The requirement for an embossing seal - the traditional symbol of the notary public - was eliminated in Pennsylvania in 2003. However, subsequent notary laws, including the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA), never prohibited notaries from using an embossing seal in addition to the official stamp.

Even though the notary law no longer describes an embossing seal or requires its use, the Department of State proposed a regulation, Section 167.23, to cover the embosser.
 

• Your customers may request that you use the seal. Many customers may have the mistaken impression that a notarized document without a raised seal is not official. While the law requires you to use only your official stamp, your customers may expect you to apply your embossing seal as well. Go ahead. RULONA does not prohibit the use of the embossing seal.
• Both a rubber stamp impression and an embossed seal may be required by jurisdictions outside the United States. Foreign governments, consulates and embassies may expect to see an embossed seal impression on documents notarized in Pennsylvania and may delay or reject the documents if they do not conform.

Remember that an embossing seal is a permitted notarial accessory, not a legal requirement. An embossing seal may be used only in conjunction with your official stamp.

If you choose to use an embossing seal, it should have the following information:

• Your name as it appears on your commission
• The words "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania"
• The words "Notary Public"

The embossing seal should be of a practical size. The most common size is one and five-eighths inch in diameter. Unless you change your name, you may use the same embossing seal for as long as you are a notary in Pennsylvania.

When you use an embossing seal, the impression should be placed near your signature and official stamp, without overlapping anything. The orientation of the seal on the record does not matter; an upside-down seal impression is acceptable. You may also use an impression inker or seal highlighter, devices that darken the raised impression of the seal so it can be legibly photocopied or scanned. If your seal impression is not legible, make another impression in a different place. Do not try to correct a bad impression by applying another impression over it.