There is a lot of talk lately about Notary embossers. Can I use an embosser in addition to my ink stamp to prevent fraud? Can I use it apart from or instead of my ink stamp? And many more questions. Originally, Notaries used wax seals with symbols stamped into them in lieu of signatures - now we often see the term 'seal' on signature lines. In later centuries, ribbons were woven into holes placed in the margins of multi-page documents to tie the pages together. And then those wax seals were placed over the ribbon knots to ensure no page swapping occurred. Wax seals were eventually replaced with the embosser. Embossers were heavy-duty desk equipment and couldn't be easily carried around like we do today. It is a round seal made to crimp paper so that a raised imprint of the Notary's name appears. Those embossers were used to mark all the pages of a document at the same time...10-pages placed in between the plates and a colossal feat of strength was needed to complete the embossment. Embossers used to be the only official type of seal in use until it became important to be able to see the actual seal on a photo copy or scanned version of the document. So the imprint was darkened by shading with a pencil or a special ink pad that is lightly pressed against the impression. Some states still use embossers as long as the impression has been darkened or is accompanied by an ink seal. Washington DC comes to mind as they require an inked embosser. Today approximately 30-states can use embossers along with a rubber ink stamp. Having an embosser in your tool kit can be a smart business decision for any Notary as some foreign recipients will reject documents from the US when only an ink-stamp is used. Foreign recipients may believe that the documents have not been properly notarized unless they have that raised imprint. And we are not even talking about the Apostille process here. Just a variety of documents that need to be notarized to be used abroad without the Apostille requirement. The countries that come to mind are Canada, India, and the Virgin Islands. Some even like the really official looking gold seal under the embossment. Some states do not require seals at all (your signature is your seal) - Connecticut, Not required but may choose to use one. New York, not required but will be required to print certain information on every notarial certificate. Kentucky, optional. Louisiana, optional. Vermont, optional or print additional information on certificates. Maine, optional but recommended on documents that leave the state. Michigan, optional. It is important to note that if the Notary is working as a loan signing agent, they will be required to use a stamp or seal that is photographically reproduceable. Some states give the either - or - option - A few of the states that give you this either-or-option have regulations that you cannot use them both at the same time, and others advise you to use both for extra fraud protection. Please make certain to check your state regulations for additional information; Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. And at least one state has a unique use of the notary embosser to 'secure a loose certificate'...Oregon Notary Public Guide says "An embosser is especially useful to affix the impression so that it rests half on the certificate and half on the signer's page. Make sure that the whole impression is also on the certificate so that an auditor can compare the divided impression to the whole". Other states, like California say "Your official seal must be placed in its entirety on the same page as the notarial certificate. Do not place an impression of the seal on every page of a document or fan the pages of the document and place an impression of the seal across all pages. California notaries may use an embosser as long as the impression is photographically reproduceable. Here's what you need to know before you start using an embosser as a Notary Public. Check your state regulations to see if you can use an embosser. If your state says "either-or" then you may have to choose between one or the other and cannot use both. If your regulations say you must have an ink seal but can use an embosser in addition to your ink seal, make sure you are clear how you can use that embosser. It can be very useful to mark all the pages of a multi-page document, like a Last Will and Testament to prevent page swapping after Grandma dies, but only in states where the embosser is not an official seal of office. Some states authorize you to emboss the original document together with a loose certificate. NNA recommends that you write "original Document Has Embossment". This will let the receiving party know that they should find an embossment on the original document and if it isn't there, then it is not the document that was notarized. DOWNLOAD THE NOTARY SEAL / EMBOSSER REQUIREMENTS BY STATE BY CLICKING HERE (UPDATED 2023). Just be certain that you understand your state regulations regarding the use of an embosser alone or in conjunction with your ink seal. I have included a link with some information about seals and embossers for all 50-states. But please realize that this information is subject to change at any time, so always double check you state regulations. You also may need additional clarifying information from your licensing agency on how you can incorporate an embosser in your work as a Notary Public.
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