IL Notary IL-Notary Official Seal and Stamp Specifications and Security — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Under Illinois law, which shape is approved for a notary's official seal?

Circle only
Rectangle only
Either a circle or rectangle (Correct answer)
Any shape chosen by the notary

Correct answer: Either a circle or rectangle

Illinois law permits the official notary seal to be either circular or rectangular in form.

Question 2: What information must appear in an Illinois notary's official seal?

Name, 'Notary Public', 'State of Illinois', and county of commission (Correct answer)
Name, license number, and state seal
Name, commission number, and expiration date only
Name, employer, and city of practice

Correct answer: Name, 'Notary Public', 'State of Illinois', and county of commission

The Illinois Notary Public Act requires the seal to include the notary's name, the words 'Notary Public', 'State of Illinois', and the county where commissioned.

Question 3: An Illinois notary's employer demands the notary hand over the official seal at the end of each workday. Is this permissible?

Yes, the employer owns the seal because they paid for it
No, the seal belongs solely to the notary and must remain in the notary's custody (Correct answer)
Yes, but only if the notary works for a government agency
Yes, if both parties sign a written agreement

Correct answer: No, the seal belongs solely to the notary and must remain in the notary's custody

The official seal is the property of the notary personally, regardless of who paid for it, and must remain under the notary's exclusive control.

Question 4: Which ink color is most commonly required or recommended for Illinois notary ink stamps to ensure legibility on photocopies?

Red
Blue or black (Correct answer)
Green
Purple

Correct answer: Blue or black

Blue or black ink is required or recommended so the stamp impression reproduces clearly on photocopies.

Question 5: An Illinois notary moves to a different county but keeps the same seal showing the old county. What should the notary do?

Continue using the old seal until it wears out
Obtain a new seal reflecting the current county (Correct answer)
Cross out the old county and write the new one by hand
Use the seal only for documents originating in the old county

Correct answer: Obtain a new seal reflecting the current county

The seal must accurately reflect the notary's county of commission, so a move that changes commission county requires a new seal.

Question 6: What is the maximum allowable diameter for a circular Illinois notary seal?

1 inch
1½ inches
2 inches (Correct answer)
2½ inches

Correct answer: 2 inches

Illinois law specifies that a circular notary seal may not exceed 2 inches in diameter.

Question 7: Why must an Illinois notary seal impression be reproducible on photocopies?

To allow the notary to verify their own work
Because original documents are rarely retained and copies must be legally sufficient (Correct answer)
To comply with federal postal regulations
So the notary can charge higher fees

Correct answer: Because original documents are rarely retained and copies must be legally sufficient

Because many documents are retained as photocopies rather than originals, the seal must produce a legible impression that can be reproduced.

Question 8: What should an Illinois notary do with their official seal upon resignation or expiration of their commission?

Keep it as a souvenir
Destroy it or surrender it to the Secretary of State (Correct answer)
Transfer it to a colleague who is becoming a notary
Store it in a safe deposit box for five years

Correct answer: Destroy it or surrender it to the Secretary of State

To prevent misuse, Illinois notaries are expected to destroy their seal or surrender it upon the end of their commission.

Question 9: A coworker asks an Illinois notary if they can borrow the seal to stamp a document while the notary is at lunch. The notary should:

Allow it since the coworker will return the seal
Allow it only if the coworker is also a notary
Refuse, because only the notary may use the seal (Correct answer)
Allow it only for internal company documents

Correct answer: Refuse, because only the notary may use the seal

Lending the official seal to anyone else is a violation of Illinois notary law; only the commissioned notary may use their seal.

Question 10: Using another person's notary seal without authorization in Illinois constitutes:

A minor administrative infraction with a warning
A civil matter only, handled by small claims court
A criminal offense that can result in prosecution (Correct answer)
No offense if done for an emergency

Correct answer: A criminal offense that can result in prosecution

Unauthorized use of a notary seal is considered official misconduct and can result in criminal charges under Illinois law.

Question 11: To protect against seal theft, where should an Illinois notary store their stamp when not in use?

On top of the desk for easy access
In a locked drawer or secure location accessible only to the notary (Correct answer)
In the company's communal supply cabinet
At the Secretary of State's office between uses

Correct answer: In a locked drawer or secure location accessible only to the notary

Best practice and notary guidelines require the seal to be stored in a secure, locked location under the notary's sole control.

Question 12: An Illinois notary discovers their seal has been stolen. What is the most important first step?

Order a replacement seal immediately and say nothing
Report the theft to law enforcement and notify the Secretary of State (Correct answer)
Ask colleagues to watch for suspicious use
Wait to see if the seal is returned before taking action

Correct answer: Report the theft to law enforcement and notify the Secretary of State

Reporting seal theft to law enforcement and the Secretary of State creates an official record and helps prevent fraudulent notarizations.

