How to Become a Notary in Arizona: 4-Year Term, $5,000 Bond

How to become a notary public in Arizona: a 4-year commission, a $5,000 surety bond, an exam, remote online notarization — verified from official sources.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Arizona Secretary of State, Business Services Division (Notary Department) (official site) and last verified August 12, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

(1) Meet the six statutory qualifications in A.R.S. § 41-312(E) (see eligibility). (2) PASS THE ARIZONA NOTARY EXAMINATION — required of all new and renewing notaries since July 1, 2025 under A.R.S. § 41-270. The Secretary of State's Filing Tips state: 'Prior to completing your application, you MUST contact Pearson to register for the Notary Exam and obtain a Candidate ID Number.' The exam must be passed BEFORE filing the application. (3) Purchase a four-year $5,000 notary bond from a licensed surety, IN DUPLICATE — the Notary Public Reference Manual states 'Applicants must purchase and complete a notary bond BEFORE the Secretary of State grants a commission. The bond, application and filing fee must be submitted together' and 'The original bond shall be submitted to the Secretary of State with the notary application and the duplicate copy is to be retained by the applicant.' (4) Submit the web application with the original bond and the $43.00 in filing fees. (5) Receive the original commission certificate from the Secretary of State. (6) Purchase a notary public seal (rubber stamp) — the vendor must be given a copy of the commission certificate. (7) Obtain a notary public journal. ONLY THEN MAY YOU NOTARIZE: the manual is explicit that 'The duties of the office of an Arizona notary public can only be performed when the applicant has ALL of the below items: An original notary bond and notary application on file with the Arizona Secretary of State's office; An original commission certificate from the Arizona Secretary of State's office; A notary public seal; and A notary public journal.' FOR eNOTARY/RON, additionally: be a current active notary; review the applicable Administrative Rules; contract with a technology vendor; and file the Electronic/Remote Notary Request describing the technologies and giving the vendor's name and website URL. RON additionally requires written authorization from the Secretary of State (A.A.C. R2-12-1302(A)).

Legal basis

Arizona Secretary of State, Business Services Division (Notary Department) commissions notaries public in Arizona. Every figure below is verified against the commissioning authority’s own official pages and dated.

What it’s called

The statutory noun is COMMISSION — Arizona notaries are ‘appointed and commissioned by the Secretary of State’, hold a ‘commission certificate’ bearing a ‘commission number’, and serve a ‘four-year term’. ‘Arizona notary license’ is a folk term; Arizona issues no notary license, and no official Arizona source read when this page was last verified uses ’license’ for a notary. Other folk terms: ’notary certification’, ‘getting your notary’. DISTINCT AND SEPARATELY ISSUED: ’eNotary’ / ’electronic notary’ and ‘remote online notary’ / ‘RON’ name real Arizona authorizations with their own commission numbers, not nicknames for the traditional commission. RESTRICTED BY LAW: ’notario’ and ’notario publico’ — A.R.S. § 41-328(C) provides that ‘A notary public, other than an attorney who is licensed to practice law in this state, may not use the term “notario” or “notario publico”’; the term is therefore not an Arizona synonym for notary public and using it is prohibited conduct for a non-attorney notary. NOT A STATE CREDENTIAL: ’notary signing agent’ and ’loan signing agent’ are private designations sold by commercial vendors; Arizona issues no such appointment, and the Secretary of State warns generally to ‘Be wary of any company claiming to be an “official” trainer for the State of Arizona.’

Types of notary commission

Notary Public (traditional commission) — Arizona residents who meet A.R.S. § 41-312(E) and pass the notary examination Four-year term. Arizona sharply limits what a notary may do: the Secretary of State states ‘In Arizona, notaries can perform only acknowledgments, jurats, copy certifications, and oaths and affirmations.’ The commission carries a commission number that must be imprinted on the seal (Laws 2018, Ch. 13, § 12).
Electronic Notary (eNotary) — separate authorization and commission number — current, active Arizona notaries public who contract with an approved technology vendor Issued as a distinct ‘Electronic Commission #’ alongside the traditional commission number, with its own begin date. Governed by A.A.C. Article 12 (R2-12-1201 et seq.), including R2-12-1205 electronic seal design and R2-12-1206 exclusive-control requirements. The Secretary of State states there is ’no additional fee or bond at this time to become an Electronic or Remote Online Notary.’
Remote Online Notary (RON) — separate written authorization and commission number — current, active Arizona notaries public who contract with a communication-technology vendor Issued as a distinct ‘Remote Commission #’. A.A.C. R2-12-1302(A): a notary may perform remote online notarizations only if ‘The notary public has received written authorization from the Secretary of State to perform remote online notarizations under this Article; and The Secretary of State has not terminated or revoked such authorization.’ R2-12-1302(B) provides that a notary authorized for RON ‘may also perform electronic notarizations under Article 12’ — so the RON authorization subsumes eNotary authority.

