Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against article 14A of chapter 14 of the New Mexico Statutes Annotated 1978, 12.9.3 and 12.9.4 NMAC, and the Secretary of State’s notary handbook on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
New Mexico runs against the national grain in a way that catches suppliers out. In most states putting the state seal on a notary stamp is prohibited. New Mexico requires it. Your stamp carries the great seal of the State of New Mexico, your name, your commission number, your expiration date, and the words “Notary Public” and “State of New Mexico”, all in 10-point type. And it must be filed with the Secretary of State before your first notarial act.
New Mexico notary stamp requirements at a glance
| Requirement | New Mexico rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp required | Yes | NMSA 1978 § 14-14A-14(B) |
| Required wording | Your name, Your commission number, Your commission expiration date, The great seal of the State of New Mexico and The words “Notary Public” and “State of New Mexico” | NMSA 1978 §§ 14-14A-16(A), 14-14A-2(L) |
| Size and shape | No dimensions and no shape are prescribed. | 12.9.3.14 NMAC |
| Ink color | No color is specified, but two properties are: the stamp “shall be applied in permanent ink and shall be capable of being photocopied”. A related rule requires you to make sure the signer uses permanent ink in a photo-reproducible color. | 12.9.3.12(A)(1), 12.9.3.14(C)(2) NMAC |
| Embosser | The statute says “affixed to or embossed on”, but the rule requires permanent ink and photocopiability for tangible records, which a raised uninked impression fails. | NMSA 1978 § 14-14A-14(B) |
| Commission term | Terms run four years and reappointment is by a fresh application in the same manner as the original, with a $10,000 assurance. | NMSA 1978 §§ 14-14A-16(C), 14-14A-20 |
| Name or address change | Notify the Secretary of State within 30 days of any change to your name, address, official stamp or surety bond. | NMSA 1978 §§ 14-14A-16(C), 14-14A-20 |
| Lost or stolen stamp | The statute says notify the Secretary of State promptly, with no deadline. | NMSA 1978 § 14-14A-17(A), (B) |
| Commissioning authority | The New Mexico Secretary of State | article 14A of chapter 14 of the New Mexico Statutes Annotated 1978, 12.9.3 |
Rules for other states are on notary stamp requirements by state.
Is a notary stamp required in New Mexico?
Yes, on every notarial act on a paper record: “If a notarial act regarding a tangible record is performed by a notary public, an official stamp shall be affixed to or embossed on the certificate.” New Mexico went further than the uniform act it adopted: where the model text says a stamp may be affixed by other notarial officers, New Mexico says shall.
The governing text is NMSA 1978 § 14-14A-14(B); § 14-14A-16.
What must appear on a New Mexico notary stamp?
- Your name
- Your commission number
- Your commission expiration date
- The great seal of the State of New Mexico
- The words “Notary Public” and “State of New Mexico”
Two things here have no parallel in most states. First, New Mexico is one of the very few that requires the state seal on the notary stamp. In most places putting the state seal on a notary stamp is prohibited outright, so a supplier used to working elsewhere will get this exactly backwards. Second, there is a filing requirement: your stamp must be filed with the Secretary of State “before the notarial officer performs the notarial officer’s initial notarial act”, and within 45 days of commissioning or renewal. The words “Notary Public” and “State of New Mexico”, and the 10-point type rule, come from the administrative rule rather than the statute.
What size and shape must a New Mexico notary stamp be?
No dimensions and no shape are prescribed. The only size rule is a type size: the stamp must be 10-point type, which is a rule-level requirement and easy to breach on a crowded die. The stamp must also be applied in permanent ink and be capable of being photocopied.
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 a New Mexico notary stamp?
No color is specified, but two properties are: the stamp “shall be applied in permanent ink and shall be capable of being photocopied”. A related rule requires you to make sure the signer uses permanent ink in a photo-reproducible color. We also read the recording article, which places a durability duty on the county clerk rather than on your stamp, and found no ink-color rule reaching you.
More on the trade-off in stamp ink color rules.
Is a notary embosser required or optional in New Mexico?
The statute says “affixed to or embossed on”, but the rule requires permanent ink and photocopiability for tangible records, which a raised uninked impression fails. In practice an inked stamp is required and an embosser is a supplement.
Notary embossing seal kits and inked stamp kits cover both formats. See also notary stamp vs. embosser.
New Mexico is one of the few states that wants the state seal on your stamp
In most of the country, putting the state seal on a notary stamp is prohibited. Arkansas bans it outright. Mississippi bans it. Vermont bans it. New Mexico requires it.
