IL Notary IL-Notary Official Seal and Stamp Specifications and Security 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 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 2: 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 3: 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 4: 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 5: 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 6: 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 7: 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.
IL Notary IL-Notary Official Seal and Stamp Specifications and Security 3
What should an Illinois notary do with their official seal upon resignation or expiration of their commission?