Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against ORS chapter 194, OAR chapter 160 division 100 and the Secretary of State’s Oregon Notary Public Guide on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
Oregon requires a notary stamp on every paper notarial act, and two things about ordering one are unlike anywhere else. The stamp carries the Oregon state seal itself, along with “Official Stamp”, your printed name, “Notary Public” and “Oregon”, your commission number and your expiration date with the month spelled out in full. And no Oregon vendor may make it without your Certificate of Authorization from the Secretary of State. Almost none of this is in the statute; it lives in the administrative rules.
Oregon notary stamp requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Oregon rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp required | Yes | ORS 194.280(3), (8) |
| Required wording | The state seal of Oregon; The words “Official Stamp”; Your printed name; The words “Notary Public” and “Oregon”, punctuated exactly as your Certificate of Authorization shows them; “Commission No.” followed by your commission number; “My Commission Expires” followed by the date, with the month spelled out in full | OAR 160-100-0100(1) |
| Size and shape | Not addressed. | ORS 194.290 |
| Ink color | Not addressed for the stamp. | ORS ch. 194 and OAR 160-100 (silent) |
| Embosser | Permitted only as a supplement, and Oregon goes further than most by writing an embosser out of the definition entirely: “Stamping device…does not include an ink-less embosser or crimper.” A notary “may use an embosser in the performance of a notarial act but only in addition to” the official stamp. | OAR 160-100-0120(1), 160-100-0130(1) to (4) |
| Commission term | Terms run four years, and a new stamp is required at every renewal, enforced structurally rather than by exhortation. | ORS 194.315 |
| Name or address change | Notify the Secretary of State within 30 days of a change to your legal name, official signature, public records address, electronic notarization technology, state of residency, or Oregon place of employment. | ORS 194.315 |
| Lost or stolen stamp | The statute says promptly; the rule says ten days, and you should work to the ten. | ORS 194.295(2), (3), (4) |
| Commissioning authority | The Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division | ORS chapter 194, OAR chapter 160 division 100 |
Rules for other states are on notary stamp requirements by state.
Is a notary stamp required in Oregon?
Yes, on every notarial act for a paper record: “if a notarial act regarding a tangible record is performed by a notary public, an official stamp must be affixed to the certificate”, and the rules put it even more simply, that a notary “shall use the notary public’s official stamp to perform a notarial act.” There is one exception, and it is a substitution rather than a waiver: the stamp is not required on subdivision, partition or condominium plats, where a precisely worded typed legend takes its place.
The governing text is ORS 194.280(3), (8); OAR 160-100-0110(1); ORS 194.290(2).
What must appear on an Oregon notary stamp?
- The state seal of Oregon
- The words “Official Stamp”
- Your printed name
- The words “Notary Public” and “Oregon”, punctuated exactly as your Certificate of Authorization shows them
- “Commission No.” followed by your commission number
- “My Commission Expires” followed by the date, with the month spelled out in full
Almost none of that is in the statute, which is the single most important thing to know about ordering an Oregon stamp. ORS 194.290 asks only for your name, jurisdiction, expiration date, “other information required by the Secretary of State by rule”, and a legible imprint capable of being copied. The state seal, the exact wording, the descending order, the commission number and the spelled-out month all come from the administrative rule. Because an Oregon vendor must reproduce your details exactly as your Certificate of Authorization shows them, treat that certificate as the authority on spacing and punctuation rather than any example you find online, ours included. The month must be written out, not abbreviated, with a two-digit date and a four-digit year. The electronic stamp uses the same elements but does not carry the state seal.
What size and shape must an Oregon notary stamp be?
Not addressed. The sources here are ORS 194.280, 194.290 and 194.295, the rules at OAR 160-100-0100 through 0160, and the official Oregon Notary Public Guide. There is no dimension, shape or border requirement. The only constraints are a “reasonably legible imprint” that is “capable of being photocopied or reproduced.”
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 Oregon notary stamp?
Not addressed for the stamp. The words ink, color and black do not appear anywhere in ORS chapter 194, and the rules are silent too. Two things get misreported here. The official Guide does mention ink, but about your handwritten signature, saying black or dark blue is preferable and any dark color is permissible. And some county recording standards require black ink while attributing it to a recording statute whose text does not actually say so. The honest position: black is county recording practice in Oregon, not notary law.
More on the trade-off in stamp ink color rules.
Is a notary embosser required or optional in Oregon?
Permitted only as a supplement, and Oregon goes further than most by writing an embosser out of the definition entirely: “Stamping device…does not include an ink-less embosser or crimper.” A notary “may use an embosser in the performance of a notarial act but only in addition to” the official stamp. You may not emboss over any signature or over writing in a certificate, and you may not use any other object in lieu of the official stamp. Because the embosser is not a stamping device, the lost-and-stolen and disposal duties do not attach to it.
Notary embossing seal kits and inked stamp kits cover both formats. See also notary stamp vs. embosser.
No Oregon vendor may make your stamp without your Certificate of Authorization
Oregon is the strictest state in the country about who may manufacture a notary stamp, and the duty falls on the vendor rather than on you.
When you are commissioned, the Secretary of State issues a Certificate of Authorization. The rule then provides that “Only upon presentation by the notary public of the Certificate of Authorization is a vendor authorized to provide the notary with the official stamp”, and a vendor who supplies one without it faces a civil penalty of $500 per violation. Vendors must reproduce the information exactly as it appears on the certificate: they may not fix a misspelled name at your request, add spacing, or work from a certificate showing signs of tampering. A correction means you go back to the Secretary of State for a corrected certificate.
