How to Start a Notary Business in Arizona: Secretary of State Commission, Bond and Mobile Notary Rules

If you want to become a notary in Arizona and eventually run a mobile notary or signing agent business, the state part is simpler than most people expect. The Arizona Secretary of State issues the notary commission, and you do not need a separate state license to offer notary services as a business. The work that takes real planning is everything around the commission: the proctored exam, the $5,000 surety bond, the name and entity you operate under, and the tax and city registrations that follow.

This guide walks through the process in the order you will do it. It is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, vendors and procedures change, so treat every figure below as a starting point and confirm it on the official pages before you pay anything.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before you open the application. Missing one usually means a delay, not a denial, but it can still cost you a few weeks.

• A government-issued photo ID and proof that you are a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, since the Secretary of State FAQ requires one of those statuses.
• A computer with a reliable internet connection and a quiet room for the proctored exam.
• Money set aside for three separate costs: the exam fee (paid to the test vendor), the application fee and the premium for your surety bond. The bond amount is $5,000, but the premium is what you pay the surety company.
• A surety company licensed to write notary bonds in Arizona. Get at least two quotes.
• A notary stamp and a notary journal. Arizona requires a journal for paper notarial acts under A.R.S. 41-319, so plan to keep one even if most of your work will be electronic.
• A written fee schedule you can show clients, once you decide what you will charge.
• Optional: errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. It is not required, but many signing agents carry it.

Step 1: Confirm You Meet the Eligibility Rules

Start with the basics. The Secretary of State FAQ states that an applicant must be a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident. Read the full eligibility section on the New Notary page at azsos.gov before you pay for the exam. Spending money on the exam before you know you qualify is one of the most common and most avoidable mistakes new applicants make.

Step 2: Pass the Required Notary Exam

Applicants who apply on or after July 1, 2025 must first pass a proctored, open-book exam. This applies to new applicants and to renewing notaries alike. The key details are:

• 45 multiple-choice questions
• 60 minutes to complete them
• 80 percent required to pass
• The passing score must be earned within 90 days before you apply

The exam is open-book, but 45 questions in 60 minutes leaves little room to search for answers. Study the official notary materials on azsos.gov first, then take practice questions until you can answer most of them without looking anything up.

The exam fee is paid to the test vendor, not to the Secretary of State. Vendors and fees have changed in the past, so check the New Notary page for the current vendor, the current price and the scheduling process before you book a seat.

Time your exam carefully. Because the passing score expires after 90 days, book the exam so that you can submit your application well inside that window.

Step 3: Get Your $5,000 Surety Bond

Arizona requires a $5,000 surety bond from a surety company licensed in the state. The bond protects the public. If a notary's misconduct causes a financial loss, the harmed party can make a claim against the bond. The bond does not protect you, and you are still responsible for the losses your own errors cause.

Ask each surety for three things: the annual premium, the term, and whether they handle the bond filing for you. The premium is set by the surety company, not by the state, so the cheapest quote is not always the best choice. Compare how each company handles claims and renewals, not just the price.

Confirm on the New Notary page whether the bond must be filed with your application or after approval. The order matters because your application is not complete until the required bond paperwork is in place.

Step 4: Submit the Application and Pay the State Fee

The application covers your commission, your bond and your oath filing. The total application fee has been reported as $43 for all three parts combined. Check azsos.gov for the current figure before you pay, because fees can change without much notice.

Once the Secretary of State approves your application, your commission runs for four years. Put the expiration date on your calendar at least three months ahead. Renewal also requires passing the exam, so do not wait until the last week to start the process.

Step 5: Set Up Your Records and Journal

Arizona requires a notary journal for paper notarial acts under A.R.S. 41-319. Record each act in the journal as you complete it, not from memory at the end of the day. A journal entry that is incomplete or written later is much harder to defend if a client or the state questions it.

Keep your journal, your bond information and your mileage logs together in one place. You will need them if anyone asks about an act you performed, and you will need the mileage logs to support any travel charge you collect.

Step 6: Set Your Fees and Understand Mobile Notary Rules

Arizona sets notarial act fees by Secretary of State rule under A.R.S. 41-316 and A.A.C. R2-12-1102. In practice, you choose a standard fee for each act, from no charge up to $10 per act, and you post that fee schedule where clients can see it. A notary cannot charge more than the ceiling for a notarial act, even if the work takes longer.

Mobile notaries have an additional rule. Under A.R.S. 41-316(B), travel charges are limited to the state mileage and per diem rate. You may not add a large travel fee on top of the notarial act fee. Write down the travel charge you plan to use, check it against the current state rate, and show it on your fee schedule before the appointment starts.

A mobile notary or signing agent business is a service business. Offering these services does not create a separate state license. Your notary commission authorizes the notarial acts themselves, so the business side is handled through the entity, tax and city steps below.

