Arizona Notary Practice Test: 54 Questions With Answers
Arizona now requires a state exam for every new and renewing notary. Practice with the 54 original questions from our practice-test video, each checked against the October 2026 reference manual, then review the exam, bond, fees, seal, journal and remote notarization rules.
Since July 1, 2025, every new and renewing Arizona notary must pass a state exam: 45 multiple-choice questions from the 2026 reference manual in 60 minutes, $35 per attempt through Pearson VUE, with 80% (36 of 45) to pass. After passing, you buy a 4-year $5,000 surety bond and file your application with a $43 fee. The commission lasts 4 years.
Arizona notary facts at a glance
| Exam questions | 45: multiple choice, drawn from the 2026 Notary Public Reference Manual |
|---|---|
| Time limit | 60 min: online (OnVUE) or at a Pearson VUE test center |
| Passing score | 80%: 36 of 45 correct |
| Exam fee | $35: per attempt, paid to Pearson |
| Book policy | Manual on screen: the manual is built into the exam; no printed copy allowed |
| Attempts | 3: then a 30-day wait to reschedule; a pass is valid 90 days |
| Bond | $5,000: 4-year surety bond |
| Filing fee | $43: $25 application + $18 bond filing, nonrefundable |
| Commission term | 4 years: processing can take 4 to 6 weeks |
Checked against the official Arizona Secretary of State page and the sources listed at the end of this page on 2026-10-26.
Watch: Arizona notary videos
Arizona Notary Practice Test 2026: 54 AZ Notary Exam Questions With Answers
Arizona Notary Exam Explained (2026): Requirements, Bond, Fees & 10 Practice Questions
Arizona notary practice test: 54 questions
Arizona does not publish topic weights, so these questions are grouped into eight topics of our own: commission and qualifications, notarial acts, signer ID, journal and records, the seal, fees, prohibited acts, and remote online notarization. Every question is original, not from the real exam.
44 or more correct (about 80%) mirrors the state's passing score. It is our practice target, not a prediction of your result.
Arizona notary fees and deadlines to memorize
These numbers come straight from the Secretary of State's page and the October 2026 reference manual, and they make easy exam questions.
| Rule | Number |
|---|---|
| Maximum fee: acknowledgment or jurat | $10 per notary signature |
| Maximum fee: copy certification | $10 per page |
| Maximum fee: oath or affirmation | $10 per act |
| Journal retention | At least 5 years after the last entry |
| Report a lost or stolen seal or journal | Within 10 days, or a $1,000 civil penalty |
| Report a change of address or surname | Within 30 days ($25 late address-change penalty) |
| Renew | Up to 60 days before expiration; no grace period |
| Seal size | Up to 1.5 × 2.5 inches, or 1.5 inches round |
Source: Arizona Secretary of State: Notary Public Reference Manual (October 2026)
Who can become an Arizona notary
Per the reference manual, an applicant must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
- Be an Arizona resident for income tax purposes, claiming Arizona as the primary residence on state and federal returns. Working in Arizona while living elsewhere is not enough.
- Read, write and understand English.
- Have no felony conviction unless civil rights have been restored, and pass the state exam.
Steps: exam, bond, application
Register with Pearson VUE for a candidate ID before you complete the application, then pass the exam. Buy a 4-year $5,000 surety bond. The web application cannot be submitted online: print it, sign it, and mail it with the original bond and the $43 fee. Processing can take 4 to 6 weeks.
To renew, submit a new application, a new bond, the fee and a passed exam up to 60 days before your commission expires. There is no grace period; you may notarize until 11:59 p.m. on the expiration date.
Your seal and journal
Your seal is a rubber stamp in dark ink (black, dark blue, dark purple or dark brown), no larger than 1.5 by 2.5 inches or 1.5 inches round. Keep your journal at least 5 years after its last entry.
Since September 12, 2026 (SB 1479), the signer's right thumbprint goes in the journal for deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, other documents affecting real property, and powers of attorney.
Remote and electronic notarization
A commissioned Arizona notary can also be authorized for remote online or electronic notarization. The Secretary of State charges no additional fee and requires no additional bond for that authorization.
Penalties to know
Overcharging makes a notary liable for four times the fee and is a class 5 felony. Advertising that you can give legal advice is a class 6 felony with permanent revocation, and the unauthorized practice of law or immigration consulting carries a civil penalty of up to $1,000 and permanent revocation.
How to study
Our plan, not the state's: one to two weeks at 30 to 60 minutes a day. Read the reference manual cover to cover, since every exam question comes from it, then drill the numbers in the table above. The manual is on screen during the exam, but 60 minutes goes fast, so learn where each topic sits in it. Fee and seal misses are the quickest to fix with flash cards; for ID, acts, journal and remote misses, reread those chapters of the manual.
