Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Molly, VP Marketing at Acorn Sales, against the Illinois Notary Public Act, 5 ILCS 312, and 14 Ill. Adm. Code Part 176 on 20 September 2026 · Updated 20 September 2026
Illinois requires an official rubber stamp seal on every notarial act, and it must be affixed in black ink. The stamp carries the words “Official Seal”, your printed name, “Notary Public, State of Illinois”, “Commission No.” followed by your number, and “My Commission Expires” with the date, inside a serrated or milled edge border no larger than 1 by 2.5 inches. Two of those requirements are not in the section of the law titled “Official seal”, which is why non-compliant Illinois stamps are so common.
Illinois notary stamp requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Illinois rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp required | Yes | 5 ILCS 312/3-101(a) |
| Required wording | The words “Official Seal”; Your official name, printed; The words “Notary Public, State of Illinois”; The words “Commission No.” followed by your commission number; The words “My Commission Expires” followed by the expiration date, written as month, day and complete year; A serrated or milled edge border enclosing all of it | 5 ILCS 312/3-101(a) |
| Size and shape | Rectangular, with a serrated or milled edge border, no more than 1 inch high by 2.5 inches long. | 5 ILCS 312/3-101(a)(4) |
| Ink color | Black. | 5 ILCS 312/6-103(c) |
| Embosser | Not addressed, and effectively excluded as a substitute. | 5 ILCS 312/3-101, 6-103(c) |
| Commission term | Terms run four years. | 5 ILCS 312/2-101(a), 2-101.5, 4-101(a), (c), 5-101 |
| Name or address change | Notify the Index Department of the Secretary of State in writing within 30 days of a change of legal name, residential address, business address or email address. | 5 ILCS 312/2-101(a), 2-101.5, 4-101(a), (c), 5-101 |
| Lost or stolen stamp | Notify the Secretary of State in writing the next business day after you discover the seal is lost or stolen. | 5 ILCS 312/4-101(a), 7-107, 7-108(g), (i) |
| Commissioning authority | The Illinois Secretary of State | the Illinois Notary Public Act, 5 ILCS 312, |
Rules for other states are on notary stamp requirements by state.
Is a notary stamp required in Illinois?
Yes, on every notarial act, and Illinois names the device: “Each notary public shall, upon receiving the notary commission from the Secretary of State, obtain an official rubber stamp seal with which the notary shall authenticate his or her official acts.” A self-inking or pre-inked stamp satisfies this; what it rules out is anything that is not a stamped imprint.
The governing text is 5 ILCS 312/3-101(a); 14 Ill. Adm. Code 176.500(a).
What must appear on an Illinois notary stamp?
- The words “Official Seal”
- Your official name, printed
- The words “Notary Public, State of Illinois”
- The words “Commission No.” followed by your commission number
- The words “My Commission Expires” followed by the expiration date, written as month, day and complete year
- A serrated or milled edge border enclosing all of it
Read that list carefully, because it comes from two places. The statute at 3-101(a) requires the first, second, third and sixth items. The commission number is required by administrative rule 176.520(a)(1)(D) and appears nowhere in the statute, as does the exact expiration-date format. A stamp ordered from the statute alone is missing the commission number and is not compliant. The rule also requires the imprint to be capable of being photocopied.
What size and shape must an Illinois notary stamp be?
Rectangular, with a serrated or milled edge border, no more than 1 inch high by 2.5 inches long. Two things people get wrong: that is a ceiling rather than a specification, so a smaller rectangle is fine and nothing sets a minimum; and the serrated border is mandatory, so a plain-line rectangle or a circular seal does not comply.
Notary public stamps are made to these conventions, and we check your lines against the statutory wording before we make the stamp.
What ink color is required for an Illinois notary stamp?
Black. This is the rule Illinois notaries most often miss, because it is not in the section titled “Official seal”: “At the time of a notarial act, a notary public shall officially sign every notary certificate and affix the rubber stamp seal clearly and legibly using black ink, so that it is capable of photographic reproduction.” Your signature, separately, may be blue or black. So the stamp pad must be black and the pen may be either, which is exactly backwards from how most people assume it works.
More on the trade-off in stamp ink color rules.
Is a notary embosser required or optional in Illinois?
Not addressed, and effectively excluded as a substitute. The words “emboss” and “embosser” appear nowhere in the Act or in Part 176. Because the rubber stamp imprint is what the law requires, and because a notary “may not use… any other object in place of the notary public’s official seal”, an embosser cannot stand in for the stamp. Using one alongside a compliant black imprint is not prohibited, but it is decoration, not compliance, and a raised seal does not photocopy.
Notary embossing seal kits and inked stamp kits cover both formats. See also notary stamp vs. embosser.
Two Illinois requirements that are not where you would look for them
Illinois hides its two most-missed stamp rules outside the section named after the seal, and between them they account for most non-compliant Illinois stamps we see.
The stamp must be black. Section 3-101 is titled “Official seal” and says nothing about color. The black-ink mandate sits one article over, in the rules on performing notarial acts: the seal is affixed “clearly and legibly using black ink, so that it is capable of photographic reproduction.” Blue stamp pads are common in Illinois and they are a straight violation. Your pen is the opposite case, and may be blue or black.
The commission number is required by rule, not by statute. Administrative rule 176.520(a)(1)(D) requires the words “Commission No.” followed by your number. Section 3-101 never mentions it. Anyone building a stamp from the statute alone produces one that is missing a required element.
