Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against chapter 1 of title 51 of the Idaho Code, the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts as adopted in Idaho, the Secretary of State’s 2024 Idaho Notary Handbook and notary information pages, and the recorder provisions at Idaho Code § 31-2402. No IDAPA rule chapter governs notaries; we checked the Secretary of State’s agency 34 rule list on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
Idaho sets a ceiling on what may appear: the stamp “may not include anything more” than the listed items, which is rare. Yours carries your name, the words “Notary Public” and “State of Idaho”, your state-issued commission number, and a serrated or milled-edge border. The expiration date is optional, and with six-year terms that choice is worth money. Idaho also departs from the uniform act by requiring a stamp on electronic records too.
Idaho notary stamp requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Idaho rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp required | Yes | Idaho Code § 51-115(2) |
| Required wording | Your name; The words “Notary Public”; The words “State of Idaho”; Your state-issued commission number; A serrated or milled-edge border, in a rectangular or circular form | Idaho Code § 51-117(1), (2) |
| Size and shape | Statutory maximums, and they live in the stamping device section rather than the stamp section, which is why readers who stop at § 51-117 miss them entirely. | Idaho Code §§ 51-118(1), (2), 51-117(2) |
| Ink color | Not addressed. | Idaho Code §§ 51-101 to 51-133 (silent) |
| Embosser | Not addressed, and effectively excluded as a standalone. | Idaho Code §§ 51-118(1), 51-117(4), (5) |
| Commission term | Terms run six years and require an assurance in the form of a surety bond or its functional equivalent in the amount of $10,000. There is no renewal as such: you reapply, and the application may be submitted no earlier than 90 days before your term expires. | Idaho Code § 51-121 |
| Name or address change | Notify the Secretary of State within 30 days of any change, using the Notary Change Form. | Idaho Code § 51-121 |
| Lost or stolen stamp | Notify the commissioning officer or agency promptly on discovering that the stamping device is lost or stolen. | Idaho Code § 51-118(3), (4) |
| Commissioning authority | The Idaho Secretary of State, under the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts as adopted in 2018 | chapter 1 of title 51 of the Idaho Code, the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts as adopted in Idaho, the Secretary of State’s 2024 Idaho Notary Handbook |
Rules for other states are on notary stamp requirements by state.
Is a notary stamp required in Idaho?
Yes, on every notarial certificate, for both tangible and electronic records, and the duty is in the certificate section rather than the section describing the stamp: “If a notarial act regarding a tangible or electronic record is performed by a notary public, an official stamp must be affixed to the certificate.” Those three words, tangible or electronic, are a deliberate departure from the uniform act, which makes the stamp merely permissive on electronic records.
The governing text is Idaho Code § 51-115(2).
What must appear on an Idaho notary stamp?
- Your name
- The words “Notary Public”
- The words “State of Idaho”
- Your state-issued commission number
- A serrated or milled-edge border, in a rectangular or circular form
Everything above is statutory, and so is the ceiling, which is what makes Idaho different. No IDAPA administrative rule governs notaries: we checked the Secretary of State’s rule list at agency 34, chapters 34.02.02, 34.03.01, 34.04.02, 34.05.01, 34.05.02, 34.05.03 and 34.05.06, and none covers notarial acts, notwithstanding the rulemaking authority in § 51-127. So the requirements are the statute plus the official 2024 Idaho Notary Handbook. The commission expiration date is optional: § 51-117(3) says the stamp may include “my commission expires:” and the date, and the certificate carries the date in any event under § 51-115(1)(d). Then the hard part, § 51-117(5): the stamp “may not include anything more than that which is allowed in subsections (1) through (3).” No logo, no bond information, no county, no decorative flourish. The stamp must also be capable of being copied together with the record, and the Secretary of State publishes approved examples worth checking your proof against.
What size and shape must an Idaho notary stamp be?
Statutory maximums, and they live in the stamping device section rather than the stamp section, which is why readers who stop at § 51-117 miss them entirely. Section 51-118(1) requires an inked stamp producing an image that meets § 51-117 and is “readily visible upon copying”, and then caps it: the stamp “shall not exceed two and one-fourth (2.25) inches by one (1) inch if rectangular or one and three-fourths (1.75) inches in diameter if circular.” Shape is confined to those two forms, and the border must be serrated or milled-edge. The same content and copyability standards apply to the electronic stamping device.