Who can be commissioned

Set by A.R.S. § 41-312(E), which the Secretary of State reproduces as the commissioning standard (‘Our office cannot commission someone who does not meet these standards’): (1) ‘Be an Arizona resident.’ (2) ‘Be at least 18 years of age.’ (3) ‘Be able to read and write English.’ (4) ‘Be a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States.’ (5) ‘Not have a conviction for a felony unless civil rights have been restored, or a conviction of a lesser offense involving moral turpitude or of a nature that is incompatible with the duties of a notary public.’ Note the criminal-history bar is not absolute — a felony conviction is disqualifying ‘unless civil rights have been restored’ — and it separately reaches non-felony offenses involving moral turpitude or incompatible with notarial duties. LEGAL PRESENCE IS AN EXPRESS REQUIREMENT in Arizona, unlike most states: lawful permanent residence is the minimum immigration status, so non-immigrant visa holders are ineligible. COUNTY: the commission names the county of residence, which is printed on the commission certificate and must appear on the seal; the Secretary of State advises ‘Upon receipt of your commission certificate, we recommend that you review your name, county of residence and commission dates to ensure your stamp is made accurately.’

Requirements

(1) Meet the six statutory qualifications in A.R.S. § 41-312(E) (see eligibility). (2) PASS THE ARIZONA NOTARY EXAMINATION — required of all new and renewing notaries since July 1, 2025 under A.R.S. § 41-270. The Secretary of State’s Filing Tips state: ‘Prior to completing your application, you MUST contact Pearson to register for the Notary Exam and obtain a Candidate ID Number.’ The exam must be passed BEFORE filing the application. (3) Purchase a four-year $5,000 notary bond from a licensed surety, IN DUPLICATE — the Notary Public Reference Manual states ‘Applicants must purchase and complete a notary bond BEFORE the Secretary of State grants a commission. The bond, application and filing fee must be submitted together’ and ‘The original bond shall be submitted to the Secretary of State with the notary application and the duplicate copy is to be retained by the applicant.’ (4) Submit the web application with the original bond and the $43.00 in filing fees. (5) Receive the original commission certificate from the Secretary of State. (6) Purchase a notary public seal (rubber stamp) — the vendor must be given a copy of the commission certificate. (7) Obtain a notary public journal. ONLY THEN MAY YOU NOTARIZE: the manual is explicit that ‘The duties of the office of an Arizona notary public can only be performed when the applicant has ALL of the below items: An original notary bond and notary application on file with the Arizona Secretary of State’s office; An original commission certificate from the Arizona Secretary of State’s office; A notary public seal; and A notary public journal.’ FOR eNOTARY/RON, additionally: be a current active notary; review the applicable Administrative Rules; contract with a technology vendor; and file the Electronic/Remote Notary Request describing the technologies and giving the vendor’s name and website URL. RON additionally requires written authorization from the Secretary of State (A.A.C. R2-12-1302(A)).

Training

Arizona does not require a training course.

NO training course is required, and Arizona deliberately designates no official trainer. What Arizona requires instead is a passing score on the state notary examination (see exam). The Notary Public Reference Manual is explicit that private training is optional and unendorsed: ‘Private companies and organizations also offer notary training. The State of Arizona does not designate an official trainer or endorse companies who train notaries. Be wary of any company claiming to be an “official” trainer for the State of Arizona, as it has not been designated as such by the Secretary of State’s office or the State of Arizona.’ The Secretary of State’s own study resource is the free Notary Public Reference Manual: ‘To help you succeed, we urge you to study the 2025 Notary Public Reference Manual prior to the examination. It covers all the content tested in the examination.’ Tiers searched on 2026-08-12 for a mandatory-hours requirement: the 66-page Notary Public Reference Manual (revision 20260325, including the reproduced statutes in Chapter 5 and the Administrative Rules), the Secretary of State’s Notary, New Notary and Remote & eNotary pages. None imposes a required course, hour count, or approved-provider rule for the traditional commission. The eNotary/RON application requires the applicant to identify a technology vendor, but that is a vendor contract, not a training requirement — and the Secretary of State’s own FAQ list includes the question ‘Is the Secretary of State providing training for Electronic and Remote Notarization?’

Exam

Arizona requires an exam.

