The How-Tos of Destroying Expired Notary Supplies

When the commission term of a notary comes to an end, or when a notary makes the decision to have his/ her notary career terminated, it is important to destroy any remaining expired notary supplies. The safe disposal of all defunct notary supplies has to done in a proper manner.

Securing Expired Notary Supplies

The right measures are instituted to help prevent the unauthorized or fraudulent use of all of the notary supplies that have come to an end. This is done regardless of whether or not a notary seal or stamp, or both, has been used. The notary gets in touch with the Secretary of State’s office or any other person charged with governing the duties and responsibilities of this notary. This individual in charge performs this function in his or her capacity as the one responsible for determining whether there exist some specific regulations regarding the action to take on notary supplies when it reaches the end of the notary’s legal term of office.

Destroying the Stamp

A notary stamp has to be destroyed. The destruction process involves defacing the rubber stamp portion that contains the information about the notary. This is achieved by finding a stable surface to place the stamp before applying pressure to the case to expose the stamp’s rubber surface. Once done, peel the stamp’s rubber covering to separate it from the base. Carefully use a sharp razor blade or a pair of scissors to cut through and slice the rubber into small pieces until there are no decipherable letters left. Note that no letter or word should be left after destruction. Then, discard the small remaining pieces in at least two trash cans to avoid any possibility of someone else putting the letters and words together. Follow through to ensure the containers are emptied in accordance with the local laws concerning the disposal of trash. Remember that the plastic case that holds the notary stamp also needs to be destroyed. Lastly, shred any slips or pieces of paper and stickers attached to the plastic case because they may contain details about the notary’s commission.

Scattering the Metal Embosser

Now it is time to destroy the metal embosser of the notary seal, but this will require you to put in some more effort. The “insert” or “die” is the part of the embosser creating the raised impression whenever a document has been notarized. Carefully deface this portion to prevent the creation of any impression, not even a partial one. The simplest yet crudest method to achieve this is to use a hammer or a hard object to smash the device repeatedly until it is completely destroyed.

Using a hard metal file, you can also pry away the embosser’s handle from the insert so that they are completely separated. Then, obliterate all letters by repeatedly scrapping the insert area. Remember that the process of discarding the disintegrated pieces is as important as destroying them. So, use two or more trash cans to dispose of the small pieces according to your county or local laws concerning proper disposal of garbage.

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