South Dakota notary seal and supplies: what the rules require first

If your South Dakota notary commission is new, or coming up for renewal around the turn of the year, it's tempting to start by shopping. Start with the rules instead. Everything below comes from the Secretary of State's Notary Public Handbook and SDCL Chapter 18-1, and the shopping list only comes after it.

What you're actually required to do

• Wait for the commission. The Handbook says you're only authorized to notarize after you've received a commission certificate from the Secretary of State.
• Know the six-year clock. The commission takes effect the day the Secretary of State issues it and expires exactly six years later, at midnight on the expiration day.
• Renew on time, by mail. A renewal application can be submitted no more than 60 days before your expiration date, must be received before the date your next term is to begin, and cannot be backdated. Our renewal timeline works that backward from your date.
• Use an approved seal. The imprint on your Application and Oath is the only seal imprint you may use. To use a different or additional seal, or to replace a worn one, you must first send a Notary Change Request Form with an imprint of the new seal and wait for approval.
• Keep the seal safe. The Handbook tells notaries to keep it in a secure location and never to let anyone else use it. If it's lost or stolen, report it to the Secretary of State immediately.

What the seal must contain

According to the Handbook, South Dakota provides no seal, there are no size or color requirements, and either a raised embossing seal or a rubber stamp is acceptable. The seal must contain your name exactly as on your application and oath, the words “Notary Public” and “South Dakota,” and a border fully surrounding the imprint. A rubber stamp must also have the word “seal” inside the border. “My Commission Expires” or the expiration date may not sit inside the border, though it may sit outside it. It must also make a completely legible imprint every time; a worn-out seal has to be replaced, with a change form filed.

Our post on why applications get rejected covers how a mismatched seal sinks a submission, which is the main reason to order the stamp carefully.

Optional gear, once the rules are covered

None of what follows is required by the state. It's what many notaries find convenient.

• A stamp or embosser. Because the layout rules above are specific, match the wording on the Handbook, not the listing title. Search results for self-inking notary stamps or notary embossers include many layouts, and some won't comply.
• Ink. Since the imprint must be completely legible every time, keep some replacement stamp ink on hand rather than discovering a faded stamp mid-signing.
• A separate expiration-date stamp. The Handbook says a separate “My Commission Expires” date stamp isn't an official seal and needn't be registered. Searching for a date stamp is an easy way to keep the date outside your seal's border.
• A journal. The Handbook's “do” list says only to learn what records, if any, you may wish to keep, so keeping one is your call rather than a requirement it states. If you do, a bound notary journal with numbered pages is hard to tamper with.

A note on fees

Notaries may charge a fee per instrument, except that no fee may be collected for notarizing an absentee ballot request. The details are in our notary fees guide.

Before you buy: a quick order checklist

1. Read the seal requirements on the Handbook page and compare them with your name as written on the application.
2. Order the seal only after you know it will match. If you're renewing and want the new expiration date on the seal, it goes outside the border, and the Handbook says a changed official seal must be recorded with the Secretary of State.
3. Test the imprint on scrap paper for legibility before it touches a client document.
4. Decide whether you want a journal, a date stamp or a scanner as conveniences.

For a short list of the common items in one place, see our notary supplies page. Commissions can change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the Secretary of State's office.