REQUIRED for every new AND renewing Arizona notary since July 1, 2025 — a genuinely recent change that older descriptions of Arizona as a no-exam state get wrong. AUTHORITY: A.R.S. § 41-270, which the manual quotes as providing that ‘The Secretary of State may require an applicant for a commission as a notary public, an applicant who is renewing a commission or a notary public with a suspended commission to pass an examination administered by the Secretary of State or an entity approved by the Secretary of State.’ The Secretary of State states: ‘Beginning July 1, 2025, all new and renewing Arizona notaries public will be required to pass this examination’, and for renewals specifically, ‘Notaries renewing their commission after July 1, 2025 must take and pass the Arizona Notary exam prior to filing a renewal application.’ TWO OFFICIAL ARIZONA SOURCES CONFLICT ON THE VENDOR, THE FEE AND THE RETAKE RULE, AND BOTH ARE RECORDED HERE RATHER THAN RESOLVED. (A) The Secretary of State’s LIVE WEBSITE (azsos.gov Notary / New Notary / Remote & eNotary pages, read 2026-08-12) says: ‘The examination can be taken remotely or at any of Pearson’s testing sites. A $35 cost will be assessed for every proctored examination. A passing score of 80% is needed to renew or start your notary commission. The examination will consist of 45 basic questions drawn directly from the 2025 Notary Public Reference Manual and must be completed within 60 minutes. The examination is “open book”. The examination can be taken 3 times, after the 3rd fail, you will be required to wait 30 days to reschedule. Pearson Customer Support: 888-405-5776.’ It adds that ‘The manual is built into the examination. A physical copy is NOT allowed at testing sites or during remote testing’, and the application Filing Tips instruct ‘Prior to completing your application, you MUST contact Pearson to register for the Notary Exam and obtain a Candidate ID Number.’ (B) The NOTARY PUBLIC REFERENCE MANUAL (official, revision dated 2026-03-25, page 14) says: ‘Testing is available at any Prometric test site and remote exam options are available. Fees: $46.75 paid to Prometric. The exam is 45 question 60 minute multiple choice exam, an applicant must receive a score of at least 80% to receive a passing score. The exam score is good for 90 days after achieving a passing score. If you do not pass the exam you must wait 30 days before taking the exam again. If you fail the exam three times you must wait one year before retaking the exam again. Suspended or notaries under discipline will receive a different exam administered by the Secretary of State.’ WHAT AGREES: 45 questions, 60 minutes, 80% passing score, remote option available, required for new and renewing notaries. WHAT CONFLICTS: the test vendor (Pearson vs Prometric), the fee ($35 vs $46.75), and the consequence of failing three times (website: wait 30 days; manual: wait ONE YEAR). ONLY THE MANUAL states the 90-day validity of a passing score and the separate examination for suspended/disciplined notaries. This page therefore names the conflict rather than picking a single vendor or fee — an applicant misdirected to the wrong vendor cannot sit the exam, so confirm the registration path against the Secretary of State’s own application materials before booking. The website is the more likely operative source because the application Filing Tips route applicants to Pearson for a Candidate ID as an application prerequisite, but the manual carries the later revision date, so this is stated as a conflict, not a resolution.

Your surety bond

REQUIRED — a four-year $5,000 surety bond, purchased in duplicate. The Notary Public Reference Manual states: ‘State law requires applicants to purchase a four-year $5,000 notary bond [A.R.S. §§ 41-269(D)]’ and ‘Applicants must purchase bonds in duplicate. The original bond shall be submitted to the Secretary of State with the notary application and the duplicate copy is to be retained by the applicant as stated in the application instructions.’ TIMING: ‘Applicants must purchase and complete a notary bond BEFORE the Secretary of State grants a commission. The bond, application and filing fee must be submitted together.’ WHERE TO BUY: not from the State — ‘Bonds are not purchased from the Secretary of State’s office. Bonds must be purchased from a licensed surety’, and the Secretary of State’s website adds ‘Our office does not provide notary bonds, nor do we recommend or favor any company or organization that does.’ WHAT THE BOND MUST CONTAIN (the Secretary of State ‘only can establish the parameters for how a bond must be completed’): ‘Principal name and signatures; Commission effective and end dates; Issue date; Your county of residence; Counter signatures; Oath of office and notarization.’ WHAT A BOND IS FOR: the manual distinguishes it from insurance in terms — ‘WHAT THEY DO: A surety bond protects those for whom the notary public performs a notarization. WHAT THEY DON’T DO: A surety bond does not protect the notary public.’ E&O INSURANCE IS SEPARATE AND OPTIONAL: errors-and-omissions insurance appears in the manual only as a distinct sidebar topic contrasted with the bond, never as a condition of commissioning; it protects the notary, the bond protects the public. NO EXTRA BOND FOR ELECTRONIC OR REMOTE WORK: the Secretary of State states ’there is no additional fee or bond at this time to become an Electronic or Remote Online Notary.’

Fees

PAID TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE ON APPLICATION — the manual’s own arithmetic: ‘$25.00 Application fee + $18.00 Notary bond filing fee = $43.00 Total’. The manual describes these as ‘required to be pre-paid to the Secretary of State’s office when applying to become an Arizona notary. Checks or money orders should be made payable to “Arizona Secretary of State.”’ The Secretary of State’s website adds ‘A nonrefundable fee is required to process all applications.’ OTHER OFFICE FEES (manual, Office Fee Schedule): Notarial Capacity Certificate $18.00; Duplicate Commission Certificate $18.00; Change of Mailing or Home Address — ‘If notification made within 30 days of change: No Charge / If notification is NOT made within 30 days of change: $25.00 (penalty)’. NSF: the Secretary of State’s notary page states ‘Any transactions that are returned due to insufficient funds in your account will incur an NSF fee of $25.00 in addition to the original charge incurred. This fee will be applied for each occurrence of a returned transaction.’ EXAMINATION FEE — CONFLICTING OFFICIAL FIGURES, see the exam field: the live website says ‘$35 cost will be assessed for every proctored examination’ payable to Pearson; the Notary Public Reference Manual (rev. 2026-03-25) says ‘Fees: $46.75 paid to Prometric’. Either way the exam fee is paid to the test vendor, not to the Secretary of State. ELECTRONIC / REMOTE ONLINE NOTARY: no fee — ’there is no additional fee or bond at this time to become an Electronic or Remote Online Notary.’ COSTS NOT SET BY THE STATE: the bond premium, the seal and the journal. The manual: ‘There are also additional costs associated when applicants obtain a notary bond, notary seal and journal. Costs for these services vary and applicants are encouraged to research companies to secure the best price and quality of service.’ PENALTY FEES: failure to report a lost, stolen or compromised seal or journal within 10 days carries ‘a civil penalty of $1,000 [that] shall be assessed and must be paid prior to the renewal of the notary’s commission [A.R.S. § 41-323(C)]’; failure to surrender the journal and seal within three months of resignation, expiration, revocation or death carries a forfeiture of ’not less than $50 nor more than $500’ (A.R.S. § 41-317).

