Pennsylvania Notary Stamps – Yes! Required

According to Pennsylvania’s Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) as referenced by the Department of State, notaries commissioned by the state are required keep an official seal for authenticating all  acts, instruments, and attestations performed by the notary public. It must be in the form of an inked stamp. Embossers can be used in addition, but will not be considered a substitute to your official stamp.

State statute proscribes a maximum height of 1-inch and width of 3.5-inches (1Hx3.5W). Ink color and shape are not defined; due to a general push towards reproducible images, we recommend choosing a dark ink color, and a rectangle stamp shape for ease of getting all the required information correctly ordered.

An official Pennsylvania notary public’s inked stamp will show clearly in the following order the words: (1) “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania”; (2) “Notary Seal”; (3) The notary’s name as it appears on the commission and “Notary Public”; (4) The name of the county in which the notary public maintains an office; (5) “Commission No. [+Commission Number]”; and (6) “My Commission Expires [+Commission Expiration Date]”. As of October 26, 2017, official stamps will no longer contain the municipality in which the notary maintains an office. “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” has been added.

There is a Transitional Provision in RULONA which allows for notaries commissioned before the effective date (October 26, 2017) to continue using their stamps as is for the duration of the commission. Once the commission expires, you will then need to get a new stamp bearing the above requirements in mind.

Check an appropriate vendor for supplies solutions.