3.1 The Arizona Notary Seal: Required Elements and Use

Why the Seal Matters

Your official stamp — commonly called the notary seal — is the physical mark that authenticates every notarization you perform in Arizona. When you press it onto a notarial certificate (the acknowledgment or jurat wording), you are publicly declaring that you completed a lawful notarial act.

Because the stamp carries this much weight, the Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) and the 2025 Notary Public Reference Manual spell out exactly what it must contain, how it must look, and how you must guard it. Expect the Arizona Notary exam to test the seal's required elements, its size limits, its ink, the one-stamp rule, and the loss-reporting deadline.

Required Elements on the Stamp

Every Arizona stamp must include the same set of information, in any arrangement, so a document examiner can identify and verify you years later. Memorize all six items — exam questions frequently list five correct elements and one distractor (a common trap is "home address", which never appears on the seal).

The phrase "State of Arizona" is also standard on commercial stamps and is fully acceptable; what the statute specifically requires is the Great Seal of the State of Arizona image on any physical stamping device.

Shape, Size, and Ink

Arizona is unusually flexible on shape but strict on size and ink. Under the official-stamp statute, the stamp may be any shape (rectangular, circular, or oval), but the inked image produced by a physical stamping device may be no more than 1.5 inches high and 2.5 inches wide. A circular stamp must therefore fit inside that box.

• Ink color: dark and reproducible — black, dark blue, dark purple, or dark brown. Red, light, or pastel inks are prohibited because they do not photocopy or scan reliably.
• Impression quality: every impression must be sharp, clear, and photographically reproducible so the stamp copies cleanly together with the record it is affixed to.
• Embosser rule: a raised-seal embosser (which leaves no ink) may be used only in addition to the inked stamp — never as a substitute. An embossed-only notarization is invalid in Arizona.

Example: A signer brings a deed and asks you to use your blue gel pen and a raised embosser "to make it look official." You decline. Arizona requires an inked rubber stamp with dark, reproducible ink and the Great Seal of Arizona. You apply your standard black-ink stamp; the embosser, if you own one, may be added but cannot stand alone.

The One-Stamp Rule and Placement

A notary may keep only one physical stamping device for tangible-record acts at a time. You may not maintain a second "backup" stamp with a different design, keep separate stamps at home and at work, or use different stamps for different clients. Replace a worn or damaged physical stamp, and use a stamp carrying the correct information for a new commission. A surname change has a specific exception: § 41-327 permits continued use of the prior-name stamp and commission until expiration. Sign the changed surname and, immediately below it, the commissioned name; notify the Secretary of State within 30 days. The one-device limit in § 41-267(C) concerns physical stamping devices for tangible-record acts, not a ban on an authorized electronic stamping device.

When you affix the stamp, follow these placement rules so the certificate remains legible and tamper-evident:

1. Place the stamp near your notarial signature, within the certificate area.
2. Do not stamp over text, signatures, or other stamps — an obscured seal can invalidate the act.
3. Keep the entire impression on the page (not cut off at a margin) and fully legible for scanning.
4. If a clear impression is impossible on the document, attach a separate, securely bound loose certificate and stamp that.

Securing the Stamp and Reporting Loss or Theft

You are personally responsible for the security of your stamp. Keep it under your exclusive control, store it in a locked or secured location, and never lend it or leave it unattended — letting another person use your stamp is serious misconduct that can lead to commission revocation and liability.

If the stamp (or your journal) is lost, stolen, or compromised, A.R.S. 41-323 requires you to act fast:

The $1,000 civil penalty that § 41-323(C) requires for missing the stamp/journal notice deadline applies to failure to provide the required loss, theft or compromise notice. Contrast it with the separate address-change rule under the same statute: report a new mailing, business, or residential address within 30 days; the Secretary of State may impose a $25 penalty for late notice. Knowing the difference (10 days/$1,000 for loss vs. 30 days/$25 for address) prevents confusing the two duties.

Key Takeaways

• Six required elements: name, "Notary Public," county, commission number, expiration date, Great Seal of Arizona.
• Any shape, but the inked image must be no larger than 1.5" H x 2.5" W, in dark reproducible ink.
• One physical stamping device for tangible-record acts; embosser only as an add-on; place it near your signature and never over text.
• Report a lost, stolen, or compromised stamp to the Secretary of State within 10 days ; failure to notify carries the mandatory $1,000 civil penalty.