A public seal in this State is a stamp or impression made by a public officer with an instrument provided by law, to attest the execution of an official or public document, upon the paper, or upon any substance attached to the paper, which is capable of receiving a visible impression. A private seal may be made in the same manner by any instrument, or it may be made by the scroll of a pen, or by writing the word “seal” against the signature of the writer. A scroll or other sign, made in a sister State or foreign country, and there recognized as a seal, must be so regarded in this State.
§ 1931.“Public seal” defined; method of affixing public seal; method of
Title 2. Of the Kinds and Degrees of Evidence · Chapter 3. Writings · Article 3. Private Writings · Last amended 1873 · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1931 explains that a public seal is a stamp or impression a public officer applies with a legally provided instrument, describes several acceptable forms of a private seal including a pen scroll, and recognizes seals valid in a sister state or foreign country.
Full Text of § 1931
Plain-English Summary
This section fills in the practical details Section 1930's definition leaves open. A public seal is a stamp or impression a public officer makes, using an instrument the law provides, on paper or on some material attached to the paper capable of taking a visible mark; it attests that an official or public document was executed.
A private seal is more flexible. The same kind of instrument can make one, but so can the scroll of a pen or the written word seal placed next to the signer's name. And the section reaches beyond California's borders too: a scroll or other mark made in another state or country, if that place recognizes it as a seal, counts as one here as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a public seal under California law?
A stamp or impression applied by a public officer with a legally provided instrument, marking an official or public document as executed.
What can serve as a private seal?
The same kind of stamping instrument, or more informally, a scroll drawn with a pen or the word seal written next to the signature.
Does an out-of-state seal count in California?
Yes, if the sister state or foreign country where it was made recognizes that mark as a seal, California treats it as one too.
Amendment History
(Enacted in 1872. Amended Code Am.1873-74, c. 383, p. 385, § 228.)
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the West's Annotated California Codes / Thomson Reuters. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: public seal versus private seal californiascroll of pen as seal