Question 13: Which of the following best describes an embosser seal versus an inked stamp seal for Illinois notaries?

Embossers are required; ink stamps are prohibited
Ink stamps replaced embossers entirely in 2000
Both are permitted, but ink stamps are preferred because they reproduce on photocopies (Correct answer)
Embossers are only allowed for electronic notarizations

Correct answer: Both are permitted, but ink stamps are preferred because they reproduce on photocopies

While both embossers and ink stamps are permitted in Illinois, ink stamps are preferred because their impressions reproduce on photocopies, unlike embossed impressions.

Question 14: An Illinois notary notices their seal impression is becoming faint and difficult to read. What should the notary do?

Continue using it since it still leaves some impression
Trace over the faint impression with a pen
Replace the stamp to ensure all future notarizations are clearly legible (Correct answer)
Use the embosser instead without replacing the ink stamp

Correct answer: Replace the stamp to ensure all future notarizations are clearly legible

A legible seal impression is required by law, so a worn or faint stamp must be replaced to ensure notarizations remain valid.

Question 15: Under Illinois law, the notary seal must be placed in close proximity to which element on a notarized document?

The document title
The signer's signature
The notary's signature (Correct answer)
The date of the document

Correct answer: The notary's signature

The seal must be placed near the notary's own signature on the notarial certificate to authenticate the notarization.

Question 16: What is the maximum width allowed for a rectangular Illinois notary seal?

1 inch
2 inches
2½ inches
3½ inches (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 3½ inches

Illinois law specifies that a rectangular notary seal may not exceed 3½ inches in width.

Question 17: A notary in Illinois stamps a document and then realizes the document had blank spaces that were not filled in. The notary should:

Leave it since the seal is already affixed
Fill in the blanks and initial each change, then proceed
Complete the notarization but note the blanks in the journal
Refuse to complete the notarization and request the blanks be filled first (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Refuse to complete the notarization and request the blanks be filled first

Illinois notaries must refuse to notarize documents with blank spaces, as blanks can be fraudulently completed after the seal is affixed.

Question 18: If an Illinois notary's commission is revoked by the Secretary of State, what must happen to the seal?

The notary may keep using it until they appeal
The seal must be surrendered or destroyed immediately (Correct answer)
The seal is automatically deactivated by the state
The employer assumes control of the seal

Correct answer: The seal must be surrendered or destroyed immediately

Upon revocation, the notary loses the authority to notarize and must surrender or destroy the seal to prevent further use.

Question 19: Which statement about the notary commission expiration date and the seal is correct under Illinois law?

The commission expiration date must appear on the seal itself
The expiration date appears in the notarial certificate, not necessarily on the seal (Correct answer)
The seal automatically shows expiration by becoming invalid
Expiration dates on seals are optional in Illinois

Correct answer: The expiration date appears in the notarial certificate, not necessarily on the seal

In Illinois, the notary's commission expiration date is typically included in the notarial certificate wording, not required on the seal itself.

Question 20: Can an Illinois notary use the same seal for both traditional paper notarizations and electronic notarizations?

Yes, one seal may be used for all types of notarizations
No, electronic notarizations require a separate electronic seal or signature (Correct answer)
Yes, but only for documents under 10 pages
No, electronic notarizations are prohibited in Illinois

Correct answer: No, electronic notarizations require a separate electronic seal or signature

Electronic notarizations in Illinois require an electronic seal or stamp that can be attached to an electronic document, separate from the physical ink stamp.

Question 21: An Illinois notary's stamp falls and the handle breaks, but the stamp pad still works. May the notary use the stamp without the handle?

Yes, as long as the impression is clear and legible (Correct answer)
No, a damaged stamp must be replaced before any further notarizations
Yes, but only for the remainder of that business day
Yes, if the notary initials each impression to indicate the damaged state

Correct answer: Yes, as long as the impression is clear and legible

What matters is that the resulting seal impression is clear and legible; a damaged handle does not invalidate the notarization if the impression meets legal requirements.

IL Notary IL-Notary Official Seal and Stamp Specifications and Security

Under Illinois law, which shape is approved for a notary's official seal?

🃏 IL NOTARY Flashcards — Study This Quiz as Flip Cards →

📚 Want to go deeper? Read the Full IL NOTARY Study Guide →

What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for IL Notary

An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:

A timed, full-length IL Notary mock exam — 50 questions in 60 minutes with a 85% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
A fixed IL Notary question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
A printable IL Notary cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
IL Notary flashcards built from the same question bank.

Start the Timed IL Notary Mock Exam →

These practice questions were written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

ilsos.gov — Renewal, score validity, fees · verified Oct 2026
ilga.gov — Time limit, exam format, passing score, retake policy, eligibility · verified Oct 2026