AZ Notary Laws and Regulations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Arizona law, can a notary refuse to perform a notarization?
- No, notaries must serve everyone who requests service
- Yes, if they have reasonable grounds such as suspicion of fraud (Correct answer)
- Only if the signer is under 18
- Only with written approval from the Secretary of State
Correct answer: Yes, if they have reasonable grounds such as suspicion of fraud
Arizona notaries have the right and duty to refuse notarization if they have reasonable grounds, such as suspecting fraud, inability to verify identity, or if the signer appears coerced or incompetent.
Question 2: What is the maximum fee an Arizona notary may charge per notarial act?
- $2
- $5
- $10 (Correct answer)
- $25
Correct answer: $10
Arizona law sets the maximum fee a notary may charge at $10 per notarial act. Notaries may charge less or waive the fee entirely, but cannot exceed this amount.
Question 3: Which Arizona statute governs the powers and duties of notaries public?
- Title 33 - Property
- Title 41 - State Government, Chapter 2 (Correct answer)
- Title 13 - Criminal Code
- Title 44 - Trade and Commerce
Correct answer: Title 41 - State Government, Chapter 2
Arizona's notary laws are found in Title 41 (State Government), Chapter 2, which covers the appointment, powers, duties, and regulations governing notaries public.
Question 4: An Arizona notary discovers they made an error on a completed notarial certificate. What is the correct procedure?
- White out the error and initial the correction
- Draw a single line through the error, initial and date the correction (Correct answer)
- Destroy the document and start over
- The error cannot be corrected once the seal is applied
Correct answer: Draw a single line through the error, initial and date the correction
The correct procedure is to draw a single line through the error (so it remains readable), then initial and date the correction. White-out or complete obliteration of the error is not acceptable.
Question 5: Can an Arizona notary notarize a document written in a language they do not understand?
- Yes, the notary only verifies identity, not document content (Correct answer)
- No, the notary must understand the document's language
- Yes, but only with a certified translator present
- Only for real estate documents
Correct answer: Yes, the notary only verifies identity, not document content
An Arizona notary can notarize a document written in a foreign language because the notary's role is to verify the signer's identity and willingness to sign, not to verify or understand the document's contents.
Question 6: Arizona law requires notaries to positively identify signers. Which is NOT an acceptable form of identification?
- Arizona driver's license
- U.S. passport
- Credit card with photo (Correct answer)
- State-issued identification card
Correct answer: Credit card with photo
Arizona notary law requires government-issued photo identification such as a driver's license, passport, or state ID. A credit card, even with a photo, is not a government-issued ID and is not acceptable.
AZ Notary Laws and Regulations 2
Under Arizona law, can a notary refuse to perform a notarization?