Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against Neb. Rev. Stat. chapter 64 articles 1 through 4, 433 Neb. Admin. Code chapters 6 and 7, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 23-1503.01 and the Secretary of State’s notary FAQ on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
Nebraska uses wording no other state uses, and getting it wrong is the most common Nebraska mistake. The seal must read “State of Nebraska, General Notary” or “State of Nebraska, General Notarial”, along with your name as commissioned and your expiration date. A Nebraska stamp reading “Notary Public” does not match the operative statute. You must also have the seal before performing any duty of the office. And despite what you may read, Nebraska sets no size at all.
Nebraska notary stamp requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Nebraska rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp required | Yes | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 64-210(1), (2) |
| Required wording | The words “State of Nebraska, General Notary” or “State of Nebraska, General Notarial”, Your name as commissioned and The date your commission expires | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 64-210(1) |
| Size and shape | Not addressed, anywhere, by anything. | Neb. Rev. Stat. ch. 64 arts. 1 to 4 and 433 Neb. Admin. Code chs. 6 and 7 (all silent) |
| Ink color | No color is specified in the notary law. | Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 64-118, 64-210 and 433 NAC ch. 6 (silent on color) |
| Embosser | Not a substitute. | Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 64-210(1), (2), 64-118, 23-1503.01(3) |
| Commission term | Terms run four years, and you renew “within thirty days prior to the date of expiration” by filing a renewal application, the fee and a new bond. | Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 64-101, 64-104, 64-105.04, 64-114, 64-210(1), (3) |
| Name or address change | Two different rules here, and they do not match. | Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 64-101, 64-104, 64-105.04, 64-114, 64-210(1), (3) |
| Lost or stolen stamp | Not addressed for a paper seal. | Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 64-112, 64-113(1), (2) |
| Commissioning authority | The Nebraska Secretary of State, Business Services Division | Neb. Rev. Stat. chapter 64 articles 1 through 4, 433 Neb. Admin. Code chapters 6 |
Rules for other states are on notary stamp requirements by state.
Is a notary stamp required in Nebraska?
Yes, before you perform any duty of the office at all, and then on every act you perform: “Each notary public, before performing any duties of his or her office, shall provide himself or herself with an official ink stamp seal on which shall appear the words State of Nebraska, General Notary or State of Nebraska, General Notarial, his or her name as commissioned, and the date of expiration of his or her commission.” The next subsection closes the loop: a notary “shall authenticate all of his or her official acts with such seal”.
The governing text is Neb. Rev. Stat. § 64-210(1), (2).
What must appear on a Nebraska notary stamp?
- The words “State of Nebraska, General Notary” or “State of Nebraska, General Notarial”
- Your name as commissioned
- The date your commission expires
Read the first item exactly as the statute writes it, because it is the element Nebraska stamps most often get wrong. The statute offers two phrasings and no others, and “Notary Public” is not one of them. No county is required, and no commission number. The administrative rules add conduct requirements rather than face elements: the impression must be “clear and legible”, “The seal and signature may not be affixed over printed material or other signatures on the document”, and “Notaries Public must obtain a new seal each time the commission is renewed which includes the new commission dates.” The Secretary of State’s FAQ confirms the same elements and adds placement advice only, suggesting you strike the seal in the general area of your signature.
What size and shape must a Nebraska notary stamp be?
Not addressed, anywhere, by anything. Nebraska sets no size, no shape and no border requirement for a paper notary seal, and this is the Nebraska fact most often published incorrectly. Sections read and found silent: Neb. Rev. Stat. chapter 64 article 1 (§§ 64-101 through 64-119), article 2 (§§ 64-201 through 64-215), article 3, the Electronic Notary Public Act (§§ 64-301 through 64-317), article 4, the Online Notary Public Act (§§ 64-401 through 64-420), all of 433 Neb. Admin. Code chapter 6 (§§ 001 through 008), 433 NAC chapter 7, and the Secretary of State’s notary FAQ. Word searches for inch, size, shape, rectangular, border and emboss return nothing in chapter 64 or in 433 NAC chapter 6. Nebraska regulates content, not dimensions: any stamp that legibly carries the three required elements complies. A published Nebraska stamp size is a product convention, and we will not describe one to you as a legal requirement.