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 Idaho notary stamp?
Not addressed. The sources here are §§ 51-115, 51-116, 51-116A, 51-117, 51-118, 51-120, 51-121 and 51-125, the full chapter listing from § 51-101 to § 51-133, and the 2024 Idaho Notary Handbook, which does not mention ink color anywhere. Idaho requires only that the device be an “inked stamp” whose image is “readily visible upon copying.” The recording title adds nothing either: the recorder must record in “legible” handwriting, typewriting or photographic reproduction, and there is no document format standards statute of the South Dakota kind, no ink color rule and no seal specification in §§ 31-2401 to 31-2419. So the operative constraint is reproducibility, not color. Pick a dark color that scans cleanly.
More on the trade-off in stamp ink color rules.
Is a notary embosser required or optional in Idaho?
Not addressed, and effectively excluded as a standalone. Section 51-118(1) requires the stamping device for tangible records to “be an inked stamp”, which by its terms does not describe a dry embosser, and § 51-117(4) requires the image to be copyable. The 2024 handbook contains no discussion of embossers at all, there is no provision permitting a supplemental embossment, and § 51-117(5) (“may not include anything more”) argues against adding one. The practical answer for Idaho is an inked stamp. An embosser will not satisfy § 51-118(1).
Notary embossing seal kits and inked stamp kits cover both formats. See also notary stamp vs. embosser.
Idaho caps what may appear on the stamp, and makes the date optional
Most states tell you what a notary stamp must contain. Idaho also tells you what it may not contain. Section 51-117(5) says the official stamp “may not include anything more than that which is allowed in subsections (1) through (3) of this section.” Extra text, a logo, a county name, bond information, a decorative line: any of them makes the stamp unlawful. Very few states legislate a ceiling like that, and a stamp designed to a generic template will usually breach it.
The allowed set is short. Your name, the words “Notary Public”, the words “State of Idaho”, your state-issued commission number, and a serrated or milled-edge border in a rectangular or circular form. A plain-bordered or borderless Idaho stamp is non-compliant. The size caps sit in a different section, § 51-118, at 2.25 by 1 inch rectangular or 1.75 inches across if circular, which is why a reader who stops at the stamp section misses them.
Now the money point. The commission expiration date is optional under § 51-117(3), and that choice decides whether you ever buy this stamp again. Leave the date off and the die carries nothing that changes on reappointment, so the Secretary of State confirms you do not need a new stamp. Put the date on and the handbook is equally clear that a new stamp must be purchased. Omitting the date turns a six year replacement cycle into a one time purchase. We would rather tell you that than quietly default you into the recurring version.
Three more Idaho points. A stamp is required on electronic records too under § 51-115(2), where the uniform act and Delaware both leave it optional. An embosser will not do, because § 51-118(1) demands an inked stamp. And there is no journal requirement: § 51-119 was left reserved on purpose, though remote notaries still keep recordings for ten years.
Do I need a new stamp when my commission is renewed or my name changes?
Terms run six years and require an assurance in the form of a surety bond or its functional equivalent in the amount of $10,000. There is no renewal as such: you reapply, and the application may be submitted no earlier than 90 days before your term expires. Whether you need a new stamp depends entirely on how you built the last one. The Secretary of State says you do not need a new rubber stamp seal if you already have one, and the 2024 handbook states the rule precisely: a new stamp must be purchased whenever the information shown in the stamp, such as your name, changes “or if your stamp includes your expiration date.” So a stamp built without the optional date survives reappointment after reappointment, and a stamp built with it has to be replaced every six years. One honest note on the reasoning: we infer from the Secretary of State’s guidance that your commission number carries over on reappointment, since otherwise no existing stamp could survive. The handbook rule above is directly sourced and holds either way.
Notify the Secretary of State within 30 days of any change, using the Notary Change Form. An amended Certificate of Commission is issued when your name or city of residence changes. Because your name is a mandatory element of the stamp, a name change always forces a new stamp. A move that does not change your name, and an address change within the same city, does not.
