7.3 Seal and Stamp Requirements

The Official Stamp: C.R.S. 24-21-516

The notary's official stamp (often called the "seal") is governed by C.R.S. 24-21-516 and the Secretary of State's rules. Colorado is unusually strict about the stamp's contents but unusually relaxed about its dimensions, and the exam probes both edges.

Format: rectangular ink stamp only

The reason embossers are banned is functional: notarized records are routinely scanned and recorded, and a raised seal vanishes on a copy. The stamp must be capable of being copied while remaining legible.

The five required elements (and nothing else)

Everything inside the border must be limited to these, exactly:

1. The notary's name as it appears on the certificate of commission
2. The words "Notary Public"
3. The words "State of Colorado"
4. The notary's identification number
5. The commission expiration date

Prohibited inside the border

Placement and quality

• Apply the stamp near the notary's signature on the certificate, not over signatures or printed text.
• Every element must be legible; a smeared or doubled impression should be re-stamped in a clear nearby spot.
• If the certificate is too crowded, attach a loose certificate rather than stamping over content.

Worked example: fixing a bad impression

A notary stamps a deed but the impression is smeared and the expiration date is unreadable. The correct fix is to apply a second, clean impression in available white space on the same certificate (and note it in the journal if needed), not to ink over the smear or hand-write the missing date inside the seal area. A handwritten correction inside the stamp footprint defeats the legibility requirement.

Security of the stamping device

Unlike the journal (which has disposition rules and a 10-year clock), the expired stamp is simply destroyed or defaced — it is not mailed to the Secretary of State.

Ordering and verifying a new stamp

Order the stamp only after the commission is approved, because the ID number and the exact expiration date are assigned by the Secretary of State and must be reproduced precisely. A vendor cannot legally make a Colorado notary stamp without proof of commission. When the stamp arrives, test it on scrap paper and verify all five elements against the certificate of commission — a transposed digit in the ID number or a wrong expiration year forces a reorder and, worse, can cast doubt on every act stamped with the bad device.

At renewal the notary receives a new expiration date and frequently a new ID number, so a fresh stamp is usually required; the old one is destroyed.

Relationship between the stamp and the certificate

The stamp does not stand alone. A valid Colorado notarization needs a completed notarial certificate (the acknowledgment or jurat wording, the venue line naming the state and county, the notary's signature, and the act date) plus the stamp. The stamp authenticates the certificate; it never replaces the certificate's written content. A document bearing only a stamp with no certificate language is defective, and so is a perfectly worded certificate with no stamp. Candidates frequently miss that both components must be present.

Electronic stamp for e-notarizations

For electronic and RON acts, the notary uses an electronic version of the official stamp containing the same five elements, attached to the electronic record in a tamper-evident manner that complies with SOS rules. The electronic stamp and electronic signature are kept under the notary's sole control via password or credential, and the notary may not allow anyone else to apply them. If the electronic credential is compromised, the notary must report it just as with a lost physical stamp.

Common stamp traps

• Round stamp. A circular seal is a frequent wrong answer — Colorado requires rectangular.
• Adding the state seal "to look official." Prohibited; it invalidates the stamp.
• Mailing the old stamp to the SOS. Wrong — destroy or disable it instead.
• Wrong name format. The printed name must match the certificate of commission exactly.

Exam Cheat Sheet

• Statute: C.R.S. 24-21-516; shape = rectangular ink stamp, embossers banned
• Five elements: name, 'Notary Public,' 'State of Colorado,' ID number, expiration date
• No state seal/logos/symbols inside the border; no required size or ink color
• Impression must be legible and photographically reproducible
• On commission end: disable/destroy the device (do not mail it to the SOS)