To complete an Arizona Secretary of State notary renewal, submit a new application, a $5,000 surety bond, and a signed oath of office to the Secretary of State’s office before your current four-year commission expires, along with the $43 filing fee.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 41-312 – Appointment; Term; Oath and Bond; Training Courses; Fee You can file as early as two months out, and processing typically takes about four weeks once the state has a complete package.2Arizona Secretary of State. Existing Notaries If your commission expires before the new one is issued, you must stop notarizing until the new certificate arrives.
When to File
The Secretary of State accepts renewal applications up to two months before your commission expiration date.2Arizona Secretary of State. Existing Notaries With processing running about four weeks, filing right at the two-month mark gives you a real buffer against surprises.3Arizona Secretary of State. Notary
There is no grace period. If your existing commission expires while you’re waiting for the new one, you cannot notarize anything until the replacement certificate reaches you.2Arizona Secretary of State. Existing Notaries Notarizations performed in that gap have no legal authority.
Whether You Still Qualify
The same qualifications that applied to your original commission apply again at renewal. Under A.R.S. § 41-312, you must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, an Arizona resident who claims the state as a primary residence on state and federal tax returns, able to read and write English, and free of any felony conviction unless your civil rights have been restored. You also have to keep a Secretary of State–approved notary reference manual.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 41-312 – Appointment; Term; Oath and Bond; Training Courses; Fee
The residency rule catches renewers who have started splitting time across states. Living part-time in Arizona is not enough; you need to claim it as your primary residence on your tax returns.
The felony bar is narrower than many people assume. A.R.S. § 41-330 also allows the Secretary of State to refuse a commission for a lesser conviction involving dishonesty or moral turpitude, even if it wasn’t a felony.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 41-330 – Grounds for Refusal, Revocation or Suspension of Commission
What Goes in the Renewal Package
Three items sit at the center of your submission, and they need to be filed together.
The Surety Bond
You need a $5,000 surety bond from a licensed surety company.5Arizona Secretary of State. Notary Resources The Secretary of State does not sell bonds, so you buy one from a surety on your own. Premiums typically run $35 to $55 for the four-year term.
The bond covers the public if you make an error, but the $5,000 cap does not limit your personal liability. If damages run higher, you could owe the difference.
The bond must be an original, signed document, and another active notary has to notarize it before you submit.2Arizona Secretary of State. Existing Notaries Timing on the bond is strict: a bond issued more than 60 days before or more than 30 days after your commission date will be rejected, so don’t buy it too early.6Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 41-315 – Bond
The Oath of Office
Before the Secretary of State issues the renewed commission, you must sign an oath to support the U.S. and Arizona constitutions and to faithfully discharge your duties. The oath is endorsed on the bond and filed with it.7Arizona Secretary of State. Arizona Notary Public Reference Manual It’s the same oath required of Arizona public officers under A.R.S. § 38-231.
The Filing Fee
The fee is $43, covering both the application and the bond filing.3Arizona Secretary of State. Notary By mail, use a check or money order payable to the “Arizona Secretary of State.” No cash. Online filers can pay by credit or debit card.
How to Submit
You have three ways to get the package to the Secretary of State:
- Online, through the Secretary of State’s portal, with document uploads and electronic payment. This is the fastest route.
- By mail to: Secretary of State, Attn: Notary Dept., 1700 W. Washington Street, Fl. 7, Phoenix, AZ 85007-2808. The application and bond must be the original signed and notarized documents.
- In person in Phoenix at the State Capitol Executive Tower, 1700 W. Washington Street, Suite 220, or in Tucson at the Arizona State Complex Building, 400 West Congress, Second Floor, Suite 221.
If you mail it, use a trackable method. A lost package means starting again with a new bond and another $43.3Arizona Secretary of State. Notary
Check that the name on your application matches the name on your bond exactly. Small mismatches get packages rejected.
Processing and the Gap Period
Plan on roughly four weeks after the office receives your complete submission.3Arizona Secretary of State. Notary Staff verify the bond and confirm you still qualify, then issue a new commission certificate.
The waiting period is the reason to file early. If your current commission runs out before the new certificate arrives, you must stop notarizing entirely until it does.2Arizona Secretary of State. Existing Notaries There is no provisional authority to bridge the gap.
Getting a New Seal
Once your renewed certificate arrives, you have to buy a new seal before performing any notarizations. Your old seal shows the previous expiration date and can’t be used under the new commission.8Arizona Secretary of State. Arizona Notary Public Reference Manual
Arizona seals must be rubber stamps using dark ink (black, dark blue, dark purple, or dark brown) and cannot exceed 1½ inches by 2½ inches for a rectangular stamp, or 1½ inches in diameter for a round one. The impression must show:
- The words “Notary Public”
- Your name exactly as it appears on the new commission certificate
- The Arizona county where you were commissioned
- Your new commission expiration date
- Your commission number
- The Great Seal of Arizona
Using a seal that doesn’t meet those specs is grounds for suspension or revocation. Destroy the old seal once the new one is in hand: cut the rubber face so it can no longer produce a usable impression, and if you had an embosser, remove and deface the metal plate.
Your Journal Carries Over
Renewal does not reset your recordkeeping. Arizona law requires every notary to keep a chronological journal of notarial acts, and your existing journal continues into the new commission term.9Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 41-319 – Journal You don’t open a fresh journal just because the commission number changed. Paper notarizations still require a paper journal, and you can have only one paper journal in use at a time. The journal is a public record, and you’re responsible for keeping it secure throughout your term.10Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 41-313 – Duties
If You Decide Not to Renew
Letting the commission lapse is not the end of your obligations. Within three months of expiration, you must deliver your seal, journal, and notarial records to the Secretary of State by certified mail or another method that provides a receipt.7Arizona Secretary of State. Arizona Notary Public Reference Manual Missing that three-month window can bring a penalty between $50 and $500.