West Virginia Notary Stamps – Yes! Required

West Virginia’s Uniform Notary Act requires all notaries to keep a stamp for imprinting underneath or near the official signature. Only an inked stamp will be considered official and in fulfillment of the notary’s duties. Embossers can be used in addition to the official stamp but not in place of it, provided the embosser does not obscure or rip any of the printed words on the certificate.

The stamp should be rectangular and include a serrated or milled edge border to surround the required information described in the paragraph below. This border should not be greater than 1-inch in width by 2.5-inches in length (1Wx2.5L). Choose a dark ink color so the image is able to be reproduced for photocopies and scans.

An official West Virginia notary public’s seal stamp will have his or name exactly as it is written when signing, the words “Official Seal”, “Notary Public,” “State of West Virginia”, and “My Commission Expires [+Commission Expiration Date], and the business or residence address. Most include the West Virginia State Seal to the left of this information. While being a common practice, to do so is not mandated in state statute.

An embosser should be engraved to show the notary’s name, along with the words “Notary Seal”, “Notary Public”, and “State of West Virginia”. Once again, the embosser is not a substitute for an official stamp, but can be used on a notarized document if so desired. Contact a vendor for supplies options.