I get asked weekly for a ‘raised seal’ like it’s 1890, but in Virginia the rubber stamp is the official seal — embossers are optional. Had two requests today at the DMV counter, both insisting the paper isn’t ‘real’ unless it’s crinkly. Anyone else still battling this folklore, and what do your state rules say?
At the DMV counter I keep a wallet card that says ‘rubber stamp is the official seal — embossers are optional’ with a QR code to the VA Notary Handbook, and I hand it over while I stamp… Nine times out of ten it defuses the crinkly-paper demand; if they still push, I’ll emboss a blank margin after, never in place of the stamp.
, same myth — had two in one afternoon who swore it isn’t ‘real’ without the crinkles. I point them to Va. Code §47.1–16 and write “rubber stamp is the official seal — embosser optional” next to the certificate; the link usually ends it: Code of Virginia.
I add a tiny line under my certificate that says “Embosser optional — see Va. Code §47.1–16,” which shuts down most of the ‘crinkle’ talk. For the diehards I’ll do a courtesy crimp in the margin (security-blanket vibes), but the ink impression is what carries the legal weight.
I carry a small QR card to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s notary handbook that says the ink stamp is the seal, and I flash it when the ‘crinkles’ talk starts — it’s a notarial act, not a wedding invitation. Also, e-recording and DMV scanners often mangle embossers, so I only crimp a non-recorded copy if they insist. @lance92m, have you had a clerk kick one back for an embossed main page?