Sample Arizona notary questions with answers
One question from each content area of the practice set above, with the answer and explanation. Try it before you open the answer.
Commission and qualifications
She works full-time in Phoenix but lists Nevada as her primary residence on her tax returns. Can she be commissioned?
- Yes, because she works in Arizona
- Yes, if her employer pays for the bond
- No, she must be an Arizona resident for income tax purposes
- No, only Arizona-born citizens qualify
Show answer
C. No, she must be an Arizona resident for income tax purposes
An applicant must be an Arizona resident for income tax purposes, and claim Arizona as the primary residence on state and federal returns. Working here isn't enough, and who pays the bond doesn't change it. Being born in Arizona isn't a requirement at all.
Notarial acts and certificates
Which certificate wording tells you to perform a jurat?
- “Acknowledged before me”
- “Subscribed and sworn to before me”
- “I certify that this is a true and correct copy”
- “Signed or attested before me”
Show answer
B. “Subscribed and sworn to before me”
Sworn to, or subscribed and sworn to, means a jurat. The signer takes an oath or affirmation, then signs in front of you. Acknowledged before me is an acknowledgment, and signed or attested is witnessing a signature.
Signer identification and satisfactory evidence
A county jail inmate needs a power of attorney notarized. His only ID is a sheriff-issued inmate card. What's correct?
- Refuse, because inmate cards are never valid
- Accept the sheriff-issued inmate ID
- Require two credible witnesses
- Notarize only if his attorney is present
Show answer
B. Accept the sheriff-issued inmate ID
Arizona law lists inmate identification as acceptable, when the person is in the custody of the state department of corrections, the federal bureau of prisons, or a county sheriff. And since it's a power of attorney, remember the right thumbprint in your journal.
Journal and records, including thumbprints
A signer notarizing a deed of trust has a bandaged right thumb. What should the notary do?
- Skip the thumbprint this time
- Wait until the thumb heals
- Use his left thumb or another finger, and note it in the journal
- Take a photo of his ID instead
Show answer
C. Use his left thumb or another finger, and note it in the journal
If the right thumbprint isn't available, use the left thumb, or any available finger, and say so in the journal. If the signer can't give any print at all, note that, and explain the physical condition.
The notary seal
Which rectangular stamp is too large for an Arizona notary seal?
- 1 inch × 2 inches
- 1.5 × 2.5 inches
- 1.25 × 2 inches
- 2 × 3 inches
Show answer
D. 2 × 3 inches
The stamp image can be no more than one and a half inches high, and two and a half inches wide. Two by three is over on both. The manual also allows a round seal up to one and a half inches.
Fees
A customer needs a three-page document copy-certified. What's the most the notary may charge?
- $10
- $15
- $30
- $2 per page
Show answer
C. $30
Copy certifications are charged per page certified, up to $10 a page. Three pages means up to $30. Acknowledgments and jurats are per notary signature, and oaths are per act.
Arizona notary FAQ
Is there a notary exam in Arizona?
Yes. Since July 1, 2025, every new and renewing Arizona notary must pass the state exam under A.R.S. 41-270.
How many questions are on the Arizona notary exam?
45 multiple-choice questions from the 2026 reference manual, with 60 minutes to finish. You need 80% (36 correct) to pass.
How much does it cost to become a notary in Arizona?
The exam is $35 per attempt (paid to Pearson), the filing fee is $43 ($25 application plus $18 bond filing), and you buy a 4-year $5,000 surety bond from a surety company at its price.
Is the Arizona notary exam open book?
Only in a limited way: the reference manual is built into the exam on screen. You cannot bring a printed copy, at home or at a test center.
What happens if I fail the Arizona notary exam?
You get three attempts. After a third failed attempt you wait 30 days before you can reschedule. A passing score is valid for 90 days.
What is the most an Arizona notary can charge?
Up to $10 per notary signature for an acknowledgment or jurat, $10 per page for a copy certification, and $10 per act for an oath or affirmation.
Related practice and guides
Sources
Exam facts on this page were checked against these official pages on 2026-10-26.
- Arizona Secretary of State: Become a New Arizona Notary
- Arizona Secretary of State: Notary Public Reference Manual (October 2026, PDF)
- Arizona Secretary of State: Remote and eNotary
- Pearson VUE: Arizona Notary
OpenExamHub is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with the Arizona Secretary of State or Pearson VUE. All practice questions are original, not from the real exam. Exam rules, fees and notary law can change; confirm them on azsos.gov and in the current reference manual before you apply.