What do I do if my Idaho notary stamp is lost or stolen?
Notify the commissioning officer or agency promptly on discovering that the stamping device is lost or stolen. The standard is promptly, with no number of days, and the 2024 handbook adds no deadline, so do not import a 10 or 30 day figure from a neighboring state.
How do I dispose of an expired Idaho notary stamp?
Disable the device by destroying, defacing, damaging, erasing or securing it against use, on resignation, revocation or expiration. The same section makes you responsible for the security of the device and says you “may not allow another individual to use the device” to perform a notarial act. On death or adjudication of incompetency, the personal representative, guardian or any other person knowingly in possession must render it unusable. The handbook adds employer-facing advice: if your employer will not let you take your stamp with you, ask that it be destroyed and buy a new one.
More on retiring an old device in how to dispose of an expired notary stamp.
Can I notarize electronically or remotely in Idaho?
Both are authorized, with notification plus a paid amendment in practice. Section 51-120 covers notification for acts on electronic records, and § 51-114A covers remotely located individuals: “Before a notary public performs the notary public’s initial notarial act under this section, the notary public shall notify the secretary of state”. You create an audio-visual recording of each remote act and retain it at least ten years, and the certificate must indicate that communication technology was used. Mechanically you file an Addition of Electronic or Remote Online Notary amendment with a $20 processing fee and receive an authorization certificate, and it is your responsibility to ensure the technology is sufficiently tamper-evident. Idaho maintains no approved vendor list. The electronic seal carries the same elements as the ink stamp. And the one people get wrong: a journal is not required. Section 51-119 is left “[Reserved]” on purpose, and the handbook calls a journal “a good idea” and “the very best insurance that a notary can have” without ever making it mandatory. Remote notaries still owe the ten year recording retention.
If you need your seal as an image file for electronic work, see electronic notary seal images.
Who is allowed to sell you a Idaho notary seal?
No rule restricts who may sell you an Idaho stamp. The sources here are § 51-117, § 51-118, § 51-121 and § 51-125, the prohibited acts section, which covers unauthorized practice of law, immigration consulting, false advertising and the phrase notario publico, and says nothing about manufacturing, selling or distributing stamps. The Secretary of State lists recommended vendors, which is a listing rather than a restriction. What does constrain the order is timing, and the handbook puts it in capitals: do not order your stamp until you have received your Certificate of Commission. Your state-issued commission number is a mandatory element of the die and it appears on that certificate, so an order placed earlier cannot be built correctly.
Related Idaho guides
- Essential ID Notary Supplies You Can’t Live Without
- Essential Tips for Picking an Idaho Notary Seal Stamp
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 contact us and we will check your wording against the statute before we make it.
Frequently asked questions about Idaho notary seals
Is a notary stamp required in Idaho?
Yes, on every notarial certificate, and for both tangible and electronic records. That second part is a departure from the uniform act Idaho adopted, which makes the stamp permissive on electronic records in most states.
What has to appear on an Idaho notary stamp?
Your name, the words “Notary Public”, the words “State of Idaho”, your state-issued commission number, and a serrated or milled-edge border in a rectangular form.
Can I add anything else to an Idaho stamp?
No. The statute says the stamp may not include anything more than the listed items. That is a statutory ceiling rather than a style preference, and it is rarer than you might think.
Should I put my expiration date on an Idaho stamp?
Probably not. The date is optional under the statute, and Idaho terms run six years. Omitting it makes the stamp effectively a one-time purchase; including it creates a six-year replacement cycle for no legal benefit.
What ink color does Idaho require?
None. The sources here are the full chapter and the 2024 Idaho Notary Handbook, and neither specifies a color. Choose something that copies cleanly.
Can I use an embosser in Idaho?
Not as your stamp. Idaho requires an inked stamp, so an embosser cannot satisfy the requirement on its own.
When should I order my Idaho stamp?
After your Certificate of Commission arrives, not before. Your state-issued commission number is a mandatory element and it appears on that certificate. No rule restricts who may sell you an Idaho stamp, so the constraint here is timing rather than paperwork.
How long does an Idaho notary commission last?
Six years, with an assurance in the form of a surety bond or functional equivalent in the amount of $10,000.
