Tennessee Notary Seal Requirements: Design, Ink, and Use

Tennessee notary seal requirements are set by the Secretary of State: a circular rubber ink stamp showing your name exactly as commissioned at the top, your county of election at the bottom, and the words “State of Tennessee Notary Public” or “Tennessee Notary Public” in the center, imprinted in a color other than black or yellow that still reproduces as black on a standard copier.¹ You pay for the seal yourself, and the law puts a duty on you to surrender it when your commission ends.²

What the Seal Must Show

The prescribed design is circular. Three elements have to appear on it:

Your name at the top, spelled exactly as it reads on your commission certificate.
The words “State of Tennessee Notary Public” or “Tennessee Notary Public” in the center.
The county where you were elected at the bottom.¹

The circular layout is the only one currently authorized. Rectangular Tennessee notary stamps sold by some vendors do not match what the Secretary of State has prescribed.

The name is where most mistakes happen. If the commission says “Elizabeth A. Smith,” your seal cannot read “Beth Smith” or “Elizabeth Ann Smith.” Any mismatch between the seal and the commission gives a county register or opposing party a reason to challenge the notarization. Check the spelling on the certificate before you place an order, and check it again when the stamp arrives.

Ink Color

The imprint has to be in a color other than black or yellow, readable to the eye, and dark enough that it comes through as black on a standard black-and-white copier.² Blue and purple are the common choices. The idea is to let a reviewer tell an original from a photocopy at a glance while keeping the seal legible when the document is copied.

The statute is more forgiving than people assume. Using the wrong ink color does not invalidate the notarization, and the notary faces no civil or criminal liability for it.² A county register or title company can still slow a filing down by questioning the seal, so getting the color right from the start saves trouble even though the penalty is zero.

Ink Stamp or Embosser

The current prescribed format is a rubber or similar ink stamp, not a traditional embossed impression.¹ Older embossed seals are grandfathered in. If you already use an embosser it remains valid through the end of your current commission term, and any acknowledgment made with an embossed seal after May 12, 2003, is not defective solely because it was embossed.²

When the current commission expires, switch to an ink stamp. New commissions should start with one. Embossed impressions can disappear on scans and photocopies, which is the practical reason Tennessee moved toward colored ink.

Expiration Date on the Stamp

Vendors often ask if you want your commission expiration date printed on the seal. Tennessee law does not require it.³ Including it tells a reviewer at a glance that the notarization happened within your active term. Leaving it off means you can keep the same stamp through a renewal if nothing else changes; you simply write the expiration date by hand on the certificate when needed.

Where to Buy the Seal

You cannot order a compliant seal until you have the commission in hand, because the stamp has to carry your commissioned name and county of election. Once the certificate arrives, two routes are open:

Order directly from a commercial vendor, usually a rubber stamp company or an office supply retailer that handles notary products. A self-inking stamp runs roughly $20 to $35 depending on the vendor.
Go through your county clerk, who can obtain the seal on your behalf and charge up to 20 percent above its cost.²

Either way, the vendor will ask for a copy of your commission certificate to verify details. When the stamp arrives, press it on a blank page and compare every element against the certificate: name, county, and the center wording. If anything is off, do not use it on a document until it is corrected. A seal with the wrong name is worse than no seal, because it puts a record into the world that does not match your commission.

Using the Seal on a Document

Place the stamp near your signature on the notarial certificate, on a clear area of the page. Keep it from overlapping your signature or any typed text. Recorders and title companies routinely reject documents where the seal covers critical information. Check the ink pad before stamping; faint or partial impressions invite rejection, especially at the register of deeds. On a multi-page document, the seal goes on the notarial certificate page, not on every page.

Electronic Seals

Tennessee recognizes electronic notarization, and the ink-color rule is satisfied for electronically transmitted documents as long as the document legibly reproduces every required element of the seal.² A physical or electronic image of the stamp does not have to accompany an electronic signature. A digital rendering of the seal embedded in the document works as long as all required elements are readable. Online notarization is a separate program with its own registration and rules under Department of State Chapter 1360-07-03; the seal rules above cover traditional and electronic documents, not remote online acts.

Protecting the Seal

The seal is your personal responsibility. Someone else holding it can commit fraud in your name, and the questions will come to you. Keep it in a locked drawer or cabinet when it is not in use, and do not let anyone else use it for any reason.

If the seal is lost or stolen, report the loss to your county clerk and to law enforcement right away. The police report fixes a date when the seal left your possession, which protects you if fraudulent notarizations show up later. Notify the Secretary of State’s office as well, and order a replacement.

Surrendering the Seal When the Commission Ends

This is the requirement that catches people off guard. When you resign or when your commission expires, you have to surrender the seal to the county legislative body. If you die in office, your representatives surrender it. The county legislative body then cancels the surrendered seal.²

Do not throw an old seal in the trash. Beyond the statutory duty, an intact stamp sitting in a bin is a fraud waiting to happen. If you are renewing and getting a new seal, surrender the old one when the new one arrives. If you are leaving the role, handle the surrender before your last day of active service.

1
Tennessee Secretary of State. What Are the Requirements for Notary Seals?
2
Justia. Tennessee Code 8-16-114 – Seal of Notary Public for the State of Tennessee – Imprinting of Seal – Electronic Image – Fee
3
Tennessee Secretary of State. Should I Have My Expiration Date Added to My Notary Stamp?