State of Arizona Notary Public Application Instructions Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett Business Services, Notary Section 1700 W. Washington Street, 7th Fl., Phoenix, AZ 85007-2888 (602) 542-6187 (800) 458-5842 (within Arizona) Website: www.azsos.gov NOTARIES ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE AN ARIZONA NOTARY PUBLIC REFERENCE MANUAL. TO OBTAIN ONE, CALL (602) 542-4758. Please Note: The notary commission application process takes approximately three weeks. Questions? Call the Secretary of State’s Office, Notary Section at (602) 542-4758. REV. 06/15/10 TO QUALIFY FOR AN ARIZONA NOTARY PUBLIC COMMISSION, YOU: Must be at least 18 years of age Must be a citizen or a legal permanent resident of the U.S. Must NOT have a conviction for a felony UNLESS your civil rights have been restored, or a conviction of a lesser offense involving moral turpitude or of a nature that is incompatible with the duties of a notary public. Must be an Arizona Resident for income tax purposes If you have had a professional license revoked or suspended for misconduct or dishonesty or any cause that substantially relates to the duties or responsibilities of a notary public, or if you have had your notary commission revoked or suspended, the Secretary of State may refuse to grant you a commission. Do Not Apply if You Fail to Meet Any of the Requirements Listed Above. Before proceeding, you must obtain and read the Arizona Notary Public Reference Manual, available on our website www.azsos.gov. PROCEDURE TO APPLY FOR AN ARIZONA NOTARY PUBLIC COMMISSION STEP 1. Complete the Notary Public Application Applications are available in the Arizona Notary Public Reference Manual or online at www.azsos.gov. The online application can be filled out electronically on a computer and printed out. While preparing the application: Print your name EXACTLY as you want your notary commission to be issued. Include your middle initial or name ONLY if you intend to use it when signing as a notary public. List the PHYSICAL location of your residence; you are commissioned from your home address. Fill in all the blanks on the form. If a field is not applicable, designate your response as n/a. Sign the application EXACTLY as your name is printed. The signature on the application you submit must be an ORIGINAL signature. COMMON MISTAKES: Failure to correctly and COMPLETELY fill out the application may delay the processing of your commission. STEP 2. Purchase a 4-year $5,000 Notary bond in duplicate form from an insurance agent* Consult your local phone book for a list of insurance agents who supply bonds. You may also wish to contact your insurance agent to see if he or she offers notary bonds. While requesting and preparing a bond: The bond must show your name printed and signed in two places exactly as on the notary application. The bond must show its effective and expiration dates. The bond cannot be issued MORE THAN 60 days BEFORE or 30 days AFTER the commission is initiated. The expiration date of the bond is always one day less than the effective date four years later. Your signature must be properly notarized with an ink notary seal. The bond must be countersigned by the authorized bonding company agent in two places on the bond form. The bond is a “Jurat” and therefore CANNOT contain ANY blank lines, otherwise, your application will be rejected. COMMON MISTAKES: The most common reasons for returned bonds are: the venue in the notarial certificate is left blank and the notary’s expiration date is not filled in. * Please note that the notary bond is purchased in duplicate form so that the notary will have an original for their records and the Secretary of State will also have an original. STEP 3. Filing Procedure 1. Submit the following documents to the Secretary of State’s Office: Include the ORIGINAL application with an ORIGINAL signature. Include an ORIGINAL notarized bond with ORIGINAL signatures. Prepare a check or money order in the amount of $43.00 made payable to the Secretary of State. $25.00 Application fee + $18.00 notary bond filing fee = $43.00 Total filing fee** ** If you wish to have your application expedited there is a $25.00 expedite fee. Expedite processing times vary with a 24-48 hour turnaround standard depending on volume of requests. Applications need to be clearly marked “EXPEDITE” on the envelope with an additional $25 included with the standard processing fee. 2. Mail the documents to address listed above; walk-in service is available at locations listed at the top of the application. STEP 4. Obtain an Official Notary Seal WAIT to receive a commission certificate from the Secretary of State designating you as a notary. Once received: Order a rubber notary seal (stamp) from a stationery store, office supply, or insurance company. These vendors can be found in the phone book. The rubber stamp is your official seal, but you may use an embosser in addition to the rubber stamp. The