The statutory definition of your official notary seal is the great seal of the State of New Mexico, and the rule adds the words “Notary Public” and “State of New Mexico” alongside your name, commission number and expiration date, all in 10-point type. A supplier who has learned the general rule that state seals are forbidden will build you a non-compliant New Mexico stamp with complete confidence.
The second New Mexico requirement is procedural and just as easy to miss. Your stamp must be filed with the Secretary of State before your first notarial act, and within 45 days of being commissioned or renewed. A New Mexico notary who buys a stamp and starts work without sending a copy in is non-compliant from the very first act, whatever the stamp looks like.
One mismatch to know about: the statute says report a lost or stolen stamp promptly, while the Secretary of State’s handbook says 30 days. Work to the 30 days.
Do I need a new stamp when my commission is renewed or my name changes?
Terms run four years and reappointment is by a fresh application in the same manner as the original, with a $10,000 assurance. A new stamp is required at renewal, necessarily, because both your commission number and your expiration date are on it. Remember the filing step as well: a stamp registration is due within 45 days of renewal, and you are not compliant until the new stamp is on file.
Notify the Secretary of State within 30 days of any change to your name, address, official stamp or surety bond. A name change forces a new stamp, since the name must match your Certificate of Commission, and that new stamp must then be filed with the Secretary of State.
What do I do if my New Mexico notary stamp is lost or stolen?
The statute says notify the Secretary of State promptly, with no deadline. The Secretary of State’s handbook says 30 days for a stolen or lost stamp or journal. We are flagging the mismatch rather than picking one: work to the 30 days, which is the stricter published figure.
How do I dispose of an expired New Mexico notary stamp?
On resignation, revocation, expiration, or the expiration of the date on the device, “disable the stamping device by destroying, defacing, damaging, erasing or securing it against use in a manner that renders it unusable.” The same duty falls on a personal representative or guardian.
More on retiring an old device in how to dispose of an expired notary stamp.
Can I notarize electronically or remotely in New Mexico?
Remote online notarization requires a separate application and approval: you must submit the prescribed form and receive approval before you may remotely notarize anything. You use the same electronic signature and stamp for all electronic acts, and a copy of that stamp goes to the Secretary of State within 45 days of authorization and before your first remote act. A journal is required and kept ten years after the last act, with electronic journals stored securely, recoverable, tamper-evident and producible as PDF.
If you need your seal as an image file for electronic work, see electronic notary seal images.
Who is allowed to sell you a New Mexico notary seal?
No rule restricts who may sell you a New Mexico stamp, but two requirements shape the order anyway. The stamp must reproduce the great seal of the State of New Mexico, which a generic template will not include, and a copy must be filed with the Secretary of State before your first act and within 45 days of commissioning or renewal. Order early enough to leave room for that filing.
Related New Mexico 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 contact us and we will check your wording against the statute before we make it.
Frequently asked questions about New Mexico notary seals
Is a notary stamp required in New Mexico?
Yes. The duty is in the certificate section: a stamp shall be affixed to or embossed on the certificate for a tangible record. New Mexico went further than the uniform act it adopted, using “shall” where the model text says “may” for other notarial officers.
Does a New Mexico notary stamp really need the state seal?
Yes, and this is the most commonly botched element in the state. The statutory definition of your official notary seal is the great seal of the State of New Mexico. Because most states ban the state seal from notary stamps, a supplier working from general knowledge will confidently build you a non-compliant New Mexico stamp.
What else has to appear on a New Mexico stamp?
Your name, your commission number, your commission expiration date, and the words “Notary Public” and “State of New Mexico”. The wording and the 10-point type requirement come from the administrative rule rather than the statute.
Do I have to register my stamp in New Mexico?
Yes, and people miss this. Your stamp must be filed with the Secretary of State before you perform your first notarial act, and within 45 days of being commissioned or renewed. A New Mexico notary who buys a stamp and starts working without filing a copy is non-compliant from the very first act.
What size must a New Mexico notary stamp be?
No dimensions or shape are prescribed. The only size rule is the 10-point type requirement, which is easy to breach on a crowded die given how much has to fit.
What ink does New Mexico require?
No color is specified, but the stamp must be applied in permanent ink and be capable of being photocopied. A related rule asks you to make sure the signer uses permanent ink in a photo-reproducible color too.
Do I need a new stamp when my New Mexico commission is renewed?
Yes, necessarily, since both your commission number and your expiration date are on it. Remember to file the new stamp within 45 days of renewal.
What if my New Mexico stamp is lost or stolen?
The statute says notify the Secretary of State promptly; the official handbook says within 30 days. We are flagging the mismatch rather than picking one. Work to the 30 days.