Do not give legal advice about the documents you notarize. If a client asks what a document means or whether they should sign it, refer them to an attorney.

Step 7: Choose How You Will Operate

You have three common options for the business itself. Each has different filing requirements, so choose before you print business cards.

• Operating under your own name. If you work as an individual under your legal name, a separate entity filing may not be needed. Confirm the answer for your situation with a qualified professional.
• Registering a trade name. A trade name, sometimes called a DBA, is registered with the Arizona Secretary of State, Business Services Division. Registration is optional in Arizona and is separate from the Corporation Commission filing. Details are at azsos.gov/business/tntm. Confirm the current fee there, because it is not listed in this guide.
• Forming an LLC. The Arizona Corporation Commission handles LLC formation. You file Articles of Organization (Form L010) with a $50 filing fee through the Arizona Business Center at arizonabusinesscenter.azcc.gov.

If you form an LLC, a few rules apply. The name must include the words 'limited liability company' or 'limited company', or an accepted abbreviation such as LLC. It must be distinguishable from names already on the record. An LLC must also publish notice unless its statutory agent's county is Maricopa or Pima. Confirm the publication steps and deadlines on the Corporation Commission site before you file, because the process has its own requirements and cost.

An LLC in Arizona files no annual report. For-profit corporations do file one, with a $45 annual report fee. Name reservation is available for 120 days at $10 if you need time to decide. Find the forms at azcc.gov/corporations.

Step 8: Handle Taxes and Local Licensing

Arizona has no general statewide business license. What most businesses need is a Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) license from the Arizona Department of Revenue, at $12 per location. The TPT license applies to retail sales and other taxable business classifications. Whether your notary or signing services fall into a taxable classification is a question to put to the Department of Revenue directly, at azdor.gov, before you assume either way.

Counties in Arizona issue no general business license. Cities and towns often require their own business license or local TPT registration on top of the state filing. Check the business licensing office for the city where you will be based, and for any city where you plan to work regularly.

Income tax works differently depending on how you form the business. An LLC passes its income through to the members, who pay Arizona's flat 2.5 percent individual income tax. A corporation that does not elect pass-through treatment pays the corporate income tax of 4.9 percent of net income or $50, whichever is greater, under A.R.S. 43-1111. Ask a CPA which structure fits your numbers. The Registrar of Contractors licenses contractors and does not license notaries, so it is not part of this process.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Paying for the exam before confirming that you meet the eligibility rules.
• Letting the 90-day window lapse between passing the exam and submitting your application.
• Buying a bond from a company that is not licensed in Arizona, or buying the first quote without comparing claims handling.
• Charging more than $10 per notarial act, or charging travel fees above the state mileage and per diem rate.
• Skipping the journal for paper acts, or filling it in after the appointment instead of during it.
• Assuming the notary commission also covers city or TPT licensing. It does not.
• Choosing a business name that conflicts with a name already on the record.
• Forgetting the LLC publication requirement, which applies unless the statutory agent's county is Maricopa or Pima.

What to Realistically Expect

A notary commission is a credential that can open the door to a small, service-based business. Many new notaries start part-time, build a client base through referrals and local listings, and add mobile work once their schedule and fee structure are clear. A well-organized practice with a posted fee schedule, complete journal entries and reliable bonding may help you earn repeat business and avoid avoidable disputes. Results depend on your local market, your time, your marketing and how well you follow the rules, so no particular income level is guaranteed.

Cost Summary

Item	Amount	Where to confirm
Notary application fee (application, bond and oath filing)	Reported as $43 total	azsos.gov, confirm current figure
Notary exam fee	Paid to the test vendor, amount has changed	New Notary page on azsos.gov
Surety bond	$5,000 bond amount; premium set by the surety	Quotes from Arizona-licensed sureties
Notarial act fee	No charge up to $10 per act	Secretary of State rule, A.A.C. R2-12-1102
Travel charge	Limited to state mileage and per diem rate	A.R.S. 41-316(B)
LLC Articles of Organization	$50 filing fee	Arizona Business Center
Trade name registration	Fee not confirmed in this guide	azsos.gov/business/tntm
TPT license	$12 per location, if required	Department of Revenue
Corporation annual report	$45, corporations only	azcc.gov/corporations

Next Steps

Work through the steps in order: confirm eligibility, pass the exam, buy the bond, submit the application, then set up your journal, fee schedule and business structure. Verify every fee and deadline on the official pages on the day you pay, not from an article or forum post. If you plan to form an LLC, hire a bookkeeper, or structure income in a way that needs careful planning, talk to a qualified attorney or CPA before you commit. This guide is general information about Arizona notary and business formation, not legal or tax advice for your specific situation.