In-Person Paper Notarizations
Am I required by law to maintain a notary journal in Arizona?
Yes, a notary public in the State of Arizona must maintain a notary journal pursuant to Title 41, Chapter 2 of the Arizona Revised Statutes.
Journal format
Paper journal
"The notary shall keep a paper journal and, except as prescribed by subsection E, shall keep only one journal at a time."
Journal entry requirements
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The date of the notarial act.
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A description of the document or type of notarial act.
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The printed full name, signature and address of each person for whom a notarial act is performed.
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The type of satisfactory evidence of identity presented to the notary by each personfor whom a notarial act is performed, if other than the notary’s personal knowledge of the individual is used as satisfactory evidence of identity.
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A description of the identification document, its serial or identification number and its date of issuance or expiration.
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The fee, if any, charged for the notarial act.
Journal retention
5 years
What happens to the journal upon resignation or death?
The journal must be submitted to the Secretary of State's office
"On the resignation or revocation of a notarial commission or the death of a notary, the notary seal, notarial journal and records, except those records of notarial acts that are not public record, shall be delivered by certified mail or other means providing a receipt to the secretary of state."
In-Person Electronic Notarizations
Am I required by law to maintain a notary journal for in-person electronic notarizations?
Yes
Journal format
Paper journal
"An electronic notary public shall keep a journal of all electronic notarial acts in bound paper form with the same form as required in A.R.S. § 41-319 and shall be under the sole control of the electronic notary public."
Journal entry requirements
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The date of the notarial act.
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A description of the document or type of notarial act.
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The printed full name, signature and address of each person for whom a notarial act is performed.
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The type of satisfactory evidence of identity presented to the notary by each personfor whom a notarial act is performed, if other than the notary’s personal knowledge of the individual is used as satisfactory evidence of identity.
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A description of the identification document, its serial or identification number and its date of issuance or expiration.
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The fee, if any, charged for the notarial act.
Journal retention
5 years
Remote Online Notarizations
Is Remote Online Notarization (RON) approved in the State of Arizona?
Yes, notaries in the State of Arizona are authorized to perform remote online notarizations
Do I have to record the Remote Online Notarization session?
Yes
What is the retention period for RON recordings?
5 years
Do I have to log RON sessions in a journal?
Yes
Journal format
Electronic journal only
"A notary public shall record each remote online notarial act performed by the notary public in chronological order in one or more journals maintained in a permanent, tamper-evident electronic format that complies with the rules adopted by the secretary of state. A notary public may not record a remote online notarial act in a paper journal required by section 41-319"
Journal entry requirements
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The date and time of the notarial act.
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A description of the record, if any, and type of notarial act.
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The full name and address of each individual for whom the remote online notarial act is performed.
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If the identity of the individual is based on personal knowledge, a statement to that effect.
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If the identity of the individual is based on credential analysis and identityproofing, a brief description of the results of the identity verification process and the identification credential presented, including the date of issuance and expiration of the identification credential but not its serial or identification number.
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If the identity of the individual is based on an oath or affirmation of a credible witness, the information required by paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of this subsection with respect to the credible witness.
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A fee, if any, charged by the notary public.
Journal retention
5 years
RON recordings & journal upon death
"On the death or adjudication of incompetency of a current or former notary public, the notary public’s personal representative or guardian or any other person knowingly in possession of an electronic journal or audio-visual recording must:
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Comply with the retention requirements of this section;
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Transmit the journal and recording to one or more depositories under subsection (E); or
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Transmit the journal and recording in an industry-standard readable data storage device to the Secretary of State at: Secretary of State, Attn: Notary Department, 1700 W. Washington Street, Floor 7, Phoenix, AZ 85007-2808."
Reference Links
Helpful resources for Alabama Notaries
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Arizona Notary Handbook
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Arizona Secretary of State Website
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“A Notary’s Guide to Completing Journal Entries”
Disclaimer
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