To get a notary stamp, you first have to be commissioned as a notary public by your state, and then order a stamp from a notary supply vendor using the details on your commission certificate. The stamp itself is the easy part. Qualifying for the commission — application, possibly a course or exam, a surety bond, and an oath of office — is where the time goes. From application to stamp in hand usually takes a few weeks, though it varies by state.
Get Commissioned First
Every state runs its own commissioning process, but the eligibility rules track closely. Most states require you to be at least 18 and to reside in the state where you’re applying; some will also commission a neighboring-state resident who works within their borders. U.S. citizenship is not required, though you do need to be a lawful permanent resident. Most states screen for criminal history, and a felony conviction is disqualifying in many jurisdictions.
About a third of states require education, an exam, or both before commissioning. California and North Carolina require at least six hours of classroom instruction plus an exam. New York and Louisiana require only an exam. The rest let you apply without formal training, but reading your state’s notary handbook is worth the time, since mistakes in notarial acts carry real penalties.
The application goes to your state’s commissioning authority, usually the Secretary of State. Fees run roughly $10 to $60. Most states also require a surety bond, which protects the public if you err or commit misconduct. Bond amounts are commonly $5,000 to $25,000, but the premium you actually pay is much lower, typically $35 to $180 for the full term.
Once your application is approved, you take an oath of office — sometimes at the county clerk’s office, sometimes by filing a sworn statement — and receive your commission certificate. Keep it somewhere safe. You’ll need the exact commissioned name, commission number, and expiration date printed on it to order your stamp.
What Your Stamp Must Show
Your state dictates exactly what appears on the stamp, and any error can be used to challenge your notarizations. At a minimum, the stamp must display your name exactly as it appears on your commission (not a nickname or abbreviation), the words “Notary Public,” and the name of your commissioning state. Most states also require your commission number and expiration date.
Physical rules follow common patterns. States typically allow either a rectangular stamp (usually no larger than about one inch by two and a half inches) or a circular one (generally up to two inches across), and some states mandate one shape. Colorado requires rectangular stamps; Hawaii and Tennessee require circular ones. Ink color is regulated too. Most states limit you to black or blue, with a handful permitting dark purple or brown. Across every state, the impression has to be clear enough to photocopy or scan legibly.
Choose a Stamp Type
Three main types of notary seals are sold, and which you can use depends on your state.
Self-inking rubber stamps are the most common choice. Press down, the die inks itself, and the impression is clean. They generally run $15 to $30, travel well, and photocopy cleanly. Most states accept them.
Pre-inked stamps work similarly but hold ink inside the die, producing a crisper impression and more uses between re-inkings. They cost a bit more and last longer.
Embossers crimp a raised, inkless impression into the paper. They look official and are hard to forge, but the impression often won’t show up on a photocopy or scan. Many states no longer accept an embosser as the sole seal for that reason. Some notaries pair an embosser with an ink stamp for added security, which most states allow.
If your state requires the seal to be “photographically reproducible,” and most do, an ink stamp is the safer choice. Confirm your state’s rule before buying an embosser as your primary seal.
Order the Stamp
Once your commission certificate is in hand, ordering is straightforward. Notary supply vendors sell online and through some office supply stores, and most know the state-specific requirements well enough to build a compliant stamp from the information you provide.
You’ll typically submit your commissioned name, commission number, commission expiration date, and state. Many vendors also require proof of an active commission — a copy of your certificate or bond — before they’ll process the order. That verification step exists to keep official seals out of unauthorized hands. Turnaround is usually a few business days for standard orders, with rush options available. Budget roughly $15 to $40 for a standard self-inking stamp, though prices vary by vendor and by what your state requires on the die.
One thing that catches new notaries: wait until you actually receive your official commission before you order. If anything changes during approval — a corrected name, a different commission number, a shifted expiration date — a stamp ordered early will arrive wrong, and a wrong stamp is not usable.
Order a Journal at the Same Time
Many states require you to keep a journal of every notarial act, and it’s considered best practice even where it isn’t required. A typical entry records the date and time, the type of act, a description of the document, each signer’s full name and address, how you verified identity, and any fee charged. States that mandate journals generally accept either a bound paper book with numbered pages or an approved electronic format. If yours requires one, order it alongside the stamp so both are ready when you start notarizing.
Electronic and Remote Notarization Uses a Different Seal
A physical stamp does not cover online work. As of 2025, 44 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws permitting remote online notarization, where notaries verify identity and witness signatures over live video. Those notarizations use electronic documents and a digital seal rather than a rubber stamp.
The digital seal is built on an X.509-compliant certificate issued by an approved certification authority. The certificate carries a pair of cryptographic keys: a private key that only you control, used to apply your signature, and a public key anyone can use to verify the signature and confirm the document hasn’t been altered after signing. A general-purpose certificate meant for website security or email encryption will not work; it has to be a document-signing certificate.
States that authorize remote notarization typically require you to register separately as an electronic or remote notary, which involves an additional application, sometimes extra training, and enrollment with an approved technology provider that issues the digital certificate. At the federal level, the SECURE Notarization Act has been introduced to set uniform national standards and require states to recognize remote notarizations from other states, but it has not been signed into law.
If you plan to offer both in-person and online notarization, you’ll need both a physical stamp and a digital certificate. They operate independently of each other.