IL-Notary Official Seal and Stamp Specifications and Security Flashcards

An Illinois notary completes a notarization but forgets to apply the seal. The document has already been delivered to the recipient. What should the notary do?

Answer: Contact the recipient, retrieve the document, and affix the seal before it is used

A notarization without the seal is incomplete; the notary should retrieve the document to affix the seal, as the seal is a required element of a valid Illinois notarization.

When a third party—such as a bank—requires an embossed seal impression, what additional step can an Illinois notary take to ensure legibility?

Answer: Place a photocopy-ready ink stamp alongside the embossed impression

Because embossed impressions do not reproduce well on photocopies, notaries sometimes also apply an ink stamp near the embossed impression to ensure the seal is legible on copies.

How does Illinois law treat a notarization performed with a seal that contains an error—such as a misspelled county name?

Answer: The notarization may be challenged and could be deemed invalid

A seal with inaccurate information can call the notarization's validity into question and provide grounds to challenge or reject the document.

Which of the following is NOT a required element on an Illinois notary's official seal?

Answer: The notary's commission number

Illinois law requires the notary's name, 'Notary Public', 'State of Illinois', and county of commission, but does not require the commission number on the seal itself.

A notary stamp purchased by an Illinois employer for a former employee is still in the office after that employee leaves. What must the employer do with the stamp?

Answer: Destroy it or return it to the former notary for destruction

The seal belongs to the notary who held the commission; without that notary, the seal must be destroyed to prevent fraudulent use.

What is the primary security reason Illinois requires the notary's county of commission to appear on the official seal?

Answer: To enable verification of the notary's appointment within the correct jurisdiction

Including the county on the seal allows anyone examining the document to verify that the notary was properly commissioned in the stated jurisdiction.

An Illinois notary is asked to notarize a document and the signer wants the seal placed on a separate page rather than directly on the notarial certificate page. Should the notary comply?

Answer: No, the seal must appear directly on or with the notarial certificate

The seal must be affixed on or immediately adjacent to the notarial certificate to authenticate it; placing it on a separate unattached page creates risk of detachment and fraud.