How long the commission lasts, and renewing it

4 years. The Notary Public Reference Manual states plainly under COMMISSION TERMS: ‘An Arizona notary public serves a four-year term.’ The bond runs with the term — A.R.S. § 41-269(D) requires ‘a four-year $5,000 notary bond’, and the bond itself must show the ‘Commission effective and end dates’. The term is not the same as the right to act: the manual makes clear the notary may not perform duties until the bond and application are on file AND the original commission certificate has issued AND the seal and journal have been obtained. Payment of fees does not create any property right — ‘Payment of fees and other associated costs does not constitute ownership of a notary public’s commission [A.R.S. § 41-269(G)]’, and commissions ‘cannot be transferred between persons, nor can they be transferred to another state.’ Renewal is filed through the Secretary of State’s web application and must be completed before the commission lapses: the manual refers to filing before ‘11:59 pm of the expiration date of a current commission’, and states that ‘A notary who fails to renew a commission has let it expire.’ There is no grace period in which an expired notary may keep working — ‘If an individual reapplies after a commission expires, he or she may not notarize documents until receiving the new commission from the Secretary of State’s office’, though ‘The notary may reapply at any time for a new commission.’ THE EXAM APPLIES TO RENEWALS: ‘Notaries renewing their commission after July 1, 2025 must take and pass the Arizona Notary exam prior to filing a renewal application.’ A NEW SEAL IS MANDATORY ON REAPPOINTMENT: ‘Upon reappointment as a notary, the notary must obtain a new seal that contains the notary’s new commission expiration date before he or she performs any notarizations.’ A renewal is otherwise a fresh application — bond, fees and qualifications all apply again. No continuing education is required (see ce_hours). No continuing education requirement. The phrase ‘continuing education’ does not appear anywhere in the 66-page Notary Public Reference Manual (revision 2026-03-25), which reproduces both the governing statutes and the Administrative Rules, and no CE obligation appears on the Secretary of State’s Notary, New Notary or Remote & eNotary pages — the four tiers searched on 2026-08-12. What recurs each term is not education but EXAMINATION: since July 1, 2025 every renewing notary must pass the Arizona notary exam before filing the renewal application (A.R.S. § 41-270). That is a per-renewal competency test, not continuing education, and it should not be described as CE hours.

Your seal or stamp

REQUIRED, and Arizona is unusually prescriptive. The seal must be obtained after the commission certificate issues and before any notarization; the notary ‘must provide a COPY of the notary certificate to the company making the seal.’ PHYSICAL SEAL — the manual’s list of what ‘A valid notary seal must’ do: ‘Be a rubber stamp’; ‘Have dark ink. These colors include black, dark blue, dark purple, or dark brown. Red ink, green ink, or ink not viewable on all copy or fax machines or scanners is unacceptable. Avoid using inks with foreign objects included such as glitter.’; ‘Not be larger than 1 1/2 inches high and 2 1/2 inches wide or 1 1/2 inches round.’; ‘Contain the words “Notary Public.”’; ‘Contain the notary public’s name as listed on his or her commission certificate.’; ‘Contain the Arizona county in which the notary public was commissioned, listed on the commission certificate.’ COMMISSION NUMBER: ‘Laws 2018, Chapter 13, Section 12, requires all notaries public to use an official seal for notarial acts imprinted with the notary public’s notarial commission number.’ EMBOSSERS: permitted only as an addition, never alone — ‘A notary public may use an embosser, sometimes referred to as a crimper, but may only do so in conjunction with the use of a rubber stamp notary seal.’ VENDOR DUTY: a seal maker, including an out-of-state vendor used by a bonding agent, ‘is still required to obtain a copy of the commission certificate before making a notary seal… and needs to receive, and keep on file for four years, a copy of the commission certificate [A.R.S. § 41-267(B)].’ ELECTRONIC SEAL (A.A.C. R2-12-1205): ‘A notary public shall use the same unique electronic seal for all electronic notarizations performed during an applicable commission period’, and it ‘shall substantially conform to the following design: a rectangular or circular seal with the notary public’s name as it appears on the commission, the great seal of the State of Arizona, the words “Notary Public,” “State of Arizona,” and “My commission expires on (date),” the name of the county in which the notary public is commissioned, and the commission number.’ It must be ‘clear, legible, and photographically reproducible’ with no minimum or maximum size. ON EXPIRY / REAPPOINTMENT: a new seal showing the new expiration date is required before notarizing. ON RESIGNATION, EXPIRATION, REVOCATION OR DEATH: the seal must be surrendered to the Secretary of State (see journal_requirement). LOST, STOLEN OR COMPROMISED: notify the Secretary of State within 10 days [A.R.S. § 41-323(B)], no fee; failure means ‘a civil penalty of $1,000 shall be assessed and must be paid prior to the renewal of the notary’s commission [A.R.S. § 41-323(C)]’. A replacement seal must differ from the original — ‘The shape and ink color of the replacement seal must be different than the original seal.’

