Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Molly, VP Marketing at Acorn Sales, against Title 1, chapter 5, part 6 of the Montana Code Annotated and the Secretary of State’s published stamp prescription on 20 September 2026 · Updated 20 September 2026
Montana requires a notary stamp on every act, in blue or black ink by statute, and that mandate covers your signature too. The stamp is rectangular, roughly 1 by 2.5 inches, with a required border, and carries your printed name, the title “Notary Public for the State of Montana”, the words “Residing at” followed by your city or town, and your expiration date in full. That residence line trips up nearly every out-of-state stamp maker.
Montana notary stamp requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Montana rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp required | Yes | Mont. Code Ann. §§ 1-5-609(1)(b)(vii), 1-5-616 |
| Required wording | Your printed name; The title “Notary Public for the State of Montana”; The words “Residing at” followed by your city or town; Your commission expiration date, written as month, day and four-digit year; A rectangular border, which is a required part of the stamp | Mont. Code Ann. § 1-5-616(2)(a) |
| Size and shape | Rectangular, approximately 1 inch by 2.5 inches, with a required border. | Mont. Code Ann. § 1-5-616(2)(b) (delegation) |
| Ink color | Blue or black, by statute. | Mont. Code Ann. §§ 1-5-616(1)(c), 1-5-616(2)(b) |
| Embosser | Supplement only. | Mont. Code Ann. § 1-5-616(2)(b) |
| Commission term | Terms run four years, and renewal is a full new application with an exam, education and a $25,000 assurance, filed within 30 days before or after expiry. | Mont. Code Ann. §§ 1-5-619(4)(f), (5), 1-5-617(2)(a) |
| Name or address change | Notify the Secretary of State within 30 calendar days of any change of name, physical address or mailing address. | Mont. Code Ann. §§ 1-5-619(4)(f), (5), 1-5-617(2)(a) |
| Lost or stolen stamp | Notify the Secretary of State promptly. | Mont. Code Ann. § 1-5-617(2)(a), (2)(b), (3) |
| Commissioning authority | The Montana Secretary of State | Title 1, chapter 5, part 6 of the Montana Code Annotated |
Rules for other states are on notary stamp requirements by state.
Is a notary stamp required in Montana?
Yes, on every notarial act, and the duty sits in the certificate section rather than the one describing the stamp: the certificate must “contain the impression or electronic image of the notary public’s official stamp or the notarial officer’s seal.” Section 1-5-616 lists contents and imposes no duty of its own.
The governing text is Mont. Code Ann. §§ 1-5-609(1)(b)(vii), 1-5-616.
What must appear on a Montana notary stamp?
- Your printed name
- The title “Notary Public for the State of Montana”
- The words “Residing at” followed by your city or town
- Your commission expiration date, written as month, day and four-digit year
- A rectangular border, which is a required part of the stamp
The statute itself asks only for your name, title, city of residence and expiration date, and then delegates the format to the Secretary of State. Everything else above comes from that prescription, which is why it binds even though you will not find it in the code. Two details catch out-of-state stamp makers: the “Residing at” line with your city or town, which few states use, and the mandatory rectangular border. The Secretary is also explicit that the expiration date must be complete and that it is “not acceptable to fill in the year.”
What size and shape must a Montana notary stamp be?
Rectangular, approximately 1 inch by 2.5 inches, with a required border. The statute is silent on dimensions and delegates the format, so this comes from the Secretary of State’s published prescription rather than from the code.
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 Montana notary stamp?
Blue or black, by statute. A physical stamp must “be in blue or black ink in a format prescribed by the secretary of state and capable of being copied”, and your signature on a tangible record must be in blue or black too. One source of confusion worth clearing up: the recording statute exempts a notary acknowledgment from its own color and margin rules, and an embossed seal from the margin rules. That is a concession at the recorder’s counter only. The notary act’s blue-or-black mandate still governs you.
More on the trade-off in stamp ink color rules.
Is a notary embosser required or optional in Montana?
Supplement only. The statute requires the stamp to be in blue or black ink and capable of being copied, which a raised uninked impression cannot satisfy. The recording statute acknowledges that embossed seals exist, for margin purposes, but nothing makes one a substitute for the inked stamp.
Notary embossing seal kits and inked stamp kits cover both formats. See also notary stamp vs. embosser.
Montana wants your town on the stamp, and blue or black ink by law
Two Montana requirements produce more non-compliant stamps than anything else, and both come from places people do not look.
