Keeping your notary stamp safe and secure should be a top priority for all notaries. As a public officer of your state performing official notarial acts for important transactions, it is imperative that you retain your notary stamp in your possession at all times. If it is lost or stolen, someone could use it to commit fraud and you could be held responsible for negligence. This would result in serious consequences such as fines or losing your notary commission, not to mention costly legal fees. To prevent any of this from happening, the ANN recommends all notaries follow the steps listed below to protect themselves:
- Tag your notary stamp with your information.
- Do not delegate notarization responsibilities to others.
- Don’t leave your notary stamp unattended.
- Store your notary stamp in a secure location
- Destroy your notary stamp when your notary commission ends
- Never leave your notary stamp with your employer
- Report lost notary stamps