New York State Notary Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

A notarized document typically requires the notary's seal to verify the authenticity of the notarization. The seal serves as a testament to the notary's identity, authority, and the official nature of the transaction. When a document is missing the notary's seal, it does not fulfill the legal requirements established for notarized documents. This lack of a seal can lead to questions about the validity of the notarization itself, making the document less reliable in legal or official contexts.

While there can be circumstances where a document without a seal might be accepted informally or in specific situations, such instances are exceptions rather than the rule. Generally, the absence of the seal indicates that the document may not hold up as valid in court or against legal scrutiny, leading to the conclusion that it is considered invalid when necessary verification of the notary's role is absent. Consequently, documents lacking the proper notarization elements are viewed as insufficient for any legal processes that typically require authenticated documentation.