The “Residing at” line. A Montana stamp carries the words “Residing at” followed by your city or town. Almost no other state puts a place of residence on the die, so a generic template will not include it, and an out-of-state stamp maker working from the statute alone will not either, because the wording comes from the Secretary of State’s prescription rather than the code. The mandatory rectangular border is the same story.
Blue or black ink, by statute. This one is in the code, at 1-5-616(2)(b), and it covers your signature as well as your stamp. You will find a recording statute that exempts a notary acknowledgment from color rules, and it is real, but it is a concession at the recorder’s counter. It does not release you from the notary act.
One consequence of the residence line worth planning for: moving to a different city or town in Montana makes your stamp wrong immediately, not at your next renewal.
Do I need a new stamp when my commission is renewed or my name changes?
Terms run four years, and renewal is a full new application with an exam, education and a $25,000 assurance, filed within 30 days before or after expiry. A new stamp is required every term, and the Secretary of State says so plainly: notaries must purchase a new stamp for each term of office. There is a second, less obvious trigger: because the stamp carries “Residing at” with your city or town, moving towns forces a new stamp even mid-term.
Notify the Secretary of State within 30 calendar days of any change of name, physical address or mailing address. Remember the residence line: an address change that moves you to a different city or town means the stamp is wrong, not just the file.
What do I do if my Montana notary stamp is lost or stolen?
Notify the Secretary of State promptly. No day count is given, so do not import a number from a neighboring state.
How do I dispose of an expired Montana notary stamp?
On resignation, revocation, expiration, or the expiration of the date set out in the device, “disable the stamping device by destroying, defacing, damaging, erasing, or securing the stamping device against use.” A personal representative or guardian does the same on 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 Montana?
Authorized, and Montana asks more of you than most states before you begin. Before your first electronic act or act by communication technology you must notify the Secretary of State, identify the system for approval, and “complete a course of instruction approved by the secretary of state and pass an examination.” The electronic stamp must be “the same format, color, content, and approximate size as the tangible official stamp”. A journal is required for all acts, kept ten years, and an audio-video recording of every communication-technology act is kept ten years as well.
If you need your seal as an image file for electronic work, see electronic notary seal images.
Who is allowed to sell you a Montana notary seal?
Montana does not restrict who may sell you a stamp, but the Secretary of State maintains a list of recommended vendors who “have agreed to provide only the prescribed types of stamps to Montana notaries.” That is a voluntary arrangement rather than a licensing scheme. The practical point for you is that a supplier who does not know about the “Residing at” line and the required border will happily sell you a stamp you cannot use.
Related Montana 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 Montana notary seals
Is a notary stamp required in Montana?
Yes. The duty is in the certificate section rather than the one describing the stamp: the certificate must contain the impression or electronic image of the notary public's official stamp.
Does Montana require blue or black ink?
Yes, by statute, and this is one of the few states that legislates it. A physical stamp must be in blue or black ink and capable of being copied. Your signature on a tangible record must be blue or black as well, which catches people who sign in gel or colored pens.
What has to appear on a Montana notary stamp?
Your printed name; the title “Notary Public for the State of Montana”; the words “Residing at” followed by your city or town; your commission expiration date as month, day and four-digit year; and a rectangular border.
Why does my Montana stamp show my city?
Because the statute puts your city of residence among the required elements and the Secretary of State's prescription renders it as a “Residing at” line. Almost no other state does this, so a generic template will leave it off. It also means that moving to a different Montana city or town makes your stamp wrong immediately, not at your next renewal.
I read that Montana exempts notary seals from ink color rules. Is that right?
Only at the recorder's counter. The recording statute does exempt a notary acknowledgment from its own color and margin requirements. That is a concession about recording, not a release from the notary act, which independently requires blue or black.
What size must a Montana notary stamp be?
Rectangular, approximately 1 inch by 2.5 inches, with a border that is a required part of the stamp. The statute delegates the format, so these come from the Secretary of State's published prescription.
Do I need a new stamp when my Montana commission is renewed?
Yes. The Secretary of State states that notaries must purchase a new stamp for each term of office, and your expiration date is on the die in any case. Renewal is a full new application with an exam, education and a $25,000 assurance.
What if my Montana notary stamp is lost or stolen?
Notify the Secretary of State promptly. No day count is set, so do not rely on a figure carried over from another state.
