Nevada Notary Stamp Requirements: Specs, Security, and Penalties

Nevada notary stamp requirements are set by NRS 240.040: the stamp must be a rectangle no larger than 1 inch by 2½ inches, printed in indelible, photographically reproducible ink, and it must display your full name, the phrase “Notary Public, State of Nevada,” your commission expiration date, and your certificate of appointment number.¹ Miss any of those elements and county recorders or banks can reject the documents you notarize, so it is worth getting the details right before you order.

What the Stamp Must Say

Four pieces of text are mandatory on every Nevada notary stamp:

Your full name, exactly as it appears on your Certificate of Appointment from the Nevada Secretary of State.
The phrase “Notary Public, State of Nevada.”
Your commission expiration date.
Your certificate of appointment number.

Two further elements are optional or situational. You may include the Great Seal of the State of Nevada if you want it. And if you hold a Nevada commission while living in an adjoining state, the stamp must include the word “nonresident.”¹

Shape, Size, and Ink

Nevada requires a rectangular stamp. Not a circle. The rectangle cannot exceed 1 inch by 2½ inches, and a border design is permitted but not required.¹ This is where notaries moving in from other states most often go wrong.

Ink must be indelible and photographically reproducible, so the impression comes through cleanly on copies and scans. The statute does not dictate a color; black is the most reliable in practice. An embossed notarial seal has not been required on Nevada documents since 1965.¹

You cannot place the stamp over printed material on the document. The impression needs to land on a clear area so every element remains legible. Note too that the statute defines “mechanical stamp” broadly enough to cover computer-generated imprints, so the physical device does not have to be a traditional hand stamp as long as the output meets every other specification.¹

Ordering Your Stamp

You cannot order the stamp until the Secretary of State has issued your Certificate of Appointment.² The certificate carries the exact name, commission number, and expiration date your vendor needs. Getting the commission in the first place requires posting a $10,000 surety bond with the clerk of the county where you live, or where you work if you are a nonresident commissioned in Nevada.³

Nevada does not require you to use a state-approved vendor. Any manufacturer can produce the stamp as long as the finished product meets the statutory specifications, and prices typically run between $20 and $45. A Nevada commission lasts four years, and the expiration date on your stamp will reflect that term.

Keeping the Stamp Secure, and Who Owns It

NRS 240.040 requires you to keep the stamp in a secure location whenever you are not actively performing a notarial act.¹ A locked drawer or cabinet is the standard approach. No one else should have access, and you should never let another person use the stamp, even under your supervision.

The stamp is your personal property under Nevada law regardless of who paid for it. NRS 240.143 makes it unlawful for anyone, including a former employer, to withhold your stamp, your journal, or your certificate of appointment.³ If you leave a job and the employer tries to keep the stamp because the company bought it, the statute is on your side.

If Your Stamp Is Lost, Damaged, or Your Information Changes

If the stamp is lost or inoperable, you have 10 days to submit a request to the Secretary of State for an amended certificate of appointment, using the state’s official form and paying a $10 fee. Once you receive the amended certificate, you must obtain a new stamp.⁴

A change in your legal name, mailing address, county of residence, or signature triggers a 30-day deadline to request an amended certificate, provided you intend to use the new information in your notarial duties. For nonresident notaries, a change in your Nevada place of business or employment counts too. Each request uses the Secretary of State’s official form and costs $10.⁵ When the amended certificate arrives, destroy the old stamp and order a new one reflecting the updated information.³ Failing to request the amended certificate can result in suspension of your commission.

When your commission ends through expiration or resignation, you are required to destroy the old stamp. NRS 240.051 specifically requires destruction upon resignation.³ The statute does not prescribe a method; the goal is to make the stamp unusable. Peeling the rubber from the base and cutting through the text and commission number is the standard practice. Tossing an intact stamp in the trash leaves it available for misuse.

A Note on Electronic Seals

These rules govern the physical rubber stamp. If you perform electronic or remote online notarizations, Nevada’s Electronic Notarization Enabling Act (NRS 240.181 through 240.206) imposes a separate regime covering electronic signatures, electronic seals, and tamper-evident technology.³ An electronic seal contains much of the same information as the physical stamp but is treated as a distinct tool with its own security and reporting rules, including a 10-day deadline to notify the Secretary of State if it is lost, stolen, or damaged.

Penalties for a Noncompliant or Misused Stamp

Under NRS 240.085, advertising or performing notarial acts in violation of the statute can draw a suspension of at least one year on a first or second offense, and revocation is mandatory on a third. Each violation can also carry a civil penalty of up to $2,000.⁶ A criminal conviction for willful violation or neglect of duty under NRS 240.150 brings a separate fine of up to $2,000 per violation. The $10,000 surety bond you posted to get your commission is available to compensate anyone harmed by notarial misconduct, up to the bond amount.³

1
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 240.040 – Use of Stamp; Embossed Notarial Seal Not Required; Requirements of Stamp; Storage of Stamp
2
Nevada Secretary of State. Notary
3
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code Chapter 240 – Notaries Public and Commissioned Abstracters
4
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 240.045 – Replacement of Lost or Inoperable Stamp; Prerequisite to Production of Stamp
5
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 240.036 – Amended Certificate of Appointment: Required for Certain Changes in Information; Suspension for Failure to Obtain; Fee; Issuance
6
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 240.085