Keeping a journal

Arizona requires a notary journal.

REQUIRED for every notarial act, and the journal is a precondition of acting at all — the manual lists ‘A notary public journal’ among the four items a notary must have before performing any duties. RETENTION: ‘Notaries are required to keep a journal of all notarial acts for at least five years. A notary shall not destroy a journal unless its most recent entry is at least five years old.’ Restated in the sidebar: ‘While a notary public is commissioned, a notary public shall keep journals for at least five years after the most recent journal entry.’ SURRENDER: on resignation, expiration, revocation or death the notary (or the personal representative) must surrender the seal, journal and records to the Secretary of State — ‘The notary shall surrender the notary seal, notarial journal and records, except those records of notarial acts that are not public record, to the Secretary of State’, sent ‘via certified mail or other means providing a receipt’, addressed to Arizona Secretary of State, Attn: Notary Department, 1700 W. Washington Street, 7th Floor, Phoenix, Arizona 85007-2808. There is no fee. FAILURE TO SURRENDER: ‘Items are required to be sent within three months of a notary’s commission resignation, expiration, revocation or death or the notary shall forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $500 to the Secretary of State’s office (A.R.S. § 41-317).’ The notary bears the burden of proof of surrender, which is why receipts matter. WHAT NEED NOT BE SURRENDERED: ‘Any journal that contains records which are all five years old, or older may be destroyed, and are not required to be turned into the secretary.’ OWNERSHIP — A REAL TRAP: ’the notary public’s seal and journal are the property of the notary public if the journal contains public records. The notary public shall not relinquish the journal to the employer if the journal contains only public records [A.R.S. § 41-269(G)]. A journal that contains only non-public records is the property of the employer when the notary public leaves that employment [A.R.S. § 41-319(E)].’ The manual accordingly discusses maintaining two journals where a notary handles both public and non-public records. REMOTE ONLINE ACTS GO IN A SEPARATE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL: A.A.C. R2-12-1309(A) — ‘A notary public shall record each remote online notarial act performed by the notary public in chronological order in one or more journals maintained in a permanent, tamper-evident electronic format that complies with this Article. A notary public may not record a remote online notarial act in a paper journal required by section A.R.S. § 41-319.’ FUTURE CHANGE — THUMBPRINTS: from September 12, 2026 a right thumbprint must be taken in the journal for specified real-property documents and powers of attorney. That is NOT yet the law as of this record’s verification date.

Online (remote) notarization

Arizona authorizes remote online notarization, and it requires a registration separate from your commission.

AUTHORIZED, and Arizona requires a separate WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION from the Secretary of State — a distinct commission number, not merely a note on the existing commission. AUTHORITY TO ACT: A.A.C. R2-12-1302(A) — ‘A notary public of this state may perform remote online notarizations during the term of the notary public’s commission if: 1. The notary public has received written authorization from the Secretary of State to perform remote online notarizations under this Article; and 2. The Secretary of State has not terminated or revoked such authorization.’ R2-12-1302(B): ‘A notary public who is authorized to perform remote online notarizations under subsection (A) may also perform electronic notarizations under Article 12’ — RON authority subsumes eNotary authority, though the Secretary of State issues them as separate numbered commissions. HOW TO REGISTER, per the Secretary of State’s Remote & eNotary page — the steps ‘must be taken BEFORE submitting your application’: ‘You must be a current, active Arizona notary public’; ‘You must review the applicable Administrative Rules BEFORE applying’; ‘You must contract with a vendor that provides the technology that you intend to use to perform electronic and/or remote notarizations’; ‘Your application must provide a description of the technologies that you intend to use’; ‘Your application must provide the name and website URL of the vendor that will supply the technologies that you intend to use.’ The applications are the Electronic/Remote Notary Request (https://apps.azsos.gov/apps/notary/application/EApplication.aspx ) and the Electronic/Remote Notary Change form. NO FEE, NO EXTRA BOND: ‘Please note that there is no additional fee or bond at this time to become an Electronic or Remote Online Notary.’ NO STATE-ENDORSED VENDOR: ‘The Arizona Secretary of State does not endorse any particular third-party vendors. The basic requirements for the technology are found in the Rules… this is not a complete listing and you may use any vendor that meets the requirements set forth in the Notary Rules.’ The Secretary of State publishes indicative lists of Remote Online Notary Providers and Electronic Notary Providers without endorsement. SEPARATE COMMISSION NUMBERS: the Secretary of State’s worked example shows a traditional ‘Commission #’, a distinct ‘Electronic Commission #’ and a distinct ‘Remote Commission #’, each with its own begin date. SEALS: ‘With regard to eSeals, the Notary must likewise include the Notary’s commission number. Inclusion of the Traditional Notary commission satisfies this requirement, so long as the Notary has obtained the requisite Commissions to perform E-Notary and Remote Online Notary.’ IDENTITY OF A REMOTELY LOCATED SIGNER is built on defined processes in A.A.C. Article 13 — ‘credential analysis’ (a third person affirming the validity of an identification credential through review of public or private data sources, to the standards in R2-12-1305), ‘identity proofing’, ‘dynamic knowledge-based authentication assessment’ (‘an identity assessment of an individual that is based on a set of questions formulated from public or private data sources for which the individual has not provided a prior answer’), ‘multi-factor authentication’ and ‘remote presentation’ of the credential image. RECORDKEEPING: a permanent, tamper-evident ELECTRONIC journal is mandatory and the paper journal may not be used for remote acts (R2-12-1309(A)); each entry must include the date and time of the notarial act, a description of the record and type of notarial act, the full name and address of each individual for whom the act is performed, and how identity was established. DIGITAL CERTIFICATE: under the electronic-notarization rules a notary may not perform an electronic notarization if the digital certificate ‘Has expired; Has been revoked or terminated by the issuing or registering authority; Is invalid; or Is incapable of authentication’, and renewal of the certificate ‘is separate from the registration process with the Secretary of State and shall be obtained from a qualified certificate authority’ — the notary’s own responsibility. FEES ARE CAPPED THE SAME AS PAPER: the Secretary of State’s reminder on the Remote & eNotary page — ‘PER NOTARY RULES, NOTARY FEES SHALL BE FROM “NO CHARGE UP TO A MAXIMUM OF $10.00 PER NOTARIAL ACT”. THIS INCLUDES ELECTRONIC AND REMOTE ONLINE NOTARY FEES.’

