OK Notary Notary Seal and Stamp Requirements 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What information is required to appear on an Oklahoma notary public's official seal?
- The notary's name, 'Notary Public,' 'State of Oklahoma,' and commission expiration date (Correct answer)
- The notary's name and commission number only
- The notary's name, county of appointment, and 'Notary Public'
- The notary's name, 'Notary Public,' and the Oklahoma state seal emblem
Correct answer: The notary's name, 'Notary Public,' 'State of Oklahoma,' and commission expiration date
Oklahoma law requires the notary's name, the words 'Notary Public,' 'State of Oklahoma,' and the commission expiration date on the official seal.
Question 2: Which shapes are permitted for an Oklahoma notary's official seal or stamp?
- Any shape the notary prefers
- Circular or rectangular only (Correct answer)
- Circular only
- Square or oval only
Correct answer: Circular or rectangular only
Oklahoma law permits the official notary seal to be either circular or rectangular in shape.
Question 3: What must an Oklahoma notary do if their official seal is lost or stolen?
- Continue notarizing using a handwritten 'SEAL' notation until replaced
- Wait until their commission expires before addressing the loss
- Immediately notify the Oklahoma Secretary of State and obtain a replacement seal (Correct answer)
- Report the loss only if documents were previously notarized with that seal
Correct answer: Immediately notify the Oklahoma Secretary of State and obtain a replacement seal
A notary whose seal is lost or stolen must notify the Oklahoma Secretary of State and obtain a replacement seal to continue performing valid notarial acts.
Question 4: Under Oklahoma law, who bears personal responsibility for the security and proper use of a notary's official seal?
- The notary's employer or supervising attorney
- The Oklahoma Secretary of State
- The county clerk's office where the notary is registered
- The notary public themselves (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The notary public themselves
Each Oklahoma notary public is personally responsible for the safekeeping and proper use of their official seal; this duty cannot be delegated.
Question 5: An Oklahoma notary's seal impression on a paper document must be:
- In raised (embossed) format only — ink stamps are not allowed
- Stamped exclusively in blue ink to distinguish it from photocopies
- Applied twice on every document for redundancy
- Legible and clear enough to be reproduced in certified copies (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Legible and clear enough to be reproduced in certified copies
Oklahoma requires that the seal impression be legible so the required information can be identified in photocopies and certified copies of documents.
Question 6: What should an Oklahoma notary do with their official seal when their commission expires or they resign from office?
- Return the seal intact to the Oklahoma Secretary of State by certified mail
- Store the seal safely in case the commission is reinstated later
- Transfer the seal to the next notary appointed in the same county
- Destroy the seal or render it permanently unusable (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Destroy the seal or render it permanently unusable
When an Oklahoma notary's commission ends, the seal should be destroyed to prevent any unauthorized use after authority has lapsed.
Question 7: May an Oklahoma notary use another commissioned notary's official seal to complete a notarization?
- Yes, with the other notary's written permission and supervision
- Yes, in genuine emergency situations when the notary's own seal is unavailable
- Yes, as long as the acting notary signs their own name beneath the borrowed seal
- No, each notary must use only their own official seal at all times (Correct answer)
Correct answer: No, each notary must use only their own official seal at all times
Oklahoma law ties the official seal to the individual notary's commission; using another notary's seal is unauthorized and renders the notarization invalid.
OK Notary Notary Seal and Stamp Requirements 1
What information is required to appear on an Oklahoma notary public's official seal?