4.3 Seal Requirements
Key Takeaways
- The seal is the coat of arms of Ohio within a circle 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter (ORC 147.04)
- Surrounding text: "notary public" or "notarial seal," the notary's name, and "State of Ohio"
- The notary's name may instead be printed legibly near the signature rather than on the seal
- The seal may be an inking stamp or an embosser; RON requires an electronic seal
- The seal must stay under the notary's exclusive control — never lent, even to an employer
What the Statute Requires (ORC 147.04)
The Ohio notary seal is defined by Ohio Revised Code 147.04. The seal consists of the coat of arms (Great Seal) of the State of Ohio inside a circle that is at least three-quarters (3/4) of an inch but not larger than one (1) inch in diameter, surrounded by:
| Required element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Coat of arms of Ohio | Centered inside the circle |
| "notary public," "notarial seal," or words to that effect | Identifies the official capacity |
| The notary's name | As commissioned |
| "State of Ohio" | The jurisdiction |
The Name-Placement Exception
A frequently missed nuance: the notary's name does not have to be on the seal itself. ORC 147.04 allows the name to instead be printed, typewritten, or stamped in legible printed letters near the notary's signature on each document. So a seal showing only the coat of arms, "Notary Public," and "State of Ohio" is valid if the name appears legibly beside the signature. Either placement satisfies the law — do not assume the name must be engraved on the stamp.
Seal Format: Ink, Emboss, or Electronic
| Format | Traditional act | RON act |
|---|---|---|
| Inking rubber stamp | Permitted | No |
| Embosser (raised impression) | Permitted | No |
| Electronic seal | No | Required |
For paper acts the seal may be either a type that stamps ink onto the document or one that embosses it. Because embossed (raised, colorless) impressions can disappear on a photocopy or fax, many notaries who emboss also ink the impression so it reproduces. For RON, the notary uses an electronic seal through the approved platform, carrying the same required elements in tamper-evident digital form.
Affixing the Seal Correctly
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Place the impression near your signature | Stamp over text or the signer's signature |
| Make a complete, legible impression | Let the seal run off the edge of the page |
| Use clear, dark ink | Use faded or smudged ink |
| Re-stamp if the first impression is partial | Leave a half-printed or blurry seal |
A seal that obscures language in the notarial certificate, or that is illegible, can cause a county recorder to reject the document for recording — a real-world failure even when the act itself was proper.
Exclusive Control
The seal is personal to the notary and must remain under the notary's exclusive control.
| Rule | Consequence of violating it |
|---|---|
| Only the commissioned notary may use the seal | Lending it enables forged notarizations |
| Store the seal securely when not in use | Unattended seals invite misuse |
| An employer may not use your seal | True even if the employer paid for it |
If the employer purchased the stamp, the commission and the seal still belong to the individual notary, not the company. No coworker, manager, or family member may stamp documents for you.
Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Seal
If the seal is lost, stolen, or damaged, notify the Secretary of State promptly, order a replacement, and do not perform notarizations until you have a proper seal. Document the incident in case a missing seal is later misused, so you can show when it left your control.
Seal, Stamp, and Impression: Precise Terms
The exam sometimes leans on terminology. The seal is the official device that produces the mark; the stamp usually refers to the inking rubber device specifically; the impression is the resulting mark left on the paper. ORC 147.04 governs the device and its required content, not the brand or color of ink. Black ink is standard precisely because it photocopies and scans cleanly, which matters when a county recorder digitizes the document.
Why the Coat of Arms Matters
The centered coat of arms of Ohio is what makes the seal an official mark rather than a generic rubber stamp. A seal that omits it — even if it shows the name and 'State of Ohio' — does not satisfy ORC 147.04. Likewise, a seal larger than one inch or smaller than three-quarters of an inch is non-compliant regardless of how complete the text is. When you order a stamp, confirm the vendor uses the Ohio coat of arms and sizes the circle within the statutory range; reputable suppliers build Ohio stamps to spec, but the legal responsibility for a compliant seal rests on the notary, not the vendor.
Ink Versus Embossed Impressions
Because ORC 147.04 permits either an inking stamp or an embosser, notaries can choose, but each has trade-offs:
- Inking stamp — reproduces on copies, scans, and faxes; fast for high volume; the practical default for most Ohio notaries.
- Embosser — produces a raised, tamper-resistant impression that is hard to forge, but the colorless relief can vanish on a photocopy. Notaries who prefer embossing often also ink the impression or pair it with an inked stamp so recorded copies stay legible.
For recordability, the safest choice is an inked impression — or an embossed impression backed by ink — so the seal survives the document's journey through scanners and recorders.
Practical Placement and Rejection Risks
Place the impression in a clear area adjacent to your signature, never across the signer's signature or the certificate language. County recorders routinely reject documents for recording when the seal is illegible, incomplete, runs off the page edge, or obscures required text. A rejected deed can delay a closing or a property transfer even though the underlying notarization was procedurally correct, so a clean, complete impression is both a legal and a practical necessity. Carry a spare stamp pad and test the impression on scrap paper before stamping an important document.
What must appear inside the circle of an Ohio notary seal?
What is the required diameter of the circle on an Ohio notary seal?
Under ORC 147.04, where may the notary's name appear if it is not engraved on the seal?