Iowa Notary Seal Stamp

As of January 1, 2002, Iowa Notaries are required by law to have a Notary stamp or seal and use it when notarizing documents.

Iowa Notaries may purchase a stamp or seal through a local office supply store. The cost for a stamp or seal varies, but on average the cost is $15.00 - $50.00. For your convenience, we have a list of stamp and seal providers on this website.

Iowa law prescribes information that MUST be included on the stamp or seal. For a Notary commissioned by the Iowa Secretary of State's Office, the stamp or seal MUST include the following information:

The words "Notarial Seal" and "Iowa";
The person's name (exactly as it appears on the commission certificate);
The words "Commission Number" followed by the commission number;
The words "My Commission Expires" followed by the expiration date or a blank line to write in the date.

Iowa law requires notaries public to use a notary stamp or seal.

For a notary commissioned by the Secretary of State, the stamp or seal MUST include:

the words “Notarial Seal” and “Iowa”,
name,
the words “Commission Number” followed by your commission number, and
the words “My Commission Expires” followed by the expiration date or a blank line to write in the date.

For a public official, the stamp or seal MUST include:

the words “Notarial Seal” and “Iowa”,
name, and
the title under which the person may perform notarial acts.

Note: Public official means an individual who is automatically a Notary Public because the Code of Iowa authorizes them to perform notarial acts. It does not necessarily include all elected officials.

Each person performing a notarial act pursuant to section 9E.10 must acquire and use a stamp or seal as provided in this chapter. However, this section shall not apply to a notarial act performed by a judicial officer as defined in section 602.1101, if the notarial act is performed in accordance with state or federal statutory authority, and shall not apply to a certification by a chief officer or a chief officer's designee of a peace officer's verification of a uniform citation and complaint pursuant to section 805.6, subsection 5.
The stamp or seal as required in this section shall contain all of the following:

For a person appointed as a notary public pursuant to section 9E.3, all of the following:

The words "Notarial Seal" and "Iowa".
The person's name.
The words "Commission Number" followed by a number assigned to the notary public by the secretary of state.
The words "My Commission Expires" followed either by the date that the notary public's term would ordinarily expire as provided in section 9E.4 or a blank line. If the seal or stamp contains a blank line, the person must print the date that the notary public's term would ordinarily expire on the blank line imprinted on each document, instrument, or paper subject to a notarial act.

For any other person, all of the following:

The words "Notarial Seal" and "Iowa".
The person's name.
The person's title under which the person may perform a notarial act under section 9E.10.