After your state commissions you as a notary, you buy your own stamp. The Secretary of State issues the commission but does not supply the seal, so you order it yourself from one of three places: a specialized online notary supply company, a major office supply retailer, or a professional notary organization such as the National Notary Association. Most stamps run between $15 and $40, and delivery is usually under a week once the vendor has what it needs.
The Three Places to Buy a Notary Stamp
Online Notary Supply Companies
Specialized notary vendors are the most common source, and for most new notaries they are the easiest. Their order forms are built around state notary requirements, so the fields prompt you for exactly the information your state’s seal must carry. Many pre-load your state’s specifications into the ordering process, which cuts down on errors. They also tend to carry the related items you may need at the same time, including journals, certificate forms, and ink refills matched to the stamp they sold you.
Office Supply Retailers
Major office supply chains sell custom notary stamps both online and in stores. The appeal is convenience, especially if you want to walk in and place the order in person. The caution is that a generic custom-stamp tool may not prompt you for every element your state requires. Before you check out, confirm the retailer’s notary option asks for your commission number and expiration date, and that it offers the shape and ink color your state mandates.
Professional Notary Organizations
The National Notary Association and similar groups sell stamps through their websites, often bundled with other supplies. If you are already buying a membership or completing required education through one of these organizations, adding the stamp to the same order simplifies things. Starter kits from these vendors typically include a stamp, journal, and other essentials in a single purchase, usually at a modest discount compared to buying each piece on its own.
Confirm What Your State Requires Before You Order
Every state mandates certain information on the seal, and a stamp that does not comply can invalidate your notarizations. Look up your state’s specific requirements in its notary handbook before placing an order. Most states require:
- Your full legal name exactly as it appears on your commission certificate
- The words “Notary Public”
- Your state of commission
- Your commission number
- Your commission expiration date
Some states go further. Your state may dictate ink color, with black most commonly required and blue allowed in some places. It may require a rectangular or circular shape, a specific border, or the county where you were commissioned. A few states require or allow an embosser seal in addition to or instead of an ink stamp. Getting any of these details wrong means ordering a replacement at your own expense.
Have your commission certificate in front of you when you order. Enter your name exactly as it appears on the commission, down to the middle name versus middle initial. Minor discrepancies between the stamp and the commission record can raise questions about every document you notarize.
States That Require a Certificate of Authorization
A handful of states will not let a vendor manufacture your stamp until you present an authorization certificate from the Secretary of State. California and Oregon require notaries to present an original authorization certificate to the stamp vendor before the seal can be produced. North Dakota similarly prohibits stamp manufacture without a certificate of authorization from its Secretary of State. If you are commissioned in one of these states, wait for that certificate to arrive before placing your order.
Which Stamp Type to Buy
At checkout you will usually choose between three stamp types. Your state may restrict which ones you can use, so confirm this against your state’s rules before choosing.
Self-inking stamps have a built-in ink pad and a spring mechanism that re-inks the die between impressions. They are the popular choice for notaries who stamp frequently, because a single press produces an impression. A typical self-inking stamp lasts around 10,000 impressions before needing new ink. The ink is water-based and can smudge on glossy paper.
Pre-inked stamps store oil-based ink in a reservoir inside the die, and the ink seeps through only at the impression area. The imprints are noticeably sharper, the stamp lasts significantly longer (often up to 50,000 impressions), and the ink works better on glossy or coated paper. The tradeoff is that refills must be the manufacturer’s specific ink.
Embosser seals press a raised impression into the paper without ink. They produce a tamper-resistant mark that is difficult to photocopy, which is why certain recording offices prefer them. Some states require an embosser in addition to an ink stamp, particularly for documents that will be recorded. Embossers are bulkier and can take an extra day or two to produce.
If your state allows a choice, pre-inked stamps are generally the best value for an active notary because of impression quality and longevity. Self-inking stamps are a sensible pick for someone who notarizes less often and wants simple operation.
What Delivery Looks Like
Most vendors ship standard notary stamp orders within two business days of receiving your information. Embosser seals sometimes take an extra day or two. Total delivery is typically under a week. One point that catches new notaries off guard: you cannot perform any notarizations until the physical stamp is in your hands, even if your commission is technically active. A notarization without the required seal is defective in most states and could expose you to liability.
Inspect the Stamp When It Arrives
Make a test impression on blank paper and compare every detail against your commission certificate. Check your name character by character, verify the commission number, and confirm the expiration date. Even reputable vendors occasionally make errors, and catching one before you notarize your first document is far less painful than discovering it after twenty documents are in circulation.
If anything is wrong, contact the vendor immediately. Most will expedite a corrected replacement at no charge if the error was theirs. Do not use a stamp with incorrect information, even if the error looks minor. An inconsistency between your stamp and your commission record can raise questions about the validity of every document you authenticate with it.
Supplies You May Want to Order at the Same Time
The stamp is rarely the only thing a new notary needs. Depending on your state, you may also need a notary journal, a surety bond, and errors and omissions insurance. Roughly half of all states require notaries to keep a written journal recording each notarial act, and keeping one is sound practice even where it is optional. Most states require a surety bond before your commission becomes active, with bond amounts typically ranging from $5,000 to $15,000. The bond protects the public, not you; errors and omissions insurance is the coverage that protects you personally and is optional in most states but worth considering if you notarize often. Pre-printed certificate forms for acknowledgments and jurats round out a typical kit.
Starter bundles from notary vendors and professional organizations package these items with the stamp at a discount, which is usually the most efficient way to equip yourself in a single order.
When You Will Need to Buy Another Stamp
Your first stamp will not be your last. Plan on buying another one when:
- Your commission is renewed. A renewal brings a new commission number and expiration date, so the old stamp no longer reflects accurate information. Some states have changed their seal format requirements in recent years, so a renewal stamp may need elements the previous one did not include.
- Your legal name changes. Most states require you to notify the commissioning authority after a marriage, divorce, or court-ordered name change and obtain a new commission under the new name, which means a new stamp. In some states a name change triggers a new commission application with a fresh expiration date, canceling the previous commission.
- The stamp is damaged or worn. If impressions are no longer clear and legible, replace it. Smudged or incomplete seals get documents rejected by recording offices, courts, and financial institutions.
- You move. A new state always means a new commission and a new stamp. Moving within your state can also require a new stamp if your state includes county information on the seal.
A Note on Electronic Seals
If you are commissioned to perform remote online notarizations, the electronic seal you use for those acts is not something you order from a stamp vendor. Electronic seals rely on digital certificates and are issued through state-approved remote notarization technology platforms, which have their own approval process separate from your traditional commission. Your state’s Secretary of State website lists the approved providers. The physical stamp you order from a notary supply company covers your in-person notarizations only.