Every notary public must obtain and use a rubber stamp seal no more than one
inch in height and two and one-half inches in length (Sec. 3-101). Although the
law does not prescribe the exact format of the seal, the following example contains
all of the required information and is acceptable. In this case, the notary’s name
is John H. Doe, whose notary appointment expires Dec. 31, 2007.
The stamp must include the notary public’s name exactly as the notary was
commissioned and the date the notary’s commission expires. (This date appears
on the notary commission.) You may include the name of the county in which
your appointment is recorded on your seal. The law neither requires the name of
the county to appear on the seal nor prohibits it.
Notary seals may be purchased at most office supply stores or stamp
manufacturers. Consult the yellow pages of your telephone book for “rubber
stamps.” The Office of the Secretary of State does not recommend any particular
company.
Each notary public shall, upon receiving the commission from the county clerk,
obtain an official rubber stamp seal with which the notary shall authenticate his
official acts. The rubber stamp seal shall contain the following information:
- the words “Official Seal”;
- the notary’s official name;
- the words “Notary Public”, “State of Illinois”, and “My commission
expires ___________ (commission expiration date)”; and
- a serrated or milled edge border in a rectangular form not more than
one inch in height by two and one-half inches in length surrounding
the information.
