AZ NOTARY Study Guide 2026

Failure to pass identity verification — such as failing KBA — is a lawful basis to refuse or terminate a RON session because the notary cannot confirm the signer's identity.

The required elements on an Arizona notary seal include the notary's name, the words 'Notary Public,' the county of commission, the commission number, the expiration date, and the Great Seal of Arizona. There is no requirement for the notary's address, business or personal, to be on the seal.

Arizona requires notary applicants to obtain a surety bond before their commission is issued. The bond protects the public from financial harm caused by a notary's errors or misconduct.

Since the seal must display the commission expiration date, and the renewed commission will have a new expiration date, the notary must obtain a new seal reflecting the updated information.

A standard acknowledgment in Arizona requires only the signer and the notary. No additional witnesses are required unless the document itself specifies witnesses.

A notary's surety bond protects the public, not the notary. It compensates injured parties up to the bond amount ($5,000 in Arizona), and the notary may still owe the surety company repayment.