Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against chapter 9B of the Iowa Code, IAC 721 chapter 43 and the Secretary of State’s notary handbook on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
Iowa is widely listed as a state that requires no notary seal. That is wrong under current law. A stamp must be affixed to or embossed on the certificate for every paper notarial act. The required wording is not what you expect either: Iowa wants the words “Notarial Seal” and “Iowa”, not “Notary Public” and not “State of Iowa”, plus your name and your commission number. The expiration date can be printed or left as a blank line.
Iowa notary stamp requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Iowa rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp required | Yes | Iowa Code § 9B.15(2)(a), (2)(b), (2)(c) |
| Required wording | Your name; The words “Notarial Seal”; The word “Iowa”; The words “Commission Number” followed by your number; The words “My Commission Expires” followed by the date or a blank line | Iowa Code § 9B.17(1)(a) |
| Size and shape | Not addressed. | Iowa Code §§ 9B.15 to 9B.21 and IAC 721 ch. 43 (silent) |
| Ink color | Not addressed for the stamp. | Iowa Code ch. 9B and IAC 721 ch. 43 (silent) |
| Embosser | Permitted as a full alternative on the face of the statute, which says the stamp may be “affixed to or embossed on” the certificate. | Iowa Code §§ 9B.15(2)(a), 9B.17(1)(b) |
| Commission term | Terms run three years for Iowa residents, and only one year for a resident of a bordering state working in Iowa, whose commission also ends if they stop working in Iowa. | Iowa Code §§ 9B.17(1)(a), (2), 9B.21(6)(a), (6)(b), 9B.21A |
| Name or address change | Not addressed. | Iowa Code §§ 9B.17(1)(a), (2), 9B.21(6)(a), (6)(b), 9B.21A |
| Lost or stolen stamp | Notify the commissioning officer promptly on discovering the device is lost or stolen. | Iowa Code § 9B.18(1), (2) |
| Commissioning authority | The Iowa Secretary of State | chapter 9B of the Iowa Code, IAC 721 chapter 43 |
Rules for other states are on notary stamp requirements by state.
Is a notary stamp required in Iowa?
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 must be affixed to or embossed on the certificate.” Be careful with the sentences that follow, because they are the source of a widespread error: for a notarial officer who is not a notary public, the same section says a stamp may be affixed. That permissive line is almost certainly why Iowa is so often reported as not requiring a seal. It does.
The governing text is Iowa Code § 9B.15(2)(a), (2)(b), (2)(c).
What must appear on an Iowa notary stamp?
- Your name
- The words “Notarial Seal”
- The word “Iowa”
- The words “Commission Number” followed by your number
- The words “My Commission Expires” followed by the date or a blank line
Read the required wording carefully, because it is not what most people assume. Iowa wants “Notarial Seal” and “Iowa”, not “Notary Public” and not “State of Iowa”. Your commission number is mandatory. And the expiration date has an option attached: you may print the date or leave a blank line. If you choose the blank line, the statute requires you to “print the date that the notary public’s term would ordinarily expire on the blank line imprinted on each record”, every single time. Judicial officers and certain law enforcement officers are exempt from having a stamp at all.
What size and shape must an Iowa notary stamp be?
Not addressed. The sources here are the certificate, stamp, security and journal sections of the act and the whole of the notary rules at IAC 721 chapter 43. No size, shape or border requirement exists.
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 Iowa notary stamp?
Not addressed for the stamp. Neither the act nor the rules mention ink, color or black. The rule that does reach recorded documents is in the county recorder statute and governs signatures: “All signatures on a document or instrument shall be in black or dark blue ink and of sufficient color and clarity to ensure that the signatures are readable when the document or instrument is reproduced from the record.” The same section requires each document to be legible enough to reproduce cleanly and tells you the recorder has no liability for a seal that runs past the margin.
More on the trade-off in stamp ink color rules.
Is a notary embosser required or optional in Iowa?
Permitted as a full alternative on the face of the statute, which says the stamp may be “affixed to or embossed on” the certificate. Iowa is unusually generous here. The practical caution still bites: the stamp must be “capable of being copied”, and recorded documents must reproduce clearly, so a raised uninked impression will fail in practice even though the statute allows the device. Use an inked stamp and keep the embosser as a supplement.
Notary embossing seal kits and inked stamp kits cover both formats. See also notary stamp vs. embosser.
Iowa does require a seal, and the wording is not what you expect
Iowa is regularly listed as a state where no notary seal is required. That is wrong under current law, and it is worth understanding how the error happens, because the same pattern misleads people about several states.
