Mississippi Notary Supplies

Do Not Buy Supplies Before Your Commission Certificate Arrives

The single most common mistake new Mississippi notaries make with supplies is buying them too early. You cannot order a compliant stamp until you have your official commission certificate, because the stamp must display your exact commission expiration date and commission ID number — both of which are assigned by the Secretary of State and only appear on the certificate.

Vendors who let you order a stamp before you have these details are selling you a product you will have to replace. Wait for the email from the Secretary of State containing your official certificate, download it, and then order your supplies.

The Two Required Items

Mississippi law requires exactly two supplies to perform notarial acts: an official stamping device and a permanently bound journal.

The Official Stamp

Your primary stamp must be an inking rubber stamp. A non-inking embosser or crimper cannot serve as the primary sealing device. The stamp must produce a legible, photographically reproducible image on paper.

Size specifications depend on shape. Round stamps must be between 1.5 and 2.5 inches in diameter. Rectangular stamps cannot exceed 1 inch by 2.5 inches.

The stamp must display all of the following, unabbreviated:

• Your commissioned name (exactly as it appears on your commission)
• "Notary Public" (spelled out)
• "State of Mississippi" (spelled out — "MS" is not acceptable)
• Your county of residence
• Your commission expiration date
• Your commission identification number

The only abbreviation allowed is for name suffixes like "Jr." or "III." Everything else must be fully spelled out. The stamp must never display the official Mississippi State Seal.

The Journal

You must maintain a permanently bound journal with consecutively numbered pages. Spiral-bound notebooks, loose-leaf binders, and legal pads do not qualify. The binding must be permanent to prevent the insertion or removal of pages — this is the tamper-evidence requirement.

If you prefer an electronic journal, it must use a secure, tamper-evident format that prevents insertions and deletions after entries are recorded, and it must be exportable to PDF format for the Secretary of State upon request.

Mississippi enforces a single-journal rule: you may maintain only one active journal at a time, whether you perform traditional paper notarizations, electronic notarizations, or both.

Where to Buy

Several categories of vendors sell Mississippi-compliant notary supplies:

National notary supply companies — organizations like the National Notary Association and the American Association of Notaries sell state-specific stamp and journal packages. These vendors know the Mississippi specifications and configure the stamp correctly when you provide your commission details.

Online stamp manufacturers — companies that specialize in custom rubber stamps can produce a Mississippi notary stamp to your specifications. If you go this route, double-check every detail against the requirements above. The vendor may not know Mississippi's specific rules, so the compliance burden falls on you.

Local office supply and printing shops — some Mississippi office supply stores carry notary supplies or can custom-order a compliant stamp. The advantage is being able to inspect the stamp before paying; the disadvantage is typically a longer turnaround time.

When ordering, compare vendors on turnaround time. Most online suppliers ship within 1–3 business days. Since you cannot perform any notarial acts until you have your stamp and journal, a faster turnaround means you start working sooner.

Supply Bundles vs. Individual Purchases

Many vendors sell "notary starter kits" that bundle a stamp, journal, and carrying case for a combined price. These typically run $35 to $100 depending on the vendor and what is included. Before buying a bundle, verify that every component meets Mississippi's specific requirements — some national bundles include embossers (which Mississippi does not allow as a primary seal) or journals that are not permanently bound.

You do not need a carrying case, a thumbprint pad, or certificate stamps to be legally compliant. The state requires exactly two things: the inking stamp and the bound journal. Everything else is optional.

When You Need to Replace Supplies

Three events trigger a mandatory supply replacement:

1. County change — if you move to a different county within Mississippi, you must file Form NP-004 ($20) and purchase a new stamp showing your new county of residence
2. Name change — a legal name change requires Form NP-005 ($20), a new surety bond, and a new stamp reflecting the updated name
3. Commission renewal — when your four-year term expires and you renew, the new commission has different dates and potentially a new ID number, so you need a new stamp

In each case, the old stamp should be destroyed — defaced or shredded — so it cannot be used after it is no longer valid.

The Mississippi Notary Commission Guide includes a supply specification checklist so you can verify your order matches state requirements before placing it.

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