 | Notary Stamp and Seal Information
Stamp or Seal Required
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.
Using A Stamp or Seal
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 Notary Pocketbook
STAMPS AND SEALS
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.
Iowa Notary Law
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.
2001 Acts, ch 38, §3; 2001 Acts, ch 176, §45, 46; 2002 Acts, ch
1144, §1; 2004 Acts, ch 1054, §1, 2; 2004 Acts, ch 1175, §349 |
