Commission + Application
22%of exam
Notarial Acts
24%of exam
Identity + Screening
20%of exam
Records + Seal
18%of exam
Fees + RON
16%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- AZ Notary
- Owner
- Arizona SOS
- Questions
- 45
- Time
- 60 min
- Pass
- 80%
- Correct
- 36 of 45
- Exam fee
- $46.75
- App fee
- $43
- Bond
- $5,000
- Term
- 4 years
- Book
- Digital manual
Core Numbers
45, 60, 80, 36, 10
45 questions60 minutes80% pass$10 max
Bond vs E&O
Bond
- Protects public
- Required
- $5,000
E&O
- Protects notary
- Optional
- Defense costs
Public vs you
Exam Numbers
- Requirement
- New and renewing
- Questions
- 45 multiple-choice
- Time
- 60 minutes
- Pass
- 80%
- Correct
- 36 of 45
- Exam fee
- $46.75
- Retake
- 30 days
- Score life
- 90 days
Eligibility
- Age
- 18 or older
- Residency
- Primary AZ residence
- Status
- Citizen or LPR
- English
- Read, write, understand
- Exam
- Pass if required
- Manual
- Keep approved reference
- Disqualified
- 41-271 bar
- Oath
- Before commission
Application
- First step
- Register exam
- Candidate ID
- Before application
- Bond
- $5,000
- Filing fee
- $43
- Term
- 4 years
- Processing
- About 4 weeks
- Renewal
- Up to 2 months
- NSF
- $25 fee
Four Acts
AJOC: Acknowledge, Jurat, Oath, Copy
AcknowledgeJuratOathCopy
Acknowledgment vs Jurat
Acknowledgment
- Signer acknowledges
- No oath
- Prior signature OK
Jurat
- Signer swears
- Oath required
- Sign before notary
Willingness vs truth
Act Picker
- Signed voluntarily→Acknowledgment(No oath)
- Sworn document→Jurat(Sign here)
- Oral truth promise→Oath/Affirmation(No document)
- Need true copy→Copy cert(Compare original)
- Deposition request→Refuse(Not authorized)
- Legal advice asked→Refuse(Attorney only)
- Birth certificate copy→Refuse(Issuing agency)
- Blank document→Refuse(Incomplete)
Notarial Acts
- Acknowledgment
- Signed willingly
- Jurat
- Signed and sworn
- Oath
- Truth promise
- Affirmation
- Secular oath
- Copy cert
- True copy
- Depositions
- Not authorized
- Impartiality
- No stake
- Certificate
- Act evidence
Oath vs Affirmation
Oath
- Invokes deity
- Truth pledge
- Perjury risk
Affirmation
- Secular pledge
- Same legal force
- Signer choice
Religious vs secular
Act Signals
- Acknowledged
- Acknowledgment clue
- Subscribed
- Signed before notary
- Sworn
- Oath required
- Already signed
- Acknowledgment OK
- Truthfulness
- Jurat or oath
- Copy matches
- Copy certification
- No document
- Oath possible
- Signer choice
- Oath or affirmation
ID Four
Photo, description, serial, signature
PhotoDescriptionSerialSignature
ID vs Witness
ID
- Signer document
- Four elements
- Unexpired
Witness
- Knows signer
- Takes oath
- Identified by notary
Document vs person
Identity Picker
- Valid complete ID→Accept ID(Four elements)
- No ID→Credible witness(Oath plus ID)
- Expired ID→Refuse(Current required)
- Signer coerced→Stop act(Voluntary required)
- Signer absent→Refuse(Personal appearance)
- Personal knowledge→Journal entry(Or document copy)
Identity Evidence
- Photo
- ID element
- Description
- ID element
- Serial number
- ID element
- Signature
- ID element
- Current ID
- Unexpired
- Tribal ID
- Allowed if complete
- DOC ID
- Allowed
- Credible witness
- Oath plus ID
Signer Screening
- Appearance
- Required
- Identity
- Required
- Willingness
- Required
- Awareness
- Required
- Blank document
- Refuse
