AR Notary AR-Notary Official Seal and Stamping Device Requirements 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A newly commissioned Arkansas notary orders a rubber stamp seal. Which element is NOT required to appear on the seal?
- The notary's home street address (Correct answer)
- The words "Notary Public"
- The name of the state (Arkansas)
- The notary's commission number
Correct answer: The notary's home street address
Arkansas seals require the notary's name, "Notary Public," the state, county, commission number, and expiration date, but never a street address.
Question 2: The name shown on an Arkansas notary's seal must match what?
- The name exactly as it appears on the notary's commission (Correct answer)
- The notary's nickname used at work
- Any legal alias the notary has ever used
- The notary's maiden name only
Correct answer: The name exactly as it appears on the notary's commission
The seal must display the notary's name exactly as it appears on the commission issued by the Secretary of State.
Question 3: Which county must appear on the seal of an Arkansas resident notary?
- The county of the notary's residence (Correct answer)
- The county where the seal vendor is located
- Pulaski County in all cases
- The county where the document is notarized
Correct answer: The county of the notary's residence
A resident notary's seal shows the county of residence stated on the commission, not the county where any particular notarization occurs.
Question 4: An out-of-state resident who is commissioned as an Arkansas notary because they work in Arkansas should show which county on the seal?
- The Arkansas county of their employment (Correct answer)
- Their home county in the neighboring state
- No county at all
- Whichever county they visit most often
Correct answer: The Arkansas county of their employment
Nonresident notaries commissioned through Arkansas employment list the Arkansas county of employment on their commission and seal.
Question 5: What is the main legal requirement for the physical impression made by an Arkansas notary's embossing seal?
- It must be capable of photographic reproduction (Correct answer)
- It must be at least three inches wide
- It must be applied in red wax
- It must be raised at least one centimeter
Correct answer: It must be capable of photographic reproduction
Arkansas law requires the seal impression, including an embossment, to be legible and capable of photographic (photocopy) reproduction.
Question 6: Which of the following is a permitted format for an Arkansas notary seal?
- Either a rubber ink stamp or an embosser (Correct answer)
- Only a metal embosser
- Only a handwritten facsimile
- Only a pre-printed sticker from the Secretary of State
Correct answer: Either a rubber ink stamp or an embosser
Arkansas allows the official seal to be either an ink stamp or an embossing device, provided the required information is present and reproducible.
Question 7: Who is responsible for procuring the official seal after a notary receives an Arkansas commission?
- The notary, at the notary's own arrangement and expense (Correct answer)
- The Secretary of State mails one automatically
- The county clerk manufactures it
- The notary's surety bond company
Correct answer: The notary, at the notary's own arrangement and expense
The state does not supply seals; the notary must obtain a compliant seal from a vendor after commissioning.
AR Notary AR-Notary Official Seal and Stamping Device Requirements 2
A newly commissioned Arkansas notary orders a rubber stamp seal.
Which element is NOT required to appear on the seal?