5.2 Official Seal Specifications & Ink Rules (A.C.A. § 21-14-107)

5.2 Seal Specifications, Custody, and Facsimiles

A.C.A. § 21-14-107 and the handbook specify the appearance and use of the Arkansas notary seal. The seal may be a rubber stamp or metal embosser, but the impression must be clear, legible, and capable of photographic reproduction.

Required information

The seal contains:

• the notary's official name as written in the official signature;
• the county of commission, meaning the county where the bond is filed;
• the words “Notary Public” and “Arkansas”;
• the commission expiration date; and
• the commission number.

Both the notary's official signature and the seal must be in blue or black ink. If a metal embosser is used, ink it in blue or black so the impression can be photocopied or scanned. A blind raised impression alone does not satisfy the handbook's reproducibility instruction.

Prohibited graphics

The seal may not contain the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas or an outline of the State of Arkansas. A decorative stamp sold by an online vendor is not compliant merely because it looks official. The notary should compare the delivered stamp with the Certificate of Commission before using it.

Applying the seal

Sign every certificate with the official signature on file in blue or black ink and affix the seal under or near that signature. The impression must remain readable. Do not place the seal on a blank or incomplete certificate, lend it to another person, or let an employer use it while the notary is absent.

The commission, bond, seal, and supporting documents belong to the commissioned individual in the sense stated by the handbook. An employer may pay for them but cannot revoke the commission when employment ends. The notary takes the official materials rather than leaving the seal for coworkers.

After a name change or county transfer, use the newly issued official information and obtain a new seal. When a new seal is obtained because personal information changed, or when the notary resigns before expiration, the handbook says to destroy the previous seal immediately.

Facsimile signature and seal

Arkansas provides a narrow exception allowing a facsimile signature and seal—such as a stamp or engraved reproduction—in blue or black ink on commercial documents. It does not apply to deeds or other documents conveying real estate.

Before using the facsimile method, the notary must file with the Secretary of State:

1. the notary's manual signature;
2. a description of the types of commercial documents to be notarized; and
3. the name, manual signature, and written consent of every other person signing those commercial documents.

This is not general permission to keep a signature stamp at the office or let another employee apply the notary's seal. It is a filed, document-specific commercial procedure. The notary remains responsible for the actual ceremony and certificate.

Seal versus venue

The seal's county is stable until the commission is transferred; the venue changes with the place of each act. A Pulaski County seal can be lawfully used on a certificate with a Saline County venue when the notary travels to Saline County. Replacing the venue with the county printed on the seal would make the certificate factually wrong.

Purchase timing

Wait for the Certificate of Commission before ordering the seal. The Secretary of State does not manufacture or issue stamps. The notary chooses a vendor but is responsible for the vendor's accuracy. Check name, county, title, state, expiration date, number, graphics, ink color, and reproduction quality before the first act.

If an impression is faint or incomplete, do not trace letters by hand or stack repeated impressions until the data become unreadable. Use a clear impression in available certificate space or prepare a fresh certificate, following any recipient instructions. The legal objective is a legible, reproducible seal placed under or near the official signature without obscuring the certificate.

Source anchor: Arkansas Secretary of State, Arkansas Notary Public Handbook (rev. 1-2025), “Seal of Office” and “Facsimile Signature”; A.C.A. § 21-14-107.

Lost, stolen, or unusable seals

A missing seal is an official-record problem, not merely a supply purchase. The Secretary of State's live FAQ instructs a notary whose seal is lost or stolen to notify the office in writing and explain the circumstances. The office notes the event in its record and issues a new commission number; the notary then purchases and uses a stamp bearing that new number. Until the replacement information and compliant seal are available, the notary cannot finish a certificate by borrowing another notary's stamp, using an image of the missing seal, or handwriting the required seal elements. If the old seal is later recovered, keep it out of service and obtain destruction or disposition guidance from the Secretary of State so two usable seals with different commission numbers do not circulate.