Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against RSA chapters 455 and 456-B, RSA 478:4-a and the Secretary of State’s notary guidance on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
New Hampshire requires a seal on every notarial act, and you get a real choice of device: either an embossed seal or a rubber stamp. Whichever you use must state your name, the words “notary public, New Hampshire” and your commission expiration date. That last element is what makes the choice interesting, because the Secretary of State suggests putting the date on a separate rubber stamp so an embosser plate can outlive renewal after renewal. Terms run five years.
New Hampshire notary stamp requirements at a glance
| Requirement | New Hampshire rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp required | Yes | RSA 455:3, II |
| Required wording | Your name, The words “notary public, New Hampshire” and Your commission expiration date | RSA 455:3, II |
| Size and shape | Not addressed. | RSA 455:1 to 455:17 and RSA 456-B:1 to 456-B:11 (silent) |
| Ink color | Not addressed in the notary act, and we checked every section of both chapters. | RSA 455 and RSA 456-B (silent) |
| Embosser | Permitted as a full alternative, which puts New Hampshire at the opposite end from Colorado. | RSA 455:3, II |
| Commission term | Terms run five years. | RSA 455:1 |
| Name or address change | Not addressed by statute. | RSA 455:1 |
| Lost or stolen stamp | Notify the Secretary of State promptly. | RSA 456-B:8-a, II, III |
| Commissioning authority | The Governor, with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, with the Secretary of State handling applications and renewals | RSA chapters 455 |
Rules for other states are on notary stamp requirements by state.
Is a notary stamp required in New Hampshire?
Yes, on every notarial act, and the command sits in the powers section of the older notary chapter rather than in the modern one: “All notarial acts performed by a notary public with respect to a record shall be either under an embossed official seal or shall carry the legible imprint of an electronic or rubber official stamp stating the name of the notary, the words ‘notary public, New Hampshire’ and the expiration date of the notary public’s commission.” Note that the same sentence both imposes the duty and lists the contents.
The governing text is RSA 455:3, II; RSA 456-B:8-a, I(a).
What must appear on a New Hampshire notary stamp?
- Your name
- The words “notary public, New Hampshire”
- Your commission expiration date
The Secretary of State splits those three across two devices, and the split is worth understanding before you order. For an embossed seal the guidance lists your name, “Notary Public” and “New Hampshire”, and adds that “A separate rubber stamp should carry the expiration date of the notary public’s commission.” For a rubber stamp all four go on the one device. That is official guidance rather than statutory text, since RSA 455:3, II on its face wants the expiration date on whichever device you use.
What size and shape must a New Hampshire notary stamp be?
Not addressed. The sources here are the whole of RSA chapter 455 and the whole of RSA chapter 456-B, section by section. No dimension, no shape, no border, no diameter appears anywhere. The only standards are a “legible imprint” and, for the electronic or rubber stamp, being “capable of being copied” with the record.
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 Hampshire notary stamp?
Not addressed in the notary act, and we checked every section of both chapters. The rule that does reach you comes from the registries of deeds, which set document standards under RSA 478:4-a, II. Those standards are explicit about the notary: seals must be pressed firmly and clearly, and notary and justice of the peace expirations must be printed clearly in black ink. So New Hampshire notary law sets no color, but anything headed for a registry wants black. That is a county-level recording standard rather than a statewide statute, and the registries note that national standards are still being adopted.
More on the trade-off in stamp ink color rules.
Is a notary embosser required or optional in New Hampshire?
Permitted as a full alternative, which puts New Hampshire at the opposite end from Colorado. The statute offers a genuine choice: “either under an embossed official seal or… the legible imprint of an electronic or rubber official stamp.” There is a drafting wrinkle worth knowing. The “capable of being copied” requirement is written to apply to the electronic or rubber stamp and by its terms does not reach an embossed seal. That, plus the registries wanting the expiration date in black ink, is why the Secretary of State steers embosser users toward a companion rubber stamp.
Notary embossing seal kits and inked stamp kits cover both formats. See also notary stamp vs. embosser.
The New Hampshire embosser, and the separate date stamp
New Hampshire lets you choose: an embossed seal or a rubber stamp, either one satisfies the law. What the statute also does, in the very same sentence, is require the commission expiration date as part of whichever device you use. Put those together and an embosser becomes a five-year consumable, which is an expensive way to buy a metal die.
