NNA Notary Seal and Stamp Requirements 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary legal purpose of a notary's official seal?
- To decorate the document and make it look official
- To authenticate the notary's official act and identify the notarizing officer (Correct answer)
- To certify the truthfulness of the document's content
- To replace the notary's signature on official documents
Correct answer: To authenticate the notary's official act and identify the notarizing officer
A notary's seal authenticates the notarial act and identifies the notary, confirming that the act was performed by a duly commissioned officer.
Question 2: Which of the following information is typically required to appear on a notary's official seal?
- The notary's home address and phone number
- The notary's name, state, and commission expiration date (Correct answer)
- The notary's Social Security number and bond amount
- The notary's employer name and business address
Correct answer: The notary's name, state, and commission expiration date
Most states require the notary's name, the state of commission, and the commission expiration date to appear on the official seal.
Question 3: What are the two most common types of notary seals used in the United States?
- Digital seal and handwritten seal
- Gold foil seal and silver foil seal
- Rubber ink stamp and embossing seal (Correct answer)
- Wax seal and adhesive seal
Correct answer: Rubber ink stamp and embossing seal
The rubber ink stamp and the embossing seal (crimp seal) are the two most common types of notary seals used in the U.S.
Question 4: When a notary's commission expires, what should the notary do with their official seal?
- Keep it as a professional memento
- Sell it to an incoming notary
- Destroy it or surrender it to the state commissioning authority (Correct answer)
- Store it in case the commission is renewed
Correct answer: Destroy it or surrender it to the state commissioning authority
Upon expiration of a commission, notaries should destroy their seal or surrender it as required by state law to prevent unauthorized use.
Question 5: A notary's ink stamp produces a faint, partially illegible impression on a document. What should the notary do?
- Apply the stamp again directly over the first impression to darken it
- Use a pen to trace over the faint letters to make them legible
- Obtain a new stamp that produces a clear, legible impression (Correct answer)
- Proceed with the notarization since the stamp was applied
Correct answer: Obtain a new stamp that produces a clear, legible impression
Notaries must ensure their seal impression is legible because an illegible seal may render a notarization defective; a new stamp should be obtained.
Question 6: Which color of ink is most widely accepted for notary rubber stamps across U.S. states?
- Red
- Blue or black (Correct answer)
- Green
- Purple
Correct answer: Blue or black
Blue or black ink is most widely accepted because it reproduces clearly on photocopies and is universally recognized as appropriate for official documents.
Question 7: If a notary's official seal is lost or stolen, what is the first action the notary should take?
- Order a replacement seal immediately and continue notarizing
- Notify the appropriate state commissioning authority and, if required, law enforcement (Correct answer)
- Post a notice in the local newspaper warning of the missing seal
- Wait 30 days before reporting to confirm it is truly lost
Correct answer: Notify the appropriate state commissioning authority and, if required, law enforcement
Notaries must promptly notify the commissioning authority (and police if stolen) to prevent fraudulent use of the seal on unauthorized documents.
NNA Notary Seal and Stamp Requirements 1
What is the primary legal purpose of a notary's official seal?