An Arkansas notary seal must carry your commission number, your commission expiration date, your name in the form of your official signature, the county that holds your bond filing, and the fixed terms notary public and Arkansas. The statute limits the ink to blue or black. An inked embosser may take the place of a rubber stamp. Below: wording, ink, devices, the ten-year term, notices and ordering.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against A.C.A. § 21-14-107(b)(2) and The Arkansas Secretary of State, with a $7,500 surety bond filed with the county recorder. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Written the same way as your official signature. | A.C.A. § 21-14-107(b)(2) |
| County | The county in which your bond is on file. | A.C.A. § 21-14-107(b)(2) |
| Fixed words | notary public, and Arkansas. | A.C.A. § 21-14-107(b)(2) |
| Expiration and number | The date your commission ends, and the commission number the Secretary of State assigned you. | A.C.A. § 21-14-107(b)(2) |
| Size and shape | Neither a dimension nor a shape is set. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Ink color | Blue or black only, fixed by statute. | Arkansas notary statute |
| Embosser | A full substitute for a rubber stamp, provided it is inked. | Arkansas Secretary of State |
| Term and renewal timing | Ten years; the new application is due 60 calendar days before expiration, not after it. | Arkansas Secretary of State |
| Name or address change | Tell the Secretary of State and your county's circuit clerk within 30 calendar days. | Arkansas Secretary of State |
| Lost or stolen seal | No reporting deadline is stated. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
If you are still applying, read how to become a notary in Arkansas for the qualifications, fees and filing steps.
To compare Arkansas with every other jurisdiction, see our table of notary seal requirements by state.
What wording does an Arkansas notary seal need?
A.C.A. § 21-14-107(b)(2) lists the content. Two items are fixed words, notary public and Arkansas. The rest are yours: your name written as you sign officially, your bond county, your commission number from the Secretary of State and your expiration date.
The personal items come from your own paperwork, so the proof check centers on them: the signature form of your name, the bond county and the commission details. The fixed words are the same on every Arkansas seal. Our quick guide to Arkansas notary supplies and stamps covers the same list from the buying side.
Why does an Arkansas seal name a county?
Because an Arkansas commission rests on a bond. The Secretary of State commissions you, your $7,500 surety bond goes on file with the county recorder, and the seal has to identify the county holding that filing.
Take the county from your bond filing, not from your home or office address. They may well be the same county, but the rule points to the bond. If your bond county ever changes, the county line on the seal changes with it.
Which ink colors can an Arkansas notary use?
Blue or black, and nothing else. Arkansas writes the ink color into its notary statute, so an impression in red, green or purple falls outside the rule no matter which device produced it.
Settle the color when you order. A self-inking stamp arrives with its ink loaded, and any ink you add later should match the color you chose.
Can an embosser replace the rubber stamp in Arkansas?
Yes, with one condition. In Arkansas an embosser can stand in completely for a rubber stamp, as a full substitute, but the embossed seal has to be inked. A dry, uninked raised impression does not meet the requirement.
Because the ink rule also applies, an inked embosser should print in blue or black just as a stamp would. If you prefer a raised seal, plan on inking every impression. Our article on choosing an Arkansas notary stamp has more on picking a device.
Is there a required size or shape?
No. Arkansas sets no dimensions and no shape for the notary seal. The practical limit comes from the content: every required item, including a county name and a commission number, has to fit and stay legible in the space you choose.
A seal that crowds its lines to stay small is harder to read on a copy. Choose a size that keeps the name and number clear at actual size.
When should you file for a new ten-year commission?
Before the old one runs out. Arkansas commissions last ten years, and the new application is due 60 calendar days before your current commission expires, not in the 60 days after it. That timing is where renewals most often go wrong.
Your expiration date is part of the required wording, so a seal made for the old term shows the wrong date once the new commission starts. Order the new seal from the new commission's details rather than guessing the date.
Who needs to hear about a name or address change?
Two offices, both within 30 calendar days: your county's circuit clerk and the Secretary of State. Telling only one of them leaves the other notice outstanding, so send both at the same time.
A new name also affects the seal, because the name line has to match the way you write your official signature. An address change alone does not alter the required wording unless it changes your bond county.
What happens if your Arkansas seal is lost or stolen?
Arkansas sets no deadline for reporting a lost or stolen seal. The loss does carry an unusual consequence, though, and it is worth planning for before you order a replacement.
This page does not describe that consequence. Because the Secretary of State issues your commission and your commission number, which the seal must show, confirm with that office what a loss means for your record before the new seal is made.
What do you need in hand to order?
Your name as you sign officially, your bond county, your commission number and expiration date, an ink choice of blue or black, and a decision between a rubber stamp and an inked embosser.
Copy the commission details straight from your commission paperwork. For the wider range of supplies a notary keeps on hand, see our piece on quality Arkansas notary supplies.
How do you check the impression before first use?
Stamp a test sheet and compare each line with your paperwork: the signature form of your name, the bond county, the commission number, the expiration date, and the fixed words notary public and Arkansas. Then confirm the ink is blue or black.
Photocopy the test sheet as well. If the county or the number blurs on the copy, fix it before the seal goes on a certificate.
Frequently asked questions
Should the name match my signature or my full legal name?
Your signature. The statute ties the name line to the way you write your official signature, so use that exact form, including any initial you sign with.
Does a self-inking stamp meet the Arkansas rule?
Yes. A self-inking rubber stamp is a rubber stamp, which Arkansas accepts as the seal. Load it with blue or black ink and make sure every required item fits.
Can I leave the expiration date off the seal and write it on the certificate?
No. The expiration date is one of the items the seal itself must show, so it belongs on the seal.
Does Arkansas prefer a round or a rectangular seal?
Neither. No shape or dimension is set, so either works as long as every required item is legible and prints in blue or black.
Do I need a new seal if I move within Arkansas?
No address appears on the seal, so a move affects it only if your bond county changes. Either way, report the change to your circuit clerk and the Secretary of State within 30 calendar days.
Once your commission details are confirmed, pick a blue or black ink stamp or an inked embosser from our Arkansas stamps and seals collection.