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 Nebraska notary stamp?
No color is specified in the notary law. The only hits for ink in the whole of chapter 64 are § 64-118, which allows officers generally “either an engraved or ink stamp seal”, and § 64-210, which requires an “official ink stamp seal”. Both describe the medium and neither describes a color, and 433 NAC chapter 6 has no hits for ink, black or color at all. The rule that does reach you sits in the recording statute: an instrument submitted to a register of deeds must be “printed, typewritten, or computer-generated in black ink on a white background”, each signature must be in black or dark blue ink, the whole instrument must reproduce legibly, and “An embossed or inked stamp shall not cover or otherwise materially interfere with any part of the instrument.” That section never uses the words seal or notary, so it does not by its terms set your stamp’s color. It does set your signature’s color and it makes stamp placement a recording defect enforced by the register of deeds. Black is the safe default for anything headed to a county.
More on the trade-off in stamp ink color rules.
Is a notary embosser required or optional in Nebraska?
Not a substitute. Section 64-210(1) names an “official ink stamp seal” and § 64-210(2) requires every official act to be authenticated with that seal. Section 64-118 does authorize engraved seals for public officers generally, but the Legislature’s own cross-reference note on § 64-118 points to § 64-210 for the notary-specific requirements, and the notary-specific statute controls. Nothing prohibits keeping an embosser alongside, and nothing blesses it either. Note too that § 23-1503.01(3) warns that an embossed stamp must not cover or materially interfere with a recordable instrument. Buy the ink stamp; an embosser is decoration.
Notary embossing seal kits and inked stamp kits cover both formats. See also notary stamp vs. embosser.
Nebraska says “General Notary”, not “Notary Public”
This is the single most-missed fact about Nebraska stamps, and it is the one that decides whether the die you order matches the statute.
Section 64-210(1) prescribes the wording in so many words: the seal must carry “the words State of Nebraska, General Notary or State of Nebraska, General Notarial”. Those are the only two phrasings the statute offers. A Nebraska stamp reading “Notary Public” does not match the operative statute, however familiar that phrase looks and however many other states use it. If you have a stamp in hand, look at the top line before you look at anything else.
The second half of the Nebraska story is what the statute leaves alone. There is no size rule, no shape rule and no border rule for the paper seal, from the statute, the rules or the Secretary of State’s FAQ. Nebraska tells you what the seal must say and then stops. So the compliance question in Nebraska is entirely a wording question, which is a relief once you know it and a trap until you do.
One oddity to keep straight if you also register as an electronic notary. Your electronic seal uses completely different wording, “Electronic Notary Public” and “Nebraska”, and it does need a border. A Nebraska e-notary ends up with two differently worded seals, on purpose.
Do I need a new stamp when my commission is renewed or my name changes?
Terms run four years, and you renew “within thirty days prior to the date of expiration” by filing a renewal application, the fee and a new bond. A new seal is required at every renewal, and Nebraska says so twice. It follows from the face of the seal, since the commission expiration date is a mandatory element and a renewed commission makes the old die facially false. And it is stated outright by rule: “Notaries Public must obtain a new seal each time the commission is renewed which includes the new commission dates.”
Two different rules here, and they do not match. An address change goes to the Secretary of State “no later than forty-five days” after the move, on the Notary Public Request to Change Record form, with no fee. A name change has no deadline at all, and you may keep working under the old name: a notary whose name is legally changed “may continue to act as such notary public” under the original commission, seal and name until it expires, with the bond continuing in effect so long as the original name is used. If you want the new name mid-term you file a Change of Signature or Name Application, unless the change falls within thirty days of expiry, in which case you put it on the renewal application instead. The Secretary of State’s advice is sound: update your record before ordering a stamp in the new name.
What do I do if my Nebraska notary stamp is lost or stolen?
