The Situation: A somewhat irate client came into a notary’s office with a document over which the notary had performed a notarial act a week ago. The client told the notary that the document was rejected by the document recipient because they had to make photocopies of the document that showed the notary’s official seal. Questions, comments on this Hot Tip? Email Reproducible Seal Impressions You may use your embosser only in combination with your official ink-stamp seal. If you are a notary whose only authorized seal-making tool is the ink-stamp, but you also own an embosser, remember never to use your embosser in lieu of your ink-stamp seal for official notarial acts. Some states require your seal image to be photographically reproducible. If you use an embosser in one of these states, always remember to ink the raised seal image using a seal impression inker (available from ASN’s Online Store).Ĥ.
Never discard any intact die or insert. You need to deface or destroy the die/insert so the two halves cannot be salvaged and used to create a fraudulent seal impression. We suggest breaking the die/insert in two, using a heavy metal file to deface both halves of the die, and tossing them in separate trash bins.ģ. The part of the tool that makes the raised seal impression is called the “die” or “insert.” It can be removed from the body of the embosser and replaced by an updated one with each new commission term, if the body of the embosser is still in good working order.Ģ. Whether it’s the required notary seal imprinting tool or whether you use one by choice, the embosser is a special tool that requires thoughtful use and handling. Keep these tips in mind:ġ. notaries using only an ink-stamp... they feel the documents have not been properly executed unless they bear an embossed seal. Many notaries choose to use both an ink-stamp and an embosser for the imposing aspect of the embossed seal and the respect it commands. “Jack” Seth, ASN Director Emeritus, attorney and notary expert, wrote:Īlthough not accepted as an official notary seal in many states, research has confirmed that many consider the embosser to be more “official” and authoritative, and some foreign recipients have rejected documents from U.S. Virgin Islands). Elsewhere, many notaries elect to use an embosser in conjunction with their official notary stamp for the additional ceremonial impact that the raised seal impression achieves, and to help assure acceptance of notarized documents in other countries and jurisdictions. Virgin Islands). The embosser is the only authorized tool in two of those jurisdictions (District of Columbia, and the U>S. While convenience and the need for a reproducible image have made ink-stamps the predominant tool used by today’s notaries, the embosser is still authorized for use as an official notary seal in 30 states (includes the U.S. For traditionalists, nothing conveys the authority and beauty of an official notarial seal quite like the raised imprint created by a seal embosser. These long-time tools of the trade are still used by many notaries, and may be either handheld- or desktop-style.