed by the wording the statute names, with "State of Ohio" and your name. An embosser is allowed outright as an alternative. This page covers the wording, the circle, the device choice and renewal.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against Ohio Rev. Code § 147.04 and the Ohio Secretary of State, who since 2019 has handled applications, education, testing and records centrally rather than through the county courts. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes. A commissioned notary in Ohio holds a seal. | Ohio Rev. Code § 147.04 |
| Coat of arms | The coat of arms of the State of Ohio is the center of the design, held inside a circle of three quarters to one inch in diameter. | Ohio Rev. Code § 147.04 |
| Wording around the emblem | The words "notary public" or "notarial seal", or wording to that effect, run around the circle. | Ohio Rev. Code § 147.04 |
| State and name | The words "State of Ohio" and the name of the notary public both appear. | Ohio Rev. Code § 147.04 |
| Circle size | Three quarters of an inch to one inch across, measured on the circle holding the emblem. | Ohio Rev. Code § 147.04 |
| Ink color | Nothing in Ohio notary law specifies a color. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Embosser | Allowed in full. A seal may be one that puts ink on the page or one that raises an impression in it, so an embosser on its own is valid here. | Ohio Rev. Code § 147.04 |
| Commission term | Five years, with one exception: commissions held by Ohio attorneys in good standing do not expire. | Ohio Secretary of State, Ohio notary law |
| Name or address change | Tell the Secretary of State within 30 days. | Ohio Secretary of State, Ohio notary law |
| Lost or stolen device | Not addressed for a physical seal. No deadline and no reporting duty appear in the cited rules. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
Before you can order this stamp you need a commission; how to become a notary in Ohio walks through eligibility, costs and the application.
To compare Ohio with every other jurisdiction, see our table of notary seal requirements by state.
Does Ohio require a notary seal?
Yes, and the duty attaches before you act rather than after. A seal is obtained as part of taking up the commission, so the device is a condition of practicing rather than a convenience bought later.
That order matters when a commission is issued close to a closing or a court deadline. Why the Ohio notary stamp is worth having in hand early covers the practical side of that timing.
What has to appear on the face of the seal?
Four things, and the first is unusual. Ohio builds the design around the state coat of arms rather than around text alone, which is why a generic die cut for another state cannot be adapted.
- The Ohio coat of arms, set inside a circle of three quarters to one inch
- Wording around that circle reading "notary public" or "notarial seal", or to that effect
- "State of Ohio" in words
- Your name as commissioned
Each of those four comes from the same section, so none is optional. A fuller list of Ohio notary seal requirements works through how the elements sit together on one impression.
How large is the required circle?
Three quarters of an inch at the smallest and one inch at the largest. The measurement applies to the circle carrying the coat of arms, and it is the only dimension the statute states.
Because the emblem has fine detail, a die at the lower end of that range asks a lot of the artwork and the pad. An impression that closes up in the middle is the usual result of pushing detail into too small a circle.
Can an embosser be used instead of an inked stamp?
Yes. Ohio treats the two as alternatives: a seal may be one that puts ink on the page, or one that raises an impression in it. An embosser on its own is valid here, which is not the case in most states.
Valid is not the same as practical. A raised impression carries no ink, so it does not survive a photocopy, a scan or an electronic filing, and anything headed for a recorder or a lender is safer with an inked impression. Keeping both is the common answer.
Which ink color does Ohio notary law set?
None. Nothing in Ohio notary law specifies a color for the seal. The statute that sets the design is silent on the pad, so the choice sits with you and with whoever receives the document.
The practical limit is legibility rather than law. A dark impression reproduces; a pale one loses the finer lines of the emblem first, and that is the part a reviewer looks at.
How long does an Ohio commission run?
Five years. The term is the interval that governs renewal planning, and the seal itself carries no date under the elements the statute lists, so the die does not go stale merely because the term rolls over.
Dates on a notarial certificate are a separate matter from dates on the seal. How expiration dates work on an Ohio notary seal sets out where each date belongs.
Do attorney commissions work differently?
Yes. Commissions held by Ohio attorneys in good standing do not expire, so the five year term does not apply to them. The seal requirements are the same either way.
That exception changes the renewal calendar, not the artwork. An attorney notary orders the same four elements as anyone else.
What has to be reported when a name or address changes?
A change of name or address goes to the Secretary of State within 30 days. A name change reaches the die as well, because your name is one of the four required elements on the face.
An address change does not. No address appears on an Ohio seal, so a move within the state leaves the impression accurate and only the notice is due. The statutory ground under Ohio notary stamp law covers the duties that follow the commission rather than the device.
What do the rules say if the seal is lost or stolen?
Nothing. Loss or theft of a physical seal is not addressed in the cited rules, which set no reporting deadline and no notice requirement. Ohio is unusual in leaving the point open.
Silence is not a reason to do nothing. A missing die in someone else's hands is a forgery risk, so report a theft to local law enforcement and order a replacement rather than working around it.
What should I send when ordering an Ohio notary seal?
Your name exactly as the commission carries it, and the wording you want around the emblem. Everything else on the face is fixed by statute, so the order is short.
- Your name as commissioned
- Whether the ring should read "notary public" or "notarial seal"
- Whether you want an inked stamp, an embosser, or one of each
The coat of arms and the circle come from the statutory design rather than from you. A plainer walk through Ohio notary stamp requirements is useful if you are ordering for the first time.
How do I check the impression before using it?
Stamp a blank sheet, then copy and scan that sheet and read the copy. The copy is what a recorder, a lender or a court will actually hold, and it shows up weak inking faster than the original does.
Check that the emblem is clean in the middle, that the ring wording is unbroken, and that your name matches the commission letter for letter. Layout notes appear in the Ohio notary public seal guidelines.
Frequently asked questions
Is a rectangular Ohio notary stamp acceptable?
The circle is the only form the statute names, and it is the circle that has to hold the coat of arms at three quarters to one inch. Anything outside that description is not something the cited text authorizes.
Does my commission expiration date belong on the seal?
It is not among the four elements the statute lists. The seal carries the emblem, the surrounding wording, the state and your name, and dates belong with the notarial certificate instead.
Does my commission number belong on the seal?
No commission number appears in the required elements either. Adding one is not something the cited section calls for, and a shorter face leaves more room for a legible emblem.
Do I need a new seal when my commission is renewed?
Nothing on the required face changes at renewal, since no date and no number are part of it. A renewal on its own therefore does not force a new die, while a name change does.
Can I use the same seal for work in another state?
No. The Ohio design is built on the state coat of arms and the words "State of Ohio", so it describes an Ohio commission and nothing else.
Is an embosser enough on its own for recorded documents?
It is valid under the statute, but a raised impression does not photocopy or scan. For anything that will be recorded, copied or filed electronically, an inked impression is the safer choice.
Order from your commission letter, and see the range of Ohio notary stamps and seals when you are ready to have the die cut.
