The common practice is to have what regarding expiration date on the seal?

• A. Have a separate seal with expiration date
• B. Include expiration date on the main seal
• C. Expiration date is never used
• D. Expiration date on certificate only

Answer: (A)

Expiration status is kept up-to-date by using a separate seal that shows the expiration date. The main seal identifies the notary, but the commission’s validity is shown on its own stamp so the date can be updated or replaced without altering the identity seal. This setup helps ensure documents display a current, verifiable status and reduces the risk of using an expired commission. If the expiration date were built into the main seal, renewing the commission would require changing the seal itself, which is less practical and more prone to tampering. In practice, you stamp the expiration date on a separate seal and renew or replace that stamp when your commission is renewed.