Not addressed for a paper seal. Searching lost and stolen across all of chapter 64 returns only the electronic provisions at § 64-310(4) and the online provisions at § 64-410(4). There is no reporting duty and no deadline for a physical stamp. The only security language in the rules is that “The seal should be secured and only accessible by the Notary Public.” The Secretary of State’s practical answer is to order a replacement commission certificate through the notary portal for $10 and then buy a new stamp.
How do I dispose of an expired Nebraska notary stamp?
This is where Nebraska is sharper than almost anywhere else, and it applies on removal or revocation rather than on ordinary expiry. Within fifteen days after removal or revocation and notice of it, you must “deposit, with the Secretary of State, the commission as notary public and notarial seal”, and failing to do so “shall subject him or her to a penalty of one thousand dollars, to be recovered in the name of the state.” Moving out of Nebraska terminates the term and requires notice to the Secretary of State, and a non-resident notary who loses the Nebraska employment that qualified them returns the commission certificate and seal. On ordinary expiration there is no duty at all: no Nebraska statute or rule requires you to destroy or surrender a stamp that merely runs out. The sources here are §§ 64-112, 64-113, 64-118, 64-210 and 433 NAC chapter 6 in full.
More on retiring an old device in how to dispose of an expired notary stamp.
Can I notarize electronically or remotely in Nebraska?
Nebraska runs two separate acts and two separate registrations, both on top of your base commission. The Electronic Notary Public Act covers in-person acts on electronic records and needs registration with the Secretary of State, a course and an examination, with a fee capped at $100 and a registration term matching your commission. The Online Notary Public Act covers remote acts and needs its own registration naming your technology provider, its own course and exam, and it keeps recordings at least ten years plus a backup. The electronic seal is where Nebraska surprises people: by rule it carries your “name exactly as commissioned”, the words “Electronic Notary Public”, the word “Nebraska” and the commission expiration date, and its “perimeter… is to contain a border”. Different wording from your paper seal, and a border your paper seal does not need. A stolen or unusable electronic seal is reported within 10 days; theft or vandalism of an online seal or record is reported immediately. Nebraska imposes no journal duty for tangible notarizations.
If you need your seal as an image file for electronic work, see electronic notary seal images.
Related Nebraska guides
- Understanding Nebraska Notary Supplies and How to Use Them
- How to Choose the Right Notary Seal Nebraska for Your Needs
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 Nebraska notary seals
Is a notary seal required in Nebraska?
Yes, and before you do anything else: each notary public, “before performing any duties of his or her office”, shall provide themselves with a seal. It is then used on every act you perform.
Does a Nebraska stamp say Notary Public?
No, and this is the single most important thing on this page. The statute requires “State of Nebraska, General Notary” or “State of Nebraska, General Notarial”. A stamp reading “Notary Public” does not match the operative wording, even though that is what most templates produce.
What else has to appear on a Nebraska notary seal?
Your name as commissioned and the date your commission expires, alongside the General Notary or General Notarial wording.
What size must a Nebraska notary seal be?
No size, no shape and no border are required. Nebraska is silent, and we checked the statute chapter in full, the administrative rules and the Secretary of State's FAQ. Any page quoting a Nebraska stamp size as a legal requirement is inventing it.
What ink color does Nebraska require?
None is specified in the notary law. The recording statute addresses the color and reproducibility of signatures rather than your stamp, so choose a color that copies cleanly.
Do I need a new seal when my Nebraska commission is renewed?
Yes, because your expiration date is on the seal. Note the renewal window: you renew “within thirty days prior to the date of expiration”, filing a renewal application, the fee and a new bond.
What do I do with my Nebraska seal when my commission expires?
Nebraska does not address disposal on ordinary expiration, and sets no lost-or-stolen reporting duty for a paper seal either. Destroying an expired seal is prudent practice rather than a legal command.
Can anyone sell me a Nebraska notary seal?
Yes. Nebraska places no restriction on who may make or sell one, unlike Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Mississippi or Guam.