The Secretary of State’s answer is the configuration worth knowing: emboss your name, “Notary Public” and “New Hampshire”, none of which changes, and carry a separate rubber stamp for the expiration date. The plate survives renewal after renewal and you replace a small stamp every five years. There is a second reason to hold an inked stamp regardless: the registries of deeds require the notary expiration date in black ink, and a dry embossed impression does not satisfy that or reproduce well on a scan.
One more New Hampshire point that catches people. A journal is required only for remote notarizations. For ordinary in-person work New Hampshire asks for no journal at all, which is unusual and is the opposite of what notaries arriving from Pennsylvania or Oregon expect.
Do I need a new stamp when my commission is renewed or my name changes?
Terms run five years. A new stamp is needed at renewal because the expiration date is a mandatory element of the imprint. But note the configuration the Secretary of State recommends, because it saves money: an embosser plate that carries only your name, “Notary Public” and “New Hampshire” has nothing on it that changes, so only the companion expiration stamp needs replacing each term. That option does not exist in most states.
Not addressed by statute. The sources here are RSA 455:1, 455:2, 455:2-a and the whole of RSA 456-B and found no reporting section and no deadline. The Secretary of State asks you to notify the office of an address or name change during your term so that renewal paperwork reaches you, which is guidance rather than a rule.
What do I do if my New Hampshire notary stamp is lost or stolen?
Notify the Secretary of State promptly. There is no numeric deadline in New Hampshire, so do not rely on a thirty-day figure borrowed from another state.
How do I dispose of an expired New Hampshire notary stamp?
Disable the device by destroying, defacing, damaging, erasing or securing it against use, on resignation, revocation, expiration, death or incompetency.
More on retiring an old device in how to dispose of an expired notary stamp.
Can I notarize electronically or remotely in New Hampshire?
Authorized, and what you file is a notification rather than a separate commission: before your first act you must notify the Secretary of State and identify the technologies you intend to use. The electronic stamp has no separate content rule and points back to the same three elements. One technology requirement is easy to miss: New Hampshire requires a digital certificate meeting the X.509 standards or an industry equivalent. Audio-visual recordings are kept at least ten years. The journal rule is narrower than most people assume: a journal is required only for acts performed for a remotely located individual, not for ordinary in-person paper notarizations.
If you need your seal as an image file for electronic work, see electronic notary seal images.
Related New Hampshire 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 Hampshire notary seals
Is a notary seal required in New Hampshire?
Yes. The command is in the powers section of the older notary chapter rather than in the modern one: all notarial acts performed with respect to a record shall be either under an embossed official seal or shall carry the legible imprint of an electronic or rubber official stamp.
What has to appear on a New Hampshire notary seal?
Three things: your name, the words “notary public, New Hampshire”, and your commission expiration date.
Can I use an embosser in New Hampshire?
Yes, as a full alternative to a rubber stamp. The statute offers either device. But note that the “capable of being copied” requirement is written to apply to the electronic or rubber stamp and does not by its terms reach an embossed seal, and that the registries of deeds want the expiration date in black ink. That is why the Secretary of State steers embosser users toward a companion stamp.
Should I buy an embosser and a separate date stamp?
It is what the Secretary of State recommends and it usually saves money. Emboss your name, “Notary Public” and “New Hampshire”, none of which changes, and carry a separate rubber stamp for the expiration date. Your plate then survives renewals and you replace only a small stamp every five years.
What ink color does New Hampshire require?
The notary act specifies none. The rule that reaches you comes from the registries of deeds, whose document standards require notary and justice of the peace expirations to be printed clearly in black ink. So black is the safe choice for anything headed to a registry, though it is a county recording standard rather than a statewide statute.
Does New Hampshire require a notary journal?
Only for remote notarizations. For ordinary in-person paper work New Hampshire requires no journal at all, which surprises notaries arriving from states like Pennsylvania or Oregon where a journal is mandatory for every act.
What if my New Hampshire notary seal is lost or stolen?
Notify the Secretary of State promptly. There is no numeric deadline in New Hampshire, so do not rely on a thirty-day figure borrowed from another state.
Do justices of the peace need a seal in New Hampshire?
Not as a legal requirement. New Hampshire commissions both notaries and justices of the peace with overlapping authority, and the Secretary of State recommends rather than requires that a JP act under an official seal. A JP must still get their name and commission expiration onto the document by some means, so a JP stamp is a real product, just not a compelled one.
