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Check the rules before you buy
What a South Dakota notary must use, keep and show is set by state law and the Secretary of State's Notary Public Handbook — not by a retailer's product description. Before you buy a seal or stamp, read what the Handbook says it must contain. Before you buy a journal, confirm whether one is required or optional for the acts you perform. Both are linked from our how to apply section.
Stamps, seals and ink
Most notaries use either a self-inking stamp or a hand embosser, depending on what the Handbook allows for the document and what the receiving office will accept. Search results include many sizes and layouts — match the wording and layout to the Handbook, not to the listing's title.
Journals and record books
A bound journal with numbered pages is the usual choice, because it makes entries harder to remove after the fact. Whether you must keep one is a legal question — see the note above.
For remote online notarization
Remote online notarization happens on a platform that must meet South Dakota's requirements, and the platform will tell you what camera and connection it needs. Check that before you buy hardware. As a general matter, a stable external camera and a headset make a session easier to run.
Scanning and keeping copies
Notaries who handle a lot of paper, or who need clean copies to attach to records, often keep a compact scanner. This is a convenience, not a requirement.
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