An Arizona notary search takes about a minute. The Secretary of State’s office keeps a free public database of every notary commissioned in the state, and you can use it to confirm whether a specific notary is authorized to perform notarial acts, whether their commission was active on the date they signed a document, and whether they hold the extra authorization needed for remote online notarizations.
How to Run the Search
The tool lives on the Secretary of State’s website at azsos.gov, under the Notary section. Look for the “Notary Public Search” link within the Notary Resources area. No account, login, or fee is required.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 41-312 – Appointment; Term; Oath and Bond; Training Courses; Fee
You can search by name, commission number, or county. The most reliable option is the commission number, because every Arizona notary has a unique one and it must appear on the official seal along with the notary’s full name, the county of commission, and the expiration date.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 41-313 – Duties The seal also carries the words “notary public” and the Great Seal of Arizona.3Arizona Secretary of State. Arizona Notary Public Reference Manual
If you’re checking a document that has already been notarized, pull the commission number and name straight from the seal impression. That’s exactly the data the database expects. Searching by name alone works too, but common names return multiple hits, so adding the county narrows the results considerably.
The database refreshes to reflect new commissions, expirations, suspensions, and revocations. A brand-new notary may take a few days to appear. Otherwise, what you see is current.
Reading the Results
Search results show the notary’s name, commission number, effective dates, and status. Four status labels tell you what you need to know.
- Active. The notary currently holds a valid commission and can perform notarial acts anywhere in Arizona, even outside the county where they were commissioned.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 41-312 – Appointment; Term; Oath and Bond; Training Courses; Fee
- Expired. The four-year term ended and was not renewed. The notary has no authority to notarize.
- Resigned. The notary gave up the commission voluntarily before it expired.
- Revoked. The Secretary of State terminated the commission, usually for misconduct such as fraud, dishonesty, or charging unauthorized fees.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 41-330 – Grounds for Refusal
The listing also indicates whether the notary is authorized for Electronic Notarization or Remote Online Notarization. Those are separate designations, not automatic, so an active commission alone does not mean a notary can act remotely.
Why the Dates Are the Point
An Arizona notary commission lasts exactly four years.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 41-312 – Appointment; Term; Oath and Bond; Training Courses; Fee A notary whose commission has expired must stop notarizing until a new commission certificate arrives, even if a renewal application is already in.5Arizona Secretary of State. Services for Existing Notaries Any notarization performed after the expiration date is invalid.
So when you’re verifying a completed notarization, compare the date on the document to the effective dates in the search results. If the notarization falls after the expiration, or during a period the commission was revoked, that notarization carries no legal weight. The document may need to be re-executed and notarized by someone with a valid commission.
What a Revoked Result Signals
The Secretary of State can suspend a commission for 30 to 180 days or revoke it outright. Grounds include fraud, dishonesty, felony convictions, and charging fees above the legal maximum.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 41-330 – Grounds for Refusal A notary whose commission is revoked cannot reapply for at least a year, and the Secretary of State can refuse to reappoint them indefinitely. If you find that the person who notarized your document was already revoked on the notarization date, treat the notarization as void and get legal advice before relying on the document.
Checking for Remote Online Notarization Authority
Arizona allows notaries with specific authorization to perform notarizations entirely over a live video call. The notary must be physically located in Arizona during the session, though the signer can be anywhere.6Arizona Secretary of State. Remote Online Notary Rules
Not every active Arizona notary is approved for this. The notary has to apply separately to the Secretary of State, describe the technology platform they plan to use, and receive written approval before performing any remote notarizations. When you run a search, the result indicates whether the notary holds RON authorization. If you need a remote notarization, either filter for that designation or confirm it before scheduling. A remote notarization by someone without RON authorization has the same problem as one by an expired notary: it isn’t valid.
RON identity verification is more involved than an in-person notarization. You present your ID on camera so the notary can read it, the platform runs an automated credential analysis of the ID’s security features, and you answer knowledge-based authentication questions drawn from your personal and financial history. Some platforms combine these steps.
What the Search Tool Won’t Tell You
The database confirms whether someone is commissioned. It does not list contact information, addresses, or availability. To actually reach a notary, you’ll need to look through banks, credit unions, shipping and office supply stores, or mobile notary services, then run the person’s name or commission number through the search tool to confirm they’re active before the appointment.
The tool also won’t tell you whether a specific notarization was performed correctly. It confirms that the notary had authority on the date shown. Whether the act itself followed Arizona’s identification, journaling, and acknowledgment requirements is a separate question, and if you have reason to doubt it, the notary’s journal entry is the record to ask about.7Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 41-319 – Journal