Section 9B.15(2)(a) is unambiguous: for a tangible record notarized by a notary public, a stamp must be affixed to or embossed on the certificate. The two subsections that follow then say a stamp may be affixed by a notarial officer who is not a notary public, meaning a judge or clerk. Someone skimming lands on the permissive sentence and concludes Iowa is optional. It is not, for you.
The second Iowa surprise is the wording. The statute requires the words “Notarial Seal” and “Iowa”. Not “Notary Public”, not “State of Iowa”. Your commission number is mandatory too. A stamp built from the usual template is wrong on two counts.
Then there is the blank-line option, which is a real choice rather than a quirk. Iowa lets your stamp carry either the printed expiration date or a blank line. The blank line survives renewal, and Iowa terms are only three years, so it saves money. The catch is in 9B.17(2): if you take the blank line you must write the date on every record. Notaries buy the cheaper stamp and then leave the line empty, which defeats the point and the certificate requirement with it.
Do I need a new stamp when my commission is renewed or my name changes?
Terms run three years for Iowa residents, and only one year for a resident of a bordering state working in Iowa, whose commission also ends if they stop working in Iowa. Whether you need a new stamp depends on a choice you made when you ordered. A stamp with the date printed on it must be replaced every three years. A stamp with a blank line carries across terms, at the cost of writing the date on every record by hand. Note also that your commission number is on the stamp and is reassigned in some renewals.
Not addressed. Neither the statute nor the rules set a deadline. The Secretary of State’s handbook says only that after a name change you may use the new name or continue with the former name through the end of your term, and that you should inform the office of a new home address.
What do I do if my Iowa notary stamp is lost or stolen?
Notify the commissioning officer promptly on discovering the device is lost or stolen. The Secretary of State phrases it as notifying the office immediately. No day count appears in either place.
How do I dispose of an expired Iowa notary stamp?
Not addressed. Iowa left out the disposal provision that most states took from the uniform act: the security section has only two subsections, covering control of the device and reporting a loss, and the handbook gives no destruction instruction either. Destroying an expired stamp remains sensible practice rather than a legal duty.
More on retiring an old device in how to dispose of an expired notary stamp.
Can I notarize electronically or remotely in Iowa?
Both authorized. For electronic records you notify the Secretary of State and identify the technology. Remote notarization needs a separate application under the rules, approval expires with your commission, and training must be completed in the six months before your first remote act. Audio-video recordings are kept at least ten years and the certificate must indicate that communication technology was used. Note what is absent: Iowa requires no journal for ordinary acts. The sources here are the chapter’s section index in full and there is no general journal provision.
If you need your seal as an image file for electronic work, see electronic notary seal images.
Related Iowa guides
- How to Find the Perfect Iowa Notary Seal and Stamp for Us
- Responsibilities When Using Iowa Notary Supplies
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 Iowa notary seals
Does Iowa require a notary seal?
Yes. Section 9B.15(2)(a) requires a stamp affixed to or embossed on the certificate for a tangible record notarized by a notary public. The reason Iowa is so often listed as a no-seal state is the two subsections that follow, which say a stamp may be affixed by a notarial officer who is not a notary public, meaning a judge or clerk. Skim those and you reach the wrong conclusion.
What has to appear on an Iowa notary seal?
Your name; the words “Notarial Seal”; the word “Iowa”; the words “Commission Number” followed by your number; and the words “My Commission Expires” followed by the date or a blank line.
Should my Iowa stamp have a printed date or a blank line?
Both are legal and it is a real trade. Iowa terms are only three years, so a printed date means a new stamp every three years. A blank line carries across terms. The catch is that the statute then requires you to write the expiration date on every record, and notaries who buy the blank-line stamp routinely leave the line empty.
How long does an Iowa notary commission last?
Three years for Iowa residents. A resident of a bordering state who works in Iowa gets only one year, and that commission ends if they stop working in Iowa.
What ink color does Iowa require?
None for the stamp. The rule that reaches recorded documents governs signatures: all signatures on a recorded instrument must be in black or dark blue ink, clear enough to reproduce. The recorder also has no liability for a seal that runs past the margin, so keep your impression inside the margins.
Can I use an embosser in Iowa?
The statute permits it outright, saying the stamp may be affixed to or embossed on the certificate, which is unusually generous. But the stamp must still be capable of being copied, and recorded documents must reproduce clearly, so a dry raised impression fails in practice. Use an inked stamp.
Does Iowa require a notary journal?
No. There is no general journal provision anywhere in chapter 9B. Audio-video recordings for remote acts are a separate matter and are kept at least ten years.
What do I do with my Iowa stamp when my commission ends?
Iowa left out the disposal provision most states adopted, so there is no legal command to destroy it. Destroying it anyway is sensible. A lost or stolen stamp should be reported promptly, with no day count specified.
