When affixing my notary seal on a recording plat, my notary seal impression smears. Can you offer a solution?

Yes. The rubber stamp notary seal has created problems for surveyors and others involved in subdivision platting. The developers or mortgagees sign the plat and their signatures are notarized using an acknowledgment certificate. The problem arises because the ink used in most notary seals does not dry and will smear on the plastic film, known as mylar, used for recording plats. We looked into the matter and found several possible solutions.

One surveyor suggested allowing the use of an impression seal when notarizing on mylar. This would require a change in the notary law and may not be the best solution. Since the impression seal is no longer the official seal for Florida notaries, most notaries do not have this type of seal readily available.

We contacted several county recording offices to inquire about their recording procedures and possible solutions. Some offices may accept the document for recording with the acknowledgment certificate placed on regular paper rather than the mylar. There does not appear to be any statutory requirement that the notarization be placed directly onto the mylar with the plat. However, for practical reasons, some counties expressed reluctance in accepting acknowledgments on a separate attachment. Another official suggested preserving the ink seal imprint by spraying it immediately with an aerosol acrylic sealer. We experimented using Krylon No. 1303 Crystal Clear Acrylic Spray Coating and found this to be a satisfactory solution.

The best solution, however, was discovered when we contacted companies who make rubber stamps and reproduce blueprints. A rubber stamp notary seal, that is not self-inking, can be used with a different ink. A non-porous, permanent ink that dries through evaporation, like Phillips Industrial Marking Ink #40A, will adhere to mylar without smearing. This is a permanent, black ink and an imprint made with this ink can be photographically reproduced, thereby meeting the statutory requirements for the notary seal. The companies also recommended using this ink with a special balsa wood stamp pad, rather than the usual felt or foam rubber stamp pad. These supplies are available at office supply stores or from companies who specialize in making rubber stamps. The average cost for a bottle of ink and a stamp pad is about $10.

If you are frequently asked to notarize signatures which are affixed to mylar, you may want to have these supplies on hand to avoid smearing your notary seal imprint.