4.1 The Official Seal: Required Elements, Use & Registered Vendors

The official seal is the notary's visible mark of authority. Section 486.600(15) defines it as the device the Secretary authorizes for placing an image on a paper certificate, showing the notary's name, title, jurisdiction, commission expiration date, and other commission information, and also as the image itself. The State does not issue seals; the Secretary's FAQ says each notary obtains one from a registered vendor.

Required Elements (Section 486.730.1)

Near the official signature on each paper certificate, the notary must affix a sharp, legible, permanent, and photographically reproducible image of the seal that includes:

1. the notary's name exactly as stated on the commission;
2. the identification number of the commission;
3. the words "Notary Public," "Notary Seal," "State of Missouri," and "My commission expires (commission expiration date)"; and
4. a border in a rectangular or circular shape, no larger than one sixteenth of an inch, surrounding the required words.

The handbook's "Embosser Seal and Rubber Stamp" guidance adds practical rules:

• Missouri law requires a black-inked rubber stamp seal on every notary certificate.
• The print must be in type not smaller than eight-point.
• The seal includes the notary's jurisdiction (county) with the exact name, and the handbook's sample shows the county line.
• The stamp, embosser, and any electronic seal must come from a registered manufacturer.

The handbook's sample stamp looks like this:

JOHN Q. PUBLIC
Notary Public - Notary Seal
STATE OF MISSOURI
St. Louis County
My Commission Expires: Oct. 1, 2025
Commission # 12345678

Placement Rules (Section 486.730.2-4)

An embosser alone fails the requirement because its raised, colorless image does not reproduce when the document is copied or scanned.

Exclusive Use and Ownership (Section 486.725)

• In notarizing a paper document, the notary affixes the official signature and seal on the certificate at the time the notarial act is performed (Section 486.725.1).
• The seal may not be used for any purpose other than performing notarial acts (Section 486.725.2). Section 486.670.2 adds that the notary may not use the title or seal to endorse, promote, denounce, or oppose any product, service, contest, candidate, or ballot measure.
• The seal must be the exclusive property of the notary, not affixed by any other person, kept secure and accessible only to the notary, and not surrendered to an employer when employment ends (Section 486.725.3), even if the employer paid for it.

Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Seals (Section 486.725.4)

Within ten days after discovering that the seal is stolen, lost, damaged, or no longer able to make a legible image, the notary must:

1. inform the appropriate law enforcement agency first, if there was theft or vandalism;
2. notify the Secretary by a method that provides a tangible receipt, such as certified mail or electronic transmission; and
3. provide a copy or the number of any police report.

The Secretary then issues a new commission, which the notary presents to a seal vendor to order the replacement seal. The handbook explains that the notary receives a new commission number. The Secretary's online services include "Lost or Stolen Seal" reporting.

Registered Seal Vendors (Section 486.735)

When the Seal Must Be Replaced or Destroyed

• New commission: The FAQ requires a new seal with each recommission because the expiration date changes.
• Name change: A new seal bearing the new name exactly as in the Secretary's confirmation (Section 486.785.2).
• County change: The handbook calls for a new stamp with the new county.
• Expiration, resignation, or death: The seal is destroyed or defaced as soon as reasonably practicable (Sections 486.725.5, 486.795, 486.800).
• Revocation: The notary forwards the seal to the Secretary for disposal, and failure to do so may bring a $500 fine at the Secretary's discretion (Section 486.725.6).

Electronic notaries use a separate registered electronic seal with the title "Electronic Notary Public" (Section 486.935; see Chapter 6).

Exam Scenarios

• Partial impression. The bottom of a stamp impression, showing the commission number, is faint. The notary prints the number legibly beside the impression, not inside it, or stamps again nearby.
• Employer keeps the stamp. A bank that paid for the stamp asks the departing notary to leave it in the branch drawer. The seal is the notary's exclusive property and may not be surrendered to the employer.
• Stolen purse. The notary reports the theft to police, then notifies the Secretary within ten days with the report number. The Secretary issues a new commission for ordering a replacement seal.