What you may charge

$10.00 maximum per notarial act, and Arizona also regulates how the fee is set, posted and supplemented. THE CAP: the Notary Public Reference Manual states ‘A NOTARY PUBLIC MAY: Charge less than the $10 fee or up to $10 per notary public signature. Not charge fees.’ The Secretary of State restates it for electronic and remote work: ‘NOTARY FEES SHALL BE FROM “NO CHARGE UP TO A MAXIMUM OF $10.00 PER NOTARIAL ACT”. THIS INCLUDES ELECTRONIC AND REMOTE ONLINE NOTARY FEES.’ CONSISTENCY: ‘Fees shall be set and be consistent. That is, the same fee should be charged for each notarization.’ POSTING IS MANDATORY: ‘Compliance (A.R.S. § 38-412): Arizona law requires notaries public to post a schedule of fees in a conspicuous place.’ TRAVEL IS ALLOWED, AT A FIXED PUBLIC RATE: ‘Mileage fees: can be charged. A notary public may charge a travel mileage fee, if he or she travels a distance to perform a notarization. The travel mileage fee is the amount allowed Arizona state employees. The Department of Administration determines the mileage fee through its General Accounting Office. The mileage fee schedule is posted at www.gao.az.gov/travel.' Arizona therefore does NOT let a notary set its own travel charge — it is pegged to the state employee mileage rate. OTHER CHARGES PROHIBITED: ‘Service or transaction fees: shall not be charged.’ COURTS DIFFER: ‘Superior justice courts have a different fee schedule.’ PENALTY FOR OVERCHARGING: ‘Failure to comply (A.R.S. § 38-413): If an officer demands and receives a higher fee than prescribed by law, or any fee not so allowed, such officer shall be liable to the party aggrieved in an amount four (4) times the fee unlawfully demanded and received by him.’

Who does NOT need a commission — exemptions

WHAT ARIZONA NOTARIES MAY DO AT ALL is itself a limit worth stating first: the Secretary of State says ‘In Arizona, notaries can perform only acknowledgments, jurats, copy certifications, and oaths and affirmations’ — so acts common elsewhere (for example witnessing or attesting signatures as a distinct act, or protests) are outside an Arizona notary’s authority. PROHIBITED TO NOTARIES (A.R.S. § 41-328, reproduced in the manual): a notary public may not ‘Assist persons in drafting legal records, give legal advice or otherwise practice law’, ‘Act as an immigration consultant or an expert on immigration matters’, ‘Represent a person in a judicial or administrative proceeding relating to immigration to the United States, United States citizenship or related matters’, or ‘Receive compensation for performing any of the activities listed in this subsection’; and ‘A notary public may not engage in false or deceptive advertising.’ A non-attorney notary who advertises notarial services must include a prescribed disclaimer statement. EMPLOYER LIMITS: ‘An employer of a notary public may not limit the notary public’s services to customers or other persons designated’ by the employer. EX OFFICIO NOTARIAL AUTHORITY — SOURCED NEGATIVE WITH A NAMED UNSEARCHED TIER: no provision conferring ex officio notarial authority on judges, court clerks or other Arizona officials was found in the tiers searched on 2026-08-12 — the Notary Public Reference Manual in full (66 pages, including its Chapter 5 reproduction of the notary statutes and the Title 2 Chapter 12 Administrative Rules), the Secretary of State’s Notary page, New Notary page and Remote & eNotary page. The manual does note that ‘Superior justice courts have a different fee schedule’, which implies court officers performing notarial-type acts under other law, and Arizona’s judicial and court-clerk statutes outside the notary chapter were NOT read. Treat court-officer authority as an unsearched tier, not as established absence. MILITARY: 10 U.S.C. 1044a is federal law of general application and is not addressed by any Arizona source read when this page was last verified; this record makes no claim about its operation in Arizona. NO EXEMPTION FROM THE EXAM: the Secretary of State applies the examination to ‘all new and renewing Arizona notaries public’ with no attorney or public-employee carve-out stated, in contrast to states that exempt attorneys from training.