- Financial interest
- Refuse
- Coercion
- Refuse
- Legal advice
- Refuse
Seal Colors
Dark ink: black, blue, purple, brown
No redDark inkGreat Seal
Journal vs Certificate
Journal
- Audit trail
- Chronological
- Public record
Certificate
- Act evidence
- On document
- Sealed
Record vs evidence
Journal
- Tangible acts
- Paper journal
- Electronic acts
- Paper or e-journal
- Order
- Chronological
- Date
- Required
- Document
- Description required
- Signer
- Name and address
- ID method
- Required
- Fee charged
- Required
Copy Cert vs Vital Record
Copy cert
- Ordinary copy
- Compare original
- Separate act
Vital record
- Agency copy
- Birth/death
- Use issuing agency
Copy vs official
Seal
- Rubber stamp
- Required
- Embosser
- Extra only
- Rectangle
- 1.5 x 2.5
- Circle
- 1.5 diameter
- Ink
- Dark only
- Red ink
- Not allowed
- Great Seal
- Required
- Commission number
- Required
Certificates
- Venue
- State and county
- Date
- Actual date
- Notary signature
- Required
- Seal
- Required
- Wrong wording
- Void and replace
- White-out
- Never use
- Loose cert
- Attach securely
- RON cert
- Technology statement
RON Proof
Live video plus proofing plus records
Sight and soundTwo proof typesRecording retained
RON vs In-Person
RON
- Audio-video
- Identity proofing
- Recording retained
In-person
- Physical presence
- Physical ID
- Paper journal
Technology vs presence
Compliance Picker
- Tangible record→Paper journal(One active)
- Electronic record→E-journal(Allowed)
- Address changed→Report SOS(30 days)
- Seal lost→Report SOS(10 days)
- Remote signer→RON(Notify SOS)
- Public request→Journal copy(Written details)
- Subpoena received→Comply(Lawful order)
- Employer confidential→Separate journal(Not public)
Fees + Penalties
- Max fee
- $10 per act
- Electronic fee
- $10 max
- RON fee
- $10 max
- Late address
- $25 penalty
- Lost seal
- Report 10 days
- Lost seal fine
- $1,000
- Resign records
- 3 months
- Records fine
- $50-$500
Fee vs Bond
Fee
- Charged per act
- $10 max
- Optional charge
Bond
- Filed with SOS
- $5,000
- Required assurance
Revenue vs assurance
RON Basics
- Status
- Active AZ notary
- Notice
- Before first RON
- Technology
- Sight and sound
- Identity proofing
- Two types
- Recording
- Retain 5+ years
- Foreign signer
- U.S. nexus needed
- E-seal
- Commission number
- RON certificate
- Technology statement
Common Traps
Acknowledgment Not Jurat
No oath ≠ Oath plus signature
Bond Not Insurance
Public protection ≠ Your protection
Notario Not Attorney
No legal advice ≠ No immigration help
RON Not Phone
Live audio-video ≠ No phone-only act
Fee Cap Not Document
Per act ≠ Max $10
Journal Not Private
Usually public ≠ Some exceptions
Copy Cert Not Vital
Not agency record ≠ Use issuing agency
Seal Not Authority
Stamp follows act ≠ Commission grants authority
Last Minute
- 1.45 questions, 60 minutes
- 2.Pass = 80%, 36 correct
- 3.Exam fee = $46.75
- 4.Application fee = $43
- 5.Bond = $5,000, four years
- 6.$10 max per notarial act
- 7.Four acts only
- 8.Acknowledgment: no oath
- 9.Jurat: sign plus oath
- 10.ID: photo, description, serial, signature
- 11.Journal entries are chronological
- 12.Seal ink must be dark
- 13.RON uses live audio-video
- 14.RON recording: retain 5+ years
- 15.Lost seal: report 10 days
- 16.Address change: report 30 days
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