One more timing point. A seal that was in use before 1 July 2023 may be carried through to the end of your current commission, and no further. At your next reappointment the current format, commission number and all, is mandatory.
Do I need a new stamp when my commission is renewed or my name changes?
Terms run four years. The Secretary mails notice at least 60 days out, you may apply 60 days before expiry, and reappointment is not automatic: renewal applicants now sit the course and the exam too. A new stamp is needed every term, because both the expiration date and the commission number change.
Notify the Index Department of the Secretary of State in writing within 30 days of a change of legal name, residential address, business address or email address. Miss it and the commission ceases to be in effect by operation of law, the seal is surrendered, and you are barred from a new commission for five years.
What do I do if my Illinois notary stamp is lost or stolen?
Notify the Secretary of State in writing the next business day after you discover the seal is lost or stolen. Then note the part that catches people out: the replacement “must contain a distinct difference from the original seal”, so you cannot simply reorder the same stamp. If the original later turns up, it must be destroyed.
How do I dispose of an expired Illinois notary stamp?
On revocation you must immediately deliver the seal to the Secretary of State. On resignation you notify the Secretary in writing and physically return the stamp. If the commission lapses for an unreported name, address or email change, the seal is surrendered and the commission certificate destroyed. For an ordinary expiry with no renewal the Act says nothing, but destroying the stamp is the prudent course, since unlawfully possessing or misusing a notary’s seal is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $1,000.
More on retiring an old device in how to dispose of an expired notary stamp.
Can I notarize electronically or remotely in Illinois?
Illinois splits this in two, and the distinction matters. A remote notarial act uses your ordinary physical black-ink stamp over audio-video, needs no special commission, and the signer keeps the recording for three years. An electronic notarial act is a separate commission: register with the Secretary of State, use a state-approved vendor, carry a $25,000 bond instead of $5,000, and keep the recording yourself for seven years. The electronic seal must look identical to the paper one and carry everything 176.520 and 3-101(a) require, commission number included.
If you need your seal as an image file for electronic work, see electronic notary seal images.
Who is allowed to sell you a Illinois notary seal?
Illinois is one of the states where we cannot simply ship on an unverified web order. Vendors “may only provide a notary with an official seal… upon presentation of the Commission Certificate”, and the matching duty falls on you: a notary may buy a seal only after receiving the commission certificate and providing a copy of it to the seal vendor. Have that certificate to hand when you order. Your seal is also your own property and cannot be demanded by an employer at termination, whoever paid for it.
Related Illinois guides
Next step
Have your commission details in front of you before you order, because they go on the stamp and a wrong line means a reorder. Then browse notary public stamps, or call 804-359-0505 and we will check your wording against the statute before we make it.
Frequently asked questions about Illinois notary seals
Is a notary stamp required in Illinois?
Yes, and Illinois names the device. Each notary public, on receiving the commission, shall obtain an official rubber stamp seal with which to authenticate official acts. A self-inking or pre-inked stamp satisfies this; what it rules out is anything that is not a stamped imprint.
Does Illinois require black ink on a notary stamp?
Yes. This is the requirement Illinois notaries most often miss, because it is not in the section titled “Official seal”. The rule sits one article over: the notary shall affix the rubber stamp seal “clearly and legibly using black ink, so that it is capable of photographic reproduction.” Blue stamp pads are common in Illinois and are a straight violation.
Can I sign in blue ink in Illinois if my stamp must be black?
Yes, and this catches people out in both directions. Your signature may be blue or black under the administrative rules. Your stamp must be black. The pen is flexible and the pad is not, which is the opposite of what most notaries assume.
Is the commission number required on an Illinois notary stamp?
Yes, but only by administrative rule. Rule 176.520(a)(1)(D) requires the words “Commission No.” immediately followed by your commission number. The statute at 5 ILCS 312/3-101 never mentions it. A stamp built from the statute alone is missing a required element, which is the single most common Illinois compliance failure.
What size and shape must an Illinois notary stamp be?
Rectangular, with a serrated or milled edge border, no more than 1 inch high by 2.5 inches long. Note that this is a ceiling rather than a specification: a smaller rectangle is fine and no minimum is set. The serrated border is mandatory, so a plain-line rectangle or a circular seal does not comply.
Can I keep using my old Illinois notary seal?
Only until your current commission expires. A seal in use before 1 July 2023 may be carried through to the end of that commission, and no further. At your next reappointment the current format, commission number and all, is mandatory.
What if my Illinois notary stamp is lost or stolen?
Notify the Secretary of State in writing the next business day after you discover it. Then note the part that catches people out: the replacement must contain a distinct difference from the original seal, so you cannot simply reorder the same stamp. If the original turns up later, it must be destroyed.
Do I need to show my commission to buy an Illinois notary stamp?
Yes. Illinois is one of the states where we cannot ship on an unverified order. Vendors may only provide an official seal upon presentation of the Commission Certificate, and the matching duty falls on you: you may buy a seal only after receiving your commission certificate and giving a copy of it to your seal vendor.
Is remote notarization the same as electronic notarization in Illinois?
No, and the difference is expensive. A remote notarial act uses your ordinary physical black-ink stamp over audio-video and needs no special commission. An electronic notarial act requires a separate commission, registration with the Secretary of State, a state-approved vendor and a $25,000 bond instead of $5,000.
