How to Become a Notary in Arizona (2026): Requirements, Cost & Steps

Requirements verified July 19, 2026 against Arizona Secretary of State

Arizona notaries file a $43 application-and-bond fee with the Secretary of State, post a $5,000 four-year surety bond, and — since July 1, 2025 — must pass a proctored open-book exam ($46.75 through Prometric). The commission lasts four years, and a journal is mandatory.

Arizona used to be one of the easier no-test states, but that changed on July 1, 2025: every new and renewing notary now has to pass a proctored open-book exam before the Secretary of State will issue the four-year commission. The rest of the checklist is familiar — a $5,000 surety bond bought in duplicate from a licensed surety, a $43 application-and-bond filing fee, and an oath of office — all filed with the state, with no county paperwork.

Budget-wise you're looking at about $100–$150: state fee, the $46.75 Prometric exam, a small bond premium, and supplies. The supplies matter here because Arizona is a mandatory-journal state, and its stamp rule is unusual — the impression must include the great seal of Arizona and stay within 1.5 by 2.5 inches. Fee income is capped at $10 per act by administrative rule, and you're required to post your fee schedule where customers can see it.

Arizona rewrote and renumbered its whole notary chapter in 2019 (SB 1030), which also opened the door to remote online notarization starting July 1, 2020. Adding RON takes a second application that names a technology vendor with biometric-capable identity verification — a tougher tech standard than most states impose — so pick your platform before you file.

Who can become a notary in Arizona?

• Age: at least 18 years old.
• Residency: You must be an Arizona resident for income tax purposes and claim Arizona as your primary residence (A.R.S. § 41-269). There is no commission for out-of-state residents who merely work in Arizona.
• Background: A felony conviction — or any crime involving fraud, dishonesty, or deceit — is grounds for the Secretary of State to deny a commission under A.R.S. § 41-271; a no-contest plea counts as a conviction. Denials aren't always automatic: the statute frames these as grounds for denial, and applicants get notice and a hearing, so contact the SOS if you have a record.
• You must be a citizen or permanent legal resident of the United States and able to read and write English.
• You must execute an oath of office and submit it to the Secretary of State before the commission issues.
• Most application details beyond your name and business address are kept confidential by statute.

How to apply: step by step

1. Buy a four-year $5,000 Arizona notary bond in duplicate from a licensed surety — a notary bonding company, insurance company, or notary organization. The SOS will not process an application without the bond.
2. Pass the Arizona notary examination, required for all new and renewing applicants since July 1, 2025. It's proctored by Prometric ($46.75 per attempt), open book against the state's Notary Public Reference Manual, 45 questions in 60 minutes, 80% to pass, taken at any of ten Arizona test sites or remotely.
3. Complete the notary application through the Secretary of State (the SOS runs an online application system; mailed paper applications go to the Phoenix office), signing the oath of office.
4. Submit the original application, the original signed and notarized bond, and the $43 application-and-bond filing fee. Mailed payments should be by check or money order to the 'Arizona Secretary of State'.
5. Wait for the SOS to review and issue your four-year commission, then buy your notary stamp — the impression can't exceed 1.5 x 2.5 inches and must include the great seal of Arizona — and a journal, which Arizona law requires you to keep.

How long it takes: The Secretary of State does not publish a guaranteed turnaround; processing runs from receipt of a complete application, bond, and fee. Check current processing times with the SOS notary section before counting on a start date.

What it costs in Arizona

Exam and training

Exam: Yes — new since July 1, 2025. All new and renewing notaries must pass a proctored, open-book exam run by Prometric: 45 questions drawn from the state's Notary Public Reference Manual, 60 minutes, 80% to pass, $46.75 per attempt, available at ten Arizona testing sites or remotely. A digital copy of the manual is built into the exam; physical copies aren't allowed.

No mandatory course — the exam is the gatekeeper. The Secretary of State publishes the Notary Public Reference Manual free online and offers notary workshops, which double as exam prep since the questions come straight from the manual.

Can you notarize online in Arizona? RON allowed

Yes — Arizona authorizes remote online notarization (RON). Arizona authorized remote online notarization through SB 1030 (2019), with RON effective July 1, 2020. The SOS publishes the governing Remote Online Notary Rules on its website.

To add RON to your commission: You must hold an active Arizona commission first. Then you file a separate e-notary/remote online notary application with the Secretary of State describing the technology you'll use and naming your vendor (with its website); Arizona requires the platform to support biometric-capable identity verification, which is stricter than most states. The SOS emails you an 'E-notary/RON Request' to print, sign, and return before the electronic commission certificate issues. Confirm the current application fee with the SOS before filing.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Get your stamp and journal. An official stamp is required on every certificate for a tangible record (A.R.S. § 41-264). The physical impression may be no more than 1.5 inches high by 2.5 inches wide and must include an image of the great seal of the State of Arizona (A.R.S. § 41-266), along with your commissioned name and commission details per SOS specifications. You may not stamp over your own or anyone else's signature. Arizona also requires a journal: paper for tangible-record notarizations, paper or electronic for electronic ones, retained at least five years (A.R.S. § 41-319). See the new-notary supplies checklist and Arizona stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: Arizona caps notary fees at $10 per notarial act. The SOS sets maximums by rule (Ariz. Admin. Code R2-12-1102): up to $10 per signature for acknowledgments and jurats, up to $10 per certified copy page, and up to $10 per oath or affirmation. You must post your fee schedule conspicuously and tell the customer the fee before performing the act.

E&O insurance: Not required. Arizona's $5,000 bond exists for the public's protection and the surety can seek reimbursement from you, so optional errors-and-omissions insurance is the piece that actually shields the notary.

Earning more with your commission

Most new notaries who turn the commission into real income do it through loan signings — notarizing mortgage document packages for title companies. If that interests you, start with what a loan signing agent actually does and earns. Loan signing agent guide

Arizona notary FAQ