Section 176.500  Use of Official Seal and Electronic Seal

a)         A notary public must use the notary public’s official seal, affixed using a rubber stamp, to perform a notarial act.  An electronic notary public must use the electronic notary public's electronic seal, affixed using a mechanical stamp, to perform an electronic notarial act.

b)         A notary public must place a legible imprint of the notary public's official seal on a notarial certificate for a tangible record at the time of the performance of the notarial act.

c)         An electronic notary public must attach or logically associate the electronic notary public's electronic seal with the electronic notarial certificate on an electronic record.

d)         A notary public must not place an imprint of the notary public’s official seal, and an electronic notary public must not attach or logically associate the electronic notary public's electronic seal, over any signature in a record to be notarized or over any writing in a notarial certificate.

e)         When a notarial certificate is on a separate piece of paper attached to the tangible record to be notarized, or when there are attachments to the tangible record to be notarized, a notary public may use one additional imprint of the notary public’s official seal for identification of the tangible record and notarial certificate attached to the tangible record, if the imprint does not make any part of the record or attachment illegible.  The additional seal must be partially stamped together on the notarial certificate, and on the signature page or attachment to the notarized record.

f)         A notary public may not use the notary public’s official seal, and an electronic notary public may not use the electronic notary public's electronic seal, for any purpose other than to perform a notarial act.

g)         A notary public may not permit any other person to use the notary public’s official seal, and an electronic notary public may not permit any other person to use the electronic notary public's electronic seal, for any purpose.

h)         A notary public may not use any other notary public’s official seal or any other object in place of the notary public’s official seal to perform a notarial act.

i)          An electronic notary public may not use any other electronic notary public's electronic seal or any other object in place of the electronic notary public's electronic seal to perform a notarial act.

(Source:  Added at 47 Ill. Reg. 8640, effective June 5, 2023)