How to apply

Applications are handled by Arizona Secretary of State, Business Services Division (Notary Department). Start at the official application page .

Verify a license in Arizona

Arizona Secretary of State publishes a public license search , searchable by Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial, Notary ID, Business Name, Zip Code, County, Active Notaries only (checkbox) or Electronic/Remote only (checkbox). It covers Arizona notary public commissions. The form’s own instructions read: ‘Name: Fill in at least part of the last name’; ‘Business Name: Fill in at least part of the business name’; ‘Location: Select EITHER the county or the ZIP code to search’; ‘Notary ID: Enter the notary ID to search’; ‘Active Notaries: Check this box to show only current active notaries’; ‘Electronic/Remote: Check this box to show only current E/Ron notaries’. The county dropdown lists all 15 Arizona counties (Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma). The Electronic/Remote filter makes this portal unusually useful — it is a public way to confirm that a given notary actually holds the separate eNotary/RON authorization, not merely a traditional commission.

Records come from Arizona Secretary of State’s own system. LicensingAtlas does not hold license records and cannot confirm any individual’s status — the date on this page refers to the requirements described above, not to anyone’s credential.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pass an exam to become a notary in Arizona?

Yes — and this is recent, so older guides get it wrong. The Arizona Secretary of State states that ‘Beginning July 1, 2025, all new and renewing Arizona notaries public will be required to pass this examination’, under the authority of A.R.S. § 41-270. You must pass BEFORE you file: the application Filing Tips say ‘Prior to completing your application, you MUST contact Pearson to register for the Notary Exam and obtain a Candidate ID Number’, and renewing notaries ‘must take and pass the Arizona Notary exam prior to filing a renewal application.’ Both official sources agree the exam is 45 questions, 60 minutes, with a passing score of 80%. They do NOT agree on the vendor or the price: the Secretary of State’s website says the exam is taken ‘remotely or at any of Pearson’s testing sites’ for ‘$35 … for every proctored examination’, while the Notary Public Reference Manual (revised March 2026) says ‘Testing is available at any Prometric test site’ with ‘Fees: $46.75 paid to Prometric.’ They also differ on failing three times — the website says you ‘wait 30 days to reschedule’, the manual says ‘you must wait one year.’ Confirm the current vendor with the Secretary of State before you register.

What does it cost to become an Arizona notary?

$43.00 goes to the Secretary of State, and the manual sets it out as arithmetic: ‘$25.00 Application fee + $18.00 Notary bond filing fee = $43.00 Total.’ These ‘are required to be pre-paid to the Secretary of State’s office when applying’, payable to ‘Arizona Secretary of State’, and the website notes ‘A nonrefundable fee is required to process all applications.’ On top of that you pay the exam fee to the testing vendor (reported as $35 by the Secretary of State’s website and $46.75 by the manual — see the exam question), plus the premium for your $5,000 bond and the cost of your seal and journal. The manual is candid that those last three vary: ‘Costs for these services vary and applicants are encouraged to research companies to secure the best price and quality of service.’ There is no charge to become an electronic or remote online notary — ’there is no additional fee or bond at this time.’

What bond does Arizona require, and do I need errors-and-omissions insurance too?

A four-year $5,000 surety bond, bought in duplicate, and no — E&O is optional. The Notary Public Reference Manual states ‘State law requires applicants to purchase a four-year $5,000 notary bond [A.R.S. §§ 41-269(D)]’ and that ‘The original bond shall be submitted to the Secretary of State with the notary application and the duplicate copy is to be retained by the applicant.’ Buy it before you apply: ‘Applicants must purchase and complete a notary bond BEFORE the Secretary of State grants a commission. The bond, application and filing fee must be submitted together.’ Not from the state — ‘Bonds must be purchased from a licensed surety’, and the Secretary of State ‘does not provide notary bonds, nor do we recommend or favor any company.’ The bond must show the principal name and signatures, commission effective and end dates, issue date, your county of residence, counter signatures, and an oath of office and notarization. The manual draws the bond/insurance line clearly: a surety bond ‘protects those for whom the notary public performs a notarization’ and ‘does not protect the notary public.’ Errors-and-omissions insurance is the product that protects you, and Arizona does not require it.

When can I actually start notarizing after I'm approved?