rubber stamp must contain five things: 1. The words “NOTARY PUBLIC”; 2. The name of the county in which you are commissioned; 3. Your name EXACTLY as it appears on the bond and the application form; 4. Your commission expiration date; and 5. The Great Seal of Arizona. Office Form SOSBSNPAppInstruc State of A ri zona - N otary Public Application Ins tructions American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkFlow.com COMMISSION # ______________ DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE State of Arizona Notary Public Commission Application Mail to: Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett Attention: Business Services, Notary Department 1700 W. Washington Street, 7th Fl., Phoenix, AZ 85007-2888 (602) 542-6187 (800) 458-5842 (within Arizona) Website: www.azsos.gov Please Note: The notary commission application process takes about three weeks. Applicants must purchase a Notary Bond BEFORE submitting this application. Notary Public Application Instructions are available online at www.azsos.gov. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY – REV. 07/01/10 THIS COMMISSION & RENEWAL APPLICATION IS A LEGAL DOCUMENT About this application Use this form to apply or renew a Notary Public Commission. The applicant’s name on this form must EXACTLY match the name on the notary bond. How to complete this form Before proceeding, please read the Notary Public Application Instructions. Print clearly or computer generate this form online. 1. APPOINTMENT TYPE Check One New Appointment File by mail to the address above, or return in person: PHOENIX - State Capitol TUCSON - Arizona State Executive Tower Complex Building 1700 W. Washington Street 400 W. Congress First Floor, Room 103 Second Floor, Room 252 Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except state holidays. Renewal/Reappointment If your surname has changed and you are reapplying identify in the space provided the exact name you used on your last application. Refer to the information on your commission certificate. If you only want to change the surname on your commission, use the “Notary Public Address/Name Change Form” Previous First Name Previous Last Name Previous Middle Name (IF USED) First Name Middle (IF USED) 2. APPLICANT INFORMATION Last Name Mailing Address -This is where your certificate will be mailed City State Zip Code Home (Physical) Address City State Zip Code Applicant Social Security Number Home Telephone Number (Include area code) County of Residence Check one Apache Mohave Cochise Navajo Coconino Pima Gila Pinal Graham Greenlee La Paz Santa Cruz Yavapai Yuma Gender Female Male Maricopa 3. BUSINESS/EMPLOYER INFORMATION Business/Employer Name Address (REQUIRED FIELD, Business/Employer address is public record) Telephone Number (Include area code) City Fax Number (Include area code) State Zip Code E-mail Address YES NO 4. DISCLOSURE a. Have you ever been convicted of a felony OR a lesser offense involving moral turpitude of a nature that is incompatible with the duties of a notary public? If “YES” have you had you civil rights restored? If your rights have been restored you MUST provide and attach: court documentation that demonstrates the restoration of your civil rights; and a court or law enforcement issued document that refers to the nature of the original charges. b. Have you ever had a professional license revoked, suspended, restricted, or denied for misconduct, dishonesty, or any cause that substantially relates to the duties or responsibilities of a notary public? If yes, attach an explanation statement. c. Have you ever had a notary commission revoked, suspended, restricted, or denied in this state or any other jurisdiction? If yes, attach an explanation statement. d. Are you 18 years of age or older? e. Are you a citizen or a legal permanent resident of the United States? f. Do you claim Arizona as your primary residence for state and federal tax purposes? g. Have you been commissioned as a notary If “YES” please specify the jurisdiction(s) public in any other state or jurisdiction? h. Will you be performing notarizations in languages other than English? If “YES” specify the language(s). Note: You must be able to understand a language in order to perform notarizations in that language. This information will be public record. n/a n/a 5. APPLICANT ATTESTATION: OFFICE OF THE ARIZONA SECRETARY OF STATE Print your full name as provided in Section 2 I, solemnly affirm, under penalty of perjury, that the answers to all questions on this application are true, complete, and correct; that I have carefully read and understand the notary law (Title 41, Chapter 2, Article 2) of this State; and that, if appointed and commissioned as a notary public, I will perform faithfully, to the best of my ability, all notarial acts in accordance with Arizona notary law. Signature of Applicant (Sign as printed) Date American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkFlow.com