The state’s own Guide puts the point to notaries bluntly: “If the vendor does not require your commission certificate, DO NOT use that vendor: they are unethical at best, and may be participating in, or at least encouraging, notarial fraud.” Have your certificate ready when you order, and expect us to ask for it. Embossers are exempt, since they are optional.
Two more Oregon details that catch people at the ordering stage. Your stamp must carry the Oregon state seal itself, which is not something a generic template will include, and your expiration date must have the month spelled out in full, not abbreviated. Both come from the administrative rule rather than the statute, so a page quoting only ORS 194.290 will leave you with a non-compliant stamp.
Do I need a new stamp when my commission is renewed or my name changes?
Terms run four years, and a new stamp is required at every renewal, enforced structurally rather than by exhortation. Your commission number and expiration date are both on the stamp and both change. More than that, you physically cannot order one without the state’s paperwork: on appointment the Secretary of State sends a Certificate of Authorization “with which the person appointed shall obtain an official stamp”, issued after your oath of office is accepted. New commission, new oath, new certificate, new stamp.
Notify the Secretary of State within 30 days of a change to your legal name, official signature, public records address, electronic notarization technology, state of residency, or Oregon place of employment. A name change needs a notarized statement on the prescribed form. It also means a new stamp, because your printed name is a required element, and therefore a new Certificate of Authorization before any vendor can make it.
What do I do if my Oregon notary stamp is lost or stolen?
The statute says promptly; the rule says ten days, and you should work to the ten. Within ten days of discovering the device is lost, misplaced or stolen you deliver or mail the Secretary of State a written statement under oath or affirmation, saying which it is, when you discovered it, that you no longer possess it and do not know who does, and committing to notify the office within ten days if it turns up. The same statement requests a replacement Certificate of Authorization, without which no vendor may make you a new stamp.
How do I dispose of an expired Oregon notary stamp?
Disable the device by destroying, defacing, damaging, erasing or securing it against use, on resignation, revocation or expiration, or on the expiration date set out in the stamp itself. On death or adjudication of incompetency the personal representative, guardian, conservator, trustee “or any other person knowingly in possession” does the same.
More on retiring an old device in how to dispose of an expired notary stamp.
Can I notarize electronically or remotely in Oregon?
Both are authorized and they are two separate filings. For electronic records you notify the Secretary of State and identify the technology, and the filing is detailed: vendor details, a statement under penalty of perjury that your method meets the National Electronic Notarization Standards, and a sample notarized record in PDF showing your stamp, signature and certificate. Remote notarization requires separate training and its own application, attaching a copy of the electronic stamp and signature generated by your remote vendor, and you must wait for approval. Audio-visual recordings are kept at least ten years. A journal is mandatory and kept ten years after the last act, with detailed format rules, and on revocation it goes to the Secretary of State within 30 days.
If you need your seal as an image file for electronic work, see electronic notary seal images.
Who is allowed to sell you a Oregon notary seal?
Oregon restricts this more tightly than any other state, and the penalty lands on the seller. A vendor may provide an official stamp only on presentation of your Certificate of Authorization from the Secretary of State, and supplying one without it carries a civil penalty of $500 per violation. The vendor must reproduce your details exactly as the certificate shows them, with no corrections made at your request, and a replacement certificate is required before a stamp can be remade after theft, wear or damage. Send us your Certificate of Authorization with your order.
Related Oregon 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 Oregon notary seals
Is a notary stamp required in Oregon?
Yes for paper records: if a notarial act regarding a tangible record is performed by a notary public, an official stamp must be affixed to the certificate. There is one exception, and it is a substitution rather than a waiver: the stamp is not required on subdivision, partition or condominium plats, where a precisely worded typed legend takes its place.
Do I need a Certificate of Authorization to buy an Oregon stamp?
Yes, and the duty is on the vendor. The rule provides that only on presentation of your Certificate of Authorization is a vendor authorized to provide you the official stamp, and a vendor who supplies one without it faces a $500 civil penalty per violation. Oregon's own Guide tells notaries that a vendor who does not ask for it should not be used.
What has to appear on an Oregon notary stamp?
The Oregon state seal, the words “Official Stamp”, your printed name, the words “Notary Public” and “Oregon”, “Commission No.” followed by your number, and “My Commission Expires” followed by the date. The month must be spelled out in full, with a two-digit date and a four-digit year.
Is any of that in the Oregon statute?
Barely. The statute asks only for your name, jurisdiction, expiration date, whatever else the Secretary of State requires by rule, and a legible imprint capable of being copied. The state seal, the exact wording, the order, the commission number and the spelled-out month all come from the rules. A page citing only the statute will leave you with a non-compliant stamp.
What ink color does Oregon require?
None for the stamp. The words ink, color and black do not appear anywhere in the notary chapter. Two things get misreported: the official Guide's ink comment is about your handwritten signature, and some county recording standards require black while attributing it to a statute whose text does not say so. Black is county recording practice in Oregon, not notary law.
Can I use an embosser in Oregon?
Only in addition to your stamp. Oregon writes the embosser out of the definition entirely, providing that a stamping device “does not include an ink-less embosser or crimper”. You may not emboss over a signature or over writing in a certificate.
Do I need a new stamp when my Oregon commission is renewed?
Yes, and you cannot avoid it. Your commission number and expiration date are both on the stamp and both change. Beyond that, a new commission means a new oath, which produces a new Certificate of Authorization, without which no vendor may make you a stamp.
What if my Oregon notary stamp is lost or stolen?
The statute says promptly; the rule says ten days, so work to the ten. You deliver or mail a written statement under oath saying which it is, when you discovered it, and that you no longer possess it. The same statement requests a replacement Certificate of Authorization, without which no new stamp can be made.
