Ohio Notary Exam Practice Questions: Certificates, Seal and Records (2026)

The seal specification

The detail in ORC 147.04 is examinable line by line. The seal must be obtained before the notary enters upon the discharge of official duties. It consists of the coat of arms of the state within a circle that must be at least three-quarters of an inch, but not larger than one inch, in diameter. The circle must be surrounded by the words "notary public", "notarial seal", or words to that effect, the name of the notary public, and the words "State of Ohio". The seal may be of either a type that stamps ink onto a document or one that embosses it. One alternative is easy to miss: instead of appearing on the seal, the notary's name may be printed, typewritten or stamped in legible printed letters near the notary's signature on each document signed by the notary. ORC 147.041 also lets a notary commissioned before that section's effective date continue using a compliant seal already in the notary's possession.

The seven required certificate elements

ORC 147.542(F) is the checklist to memorise, and it is the clearest source of easy marks in this topic. The certificate must show the state and county venue where the notarization is being performed under (F)(1); the date on which the notarial act was performed under (F)(3); the signature of the notary exactly as shown on the notary's commission under (F)(4); the notary's printed name displayed below the signature or inked stamp under (F)(5); the notary's notarial seal and commission expiration date under (F)(6); and, where an online notarization was performed pursuant to ORC 147.60 to 147.66, a statement to that effect under (F)(7). Division (E) is generous about form: the certificate may be preprinted on the document, applied with an ink stamp, handwritten, or supplied as a separate attached document. Division (B) covers the fix when it goes wrong: if a certificate incorrectly indicates the type of notarization performed, the notary must provide a correct certificate at no charge to the person signing.

Short forms and the advice line

ORC 147.55 supplies the statutory short forms of acknowledgment and says so by name; the section also states that authorising those forms does not preclude the use of other forms. Short forms are provided for an individual in the individual's own right, a corporation, a limited liability company, a partnership, an individual acting as principal by an attorney in fact, and any public officer, trustee or personal representative, and each closes with the signature and the title or rank of the person taking the acknowledgment. ORC 147.551 supplies the matching jurat form, opening with the venue heading "State of Ohio, County of" and reading "Sworn to or affirmed and subscribed before me by (name of signer) this date of (date)", followed by the notary's signature, seal, title of rank and commission expiration date. There is a line the notary must not cross: ORC 147.542(G) lets a notary explain the difference between an acknowledgment and a jurat, but forbids a non-attorney notary from advising which type of act best suits a situation.

Records and reporting duties

Ohio's record duties sit with the Secretary of State rather than in a mandatory paper journal for in-person acts. ORC 147.05(A) directs the Secretary of State to maintain a record of the commissions of each notary public and to make a proper index to that record. The notary's own duties are reporting duties. Under (B) the notary must notify the Secretary of State within thirty days after a legal change of name or address, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State. Under (C) a resigning notary must deliver a written notice, again on the prescribed form, indicating the effective date of resignation. Under (D)(1) the notary must inform the Secretary of State of being convicted of, or pleading guilty or no contest to, a disqualifying offense during the term of the commission, which covers a crime of moral turpitude as defined in ORC 4776.10, a violation of a provision of Chapter 2913, or a substantially equivalent offense under the law of any jurisdiction. Under (D)(2) the Secretary of State shall then revoke the commission, and that mandate expressly includes an attorney licensed to practise law in this state. Separately, ORC 147.06 lets the Secretary of State issue a certified copy of a commission, which is prima-facie evidence of the matters and facts it contains, for a fee of five dollars.