Not until you hold four things. The Notary Public Reference Manual is explicit: ‘The duties of the office of an Arizona notary public can only be performed when the applicant has ALL of the below items: An original notary bond and notary application on file with the Arizona Secretary of State’s office; An original commission certificate from the Arizona Secretary of State’s office; A notary public seal; and A notary public journal.’ So receiving your commission certificate is not the finish line — you must also buy the rubber-stamp seal (giving the maker a copy of your commission certificate) and obtain a journal first. The Secretary of State also advises checking the certificate before ordering the stamp: ‘we recommend that you review your name, county of residence and commission dates to ensure your stamp is made accurately.’ The same applies after a renewal: ‘Upon reappointment as a notary, the notary must obtain a new seal that contains the notary’s new commission expiration date before he or she performs any notarizations.’

What are the rules for an Arizona notary seal?

Arizona is unusually specific. A valid seal must ‘Be a rubber stamp’; ‘Have dark ink. These colors include black, dark blue, dark purple, or dark brown. Red ink, green ink, or ink not viewable on all copy or fax machines or scanners is unacceptable. Avoid using inks with foreign objects included such as glitter’; ‘Not be larger than 1 1/2 inches high and 2 1/2 inches wide or 1 1/2 inches round’; contain ’the words “Notary Public”’, ’the notary public’s name as listed on his or her commission certificate’, and ’the Arizona county in which the notary public was commissioned’. It must also bear your commission number — ‘Laws 2018, Chapter 13, Section 12, requires all notaries public to use an official seal for notarial acts imprinted with the notary public’s notarial commission number.’ An embosser is allowed only as an extra: ‘A notary public may use an embosser, sometimes referred to as a crimper, but may only do so in conjunction with the use of a rubber stamp notary seal.’ If your seal is lost, stolen or compromised you must tell the Secretary of State within 10 days at no charge; miss that and ‘a civil penalty of $1,000 shall be assessed and must be paid prior to the renewal of the notary’s commission.’ A replacement seal must differ — ‘The shape and ink color of the replacement seal must be different than the original seal.’

Does Arizona require a notary journal, and how long must I keep it?

Yes, a journal is mandatory — it is one of the four things you must have before performing any notarial act — and ‘Notaries are required to keep a journal of all notarial acts for at least five years. A notary shall not destroy a journal unless its most recent entry is at least five years old.’ When you resign, let the commission expire, are revoked, or die, the seal and journal must be surrendered to the Secretary of State by certified mail or another method giving proof of receipt, within three months, ‘or the notary shall forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $500 to the Secretary of State’s office (A.R.S. § 41-317).’ Journals whose entries are all at least five years old ‘may be destroyed, and are not required to be turned into the secretary.’ Ownership can surprise employed notaries: the seal and journal ‘are the property of the notary public if the journal contains public records’ and must not be handed to an employer, while ‘A journal that contains only non-public records is the property of the employer when the notary public leaves that employment.’ Remote online notarizations are recorded separately — they must go in a permanent, tamper-evident electronic journal, and a notary ‘may not record a remote online notarial act in a paper journal.’

How do I become an electronic or remote online notary in Arizona?

They are separate authorizations on top of your traditional commission, and they issue their own commission numbers. You must already be ‘a current, active Arizona notary public’, review the Administrative Rules, and ‘contract with a vendor that provides the technology that you intend to use’ — your application ‘must provide a description of the technologies that you intend to use’ and ’the name and website URL of the vendor’. For remote online notarization specifically, A.A.C. R2-12-1302(A) allows it only if ‘The notary public has received written authorization from the Secretary of State’ and that authorization has not been terminated or revoked; a notary authorized for RON ‘may also perform electronic notarizations under Article 12’. There is no extra charge — ’there is no additional fee or bond at this time to become an Electronic or Remote Online Notary’ — and Arizona picks no favourites: ‘The Arizona Secretary of State does not endorse any particular third-party vendors… you may use any vendor that meets the requirements set forth in the Notary Rules.’ You still cannot charge more: the $10-per-act cap ‘INCLUDES ELECTRONIC AND REMOTE ONLINE NOTARY FEES.’

How much can an Arizona notary charge, and can I bill for travel?

Up to $10.00 per notarial act, and travel is billable only at the state mileage rate. The Notary Public Reference Manual says a notary may ‘Charge less than the $10 fee or up to $10 per notary public signature’ or ‘Not charge fees’, but ‘Fees shall be set and be consistent. That is, the same fee should be charged for each notarization.’ You must publish them: ‘Arizona law requires notaries public to post a schedule of fees in a conspicuous place’ (A.R.S. § 38-412). On travel: ‘Mileage fees: can be charged… The travel mileage fee is the amount allowed Arizona state employees. The Department of Administration determines the mileage fee through its General Accounting Office’ — so Arizona pegs the travel charge to a published public rate rather than letting the notary set it. Other add-ons are barred: ‘Service or transaction fees: shall not be charged.’ Overcharging is expensive: under A.R.S. § 38-413, an officer who ‘demands and receives a higher fee than prescribed by law, or any fee not so allowed… shall be liable to the party aggrieved in an amount four (4) times the fee unlawfully demanded and received by him.’

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Arizona.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: August 12, 2026.

We re-fetch every cited source on a weekly schedule: see what changed at the agencies, or every correction we have ever made.

LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.