 | Utah Notary Facts to Remember
8. A notary public must keep an official notarial seal (for the purpose of authenticating official acts) that, when affixed in ink, makes a sharp, legible and photographically reproducible impression that includes the notary public's name exactly as indicated on the commission, the words "Notary Public," "State of Utah", and "my commission expires (commission expiration date)" the address of the notary's business or residence, official Great Seal of the State of Utah, and a rectangular border not to exceed 1 x 2 ½" surrounding the required words.
Important Note: A smudged notary seal may be corrected by reaffixing the seal nearby in a sharp, legible fashion.
Utah Notary Law
- In completing a notarial act, a notary shall sign on the notarial certificate exactly and only the name indicated on the notary's commission.
- A notary shall keep an official notarial seal that is the exclusive property of the notary and that may not be used by any other person. Upon the resignation, revocation, or expiration of a notarial commission, the seal shall be destroyed.
- Each notarial seal obtained by a notary on or after July 1, 2003 shall use purple ink.
- A new seal shall be obtained for any new commission or recommission. A new seal shall be obtained if the notary changes the notary's name or address of record at any time during the notary's four-year commission. The seal impression shall be affixed near the notary's official signature on a notarial certificate and shall include a sharp, legible, and photographically reproducible ink impression of the notarial seal that consists of:
- the notary public's name exactly as indicated on the commission;
- the words "notary public," "state of Utah," and "my commission expires (commission expiration date)";
- the address of the notary's business or residence;
- a facsimile of the great seal of the state; and
- a rectangular border no larger than one inch by two and one-half inches surrounding the required words and seal.
- An embossed seal impression that is not photographically reproducible may be used in addition to, but not in place of, the photographically reproducible seal required in this section.
- The notarial seal shall be affixed in a manner that does not obscure or render illegible any information or signatures contained in the document or in the notarial certificate.
- A notary acknowledgment on an annexation, subdivision, or other transparent map or plat is considered complete without the imprint of the notary's official seal if:
- the notary signs the acknowledgment in permanent ink; and
- the following appear below or immediately adjacent to the notary's signature:
- the notary's full name;
- the words "A notary public commissioned in Utah"; and
- the expiration date of the notary's commission.
- A notary acknowledgment on an electronic message or document is considered complete without the imprint of the notary's seal if the following information appears electronically within the message:
- the notary's full name and commission number exactly as indicated on their commission;
- the words "notary public," "state of Utah," and "my commission expires on______ (date)"; and
- the address of the notary's business or residence exactly as indicated on their commission.
Amended by Chapter 21, 2006 General Session |
