A notary certificate is complete and the document is ready for delivery, but the notary forgot to emboss or stamp their seal. Is the notarization valid?

The NOTARY SEAL is a required element of notarization in virtually all states. It typically must include: notary's name; the word 'Notary Public'; the state of commission; commission number; commission expiration date. The seal authenticates the certificate — without it, recording offices (for real estate), courts, and many institutions will reject the document. If a notary forgets to apply the seal: the signer must return for the seal to be applied; the notary cannot simply mail a separate seal impression to be attached; this is why notaries should ALWAYS check for the seal before handing back a document. Physical embossed seals alone (without ink) are increasingly rejected — ink stamps are preferred because they reproduce in photocopies.