Missouri requires a notary seal on paper notarial acts, and the die carries seven elements: State of Missouri, Notary Public, Notary Seal, your name as the commission states it, your commission identification number, an expiration line, and a rectangular or circular border. No overall size is set. This page covers the wording, the devices allowed, and what to send when you order.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against RSMo § 486.730.1 and the Missouri Secretary of State, through the Commissions unit. Sources read September 2026. Updated 8 November 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal required | Yes, on paper notarial acts. | RSMo § 486.730.1 |
| Required wording | Your name as the commission states it; the commission identification number; the words Notary Public; the words Notary Seal; the words State of Missouri; the line My commission expires followed by the date. | RSMo § 486.730.1 |
| Border | A border must surround the required words. | RSMo § 486.730.1 |
| Shape | Rectangular or circular. | RSMo § 486.730.1 |
| Overall size | No dimensions at all are set. | RSMo § 486.730.1 (no dimension stated) |
| Ink color | Not addressed in the notary act. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Embosser | A supplement only. An embossed impression that does not reproduce photographically may be used alongside the official seal, never in its place. | RSMo § 486.730, embossed impression subsection |
| Devices per commission | Each commission gets one official seal, and on request one embossing seal at most. | Missouri seal vendor rules |
| Commission term | Four years. | Missouri notary act; Secretary of State, Commissions unit |
| Lost or stolen seal | A firm ten day deadline, and a police report goes with the notice. | Missouri notary act; Secretary of State, Commissions unit |
To compare Missouri with every other jurisdiction, see our table of notary seal requirements by state.
What must a Missouri notary seal show?
A border around six lines of text. Two lines are yours: the name as the commission states it and the commission identification number. Fixed wording fills the rest: Notary Public, Notary Seal, State of Missouri, plus My commission expires followed by your date.
A border has to surround those words. Nothing further is named in the cited provision, so a Missouri die is a short and predictable layout once the two variable lines are settled. The element list sits beside sample layouts on Missouri notary seal requirements and the errors that cause reorders.
Does Missouri set a size or a shape for the seal?
Missouri names a shape but no measurements. The border must be rectangular or circular. There are no overall dimensions at all in the cited rules, which means no maximum height, no maximum width and no stated minimum.
Size is therefore a practical question rather than a legal one. Seven elements crowded into a small die run together at full ink coverage, so we set Missouri rectangles and circles at a width that keeps each line separate. Tell us if a form you use has a tight signature block and we will fit the layout to it.
Which device may a Missouri notary use?
The inked stamp is the official seal. An embossed impression that does not reproduce photographically may be used alongside it and never in place of it, so an embosser in Missouri is an addition rather than a choice between two devices.
The vendor rules point the same way: one official seal per commission, plus a single embossing seal where one is asked for. Order the two together when you want both, so the wording on each device is set from the same source and reads identically.
Is an ink color set for Missouri notary seals?
No. The notary act does not address ink color, so the cited rules leave the choice to you and to whoever accepts the finished document.
Black remains the usual default because it scans and photocopies without argument. If an office you file with has asked for a particular color, say so at the order stage and we will supply a pad to match rather than sending the standard one.
How many devices may one Missouri commission hold?
One official seal, plus a single embossing seal on request. The cited rules make no provision for a second official stamp, so the one die has to be right.
Keep that in mind before comparing formats. Missouri notary seal buying guidelines sets out the trade-offs among an embosser, a hand stamp and a self-inking stamp.
Who commissions Missouri notaries, and how long is a term?
The Missouri Secretary of State commissions notaries through the Commissions unit, and terms run four years. Your commission identification number and expiration date both appear on the seal, so both are tied to that four year cycle.
First time applicants who have not yet been issued a number will find the sequence set out on how the Missouri notary application works. Wait for the commission paperwork before ordering, because two of the six lines come straight off it.
When does a Missouri notary need a new seal?
At the start of each new commission. The seal carries the commission identification number and the expiration date, and both belong to the commission that issued them, so a renewed commission calls for a die stating the new ones.
Work from the new certificate rather than from an old impression when you reorder. Copying a previous stamp carries the previous number forward, and that is the single most common reason a renewal die has to be remade. Timing is covered on renewing a Missouri notary stamp.
What has to be reported after a name change?
The Secretary must receive notice of a name change by marriage or court order within ten days. The signed notice gives the old and new names, and you enclose a $5 fee plus a copy of the official authorization.
The seal shows your name as the commission states it, so the change reaches the die as well. Let the record update first and order afterward, so the stamp agrees with the name the Secretary now holds.
What happens if a Missouri notary seal is lost or stolen?
A ten day deadline applies, and a police report goes with the notice. Missouri fixes a day count rather than asking only for prompt notice, so treat the day you find the device missing as the start of the clock.
Employers who keep several notaries on staff usually write that step into their own procedure, since the device is often shared office equipment. The wider set of duties a business runs into appears on Missouri notary stamp law in a business setting.
What should you send a stamp maker?
Four items: the name exactly as commissioned, the commission identification number, the expiration date, and your pick of a rectangular or circular border. Type these out instead of sending a photo of an old impression.
We set the fixed wording (State of Missouri, Notary Seal, Notary Public) for you, so you do not have to list them. Errors happen on the variable lines, and the most common ones appear on getting a Missouri notary stamp right on the first order.
How do you check an impression before using it?
Press a test impression on plain paper and read it against your commission certificate line by line. Check the name character by character, the number digit by digit, and the expiration date in full, including the year.
Then look at the border. It should close on all four sides of a rectangle, or run unbroken on a circle, with no text touching it. If anything reads wrong, stop and tell us before the die goes anywhere near a certificate.
Frequently asked questions
Does a county name belong on a Missouri notary seal?
No. The cited provision lists your name, the commission identification number, three fixed phrases, the expiration line and a border. A county is not among them, so it is not a required element of the seal.
Is a circular seal treated differently from a rectangular one?
No. The rule allows a border in either shape and draws no distinction between the two. Choose on the basis of the space on the forms you sign, not on any difference in standing.
Does moving to a different Missouri county mean a new seal?
The face of the seal does not change, because no county appears among the required elements. A move affects your record with the Secretary rather than the wording on the die.
Does the $5 fee apply to anything besides a name change?
The fee named in the cited rules attaches to the name change notice, alongside the signed statement of the former and new name and a copy of the official authorization. No other fee is named there.
Is there a deadline for reporting a change of address?
In the cited rules, the ten day deadline applies to a name change by marriage or court order. For an address change, the rules give no day count.
What should I do with the old seal when a commission ends?
The rules read for this page do not address disposal of a retired Missouri seal. They are silent on the point, so nothing here sets a method or a deadline for it.
When your commission paperwork is in hand, send the four variable details with your order from the Missouri notary stamps and seals range and we will set the required wording around them.
