A valid notary seal must:
- Be a rubber stamp
- Have dark ink. These colors include black, dark blue, dark purple, dark green or dark brown. Red ink or ink not viewable on all copy or fax machines is unacceptable.
- Not be larger than 1 1/2 inches high and 2 1/2 inches wide or 1 1/2 inches round.
- Contain the words “Notary Public.”
- Contain the notary public’s name as listed on his or her commission certificate.
- Contain the Arizona county in which the notary public was commissioned, listed on the commission certificate.
- Contain notary public’s current commission expiration date.
- Contain the Great Seal of Arizona [A.R.S. § 41-313(D)(2)].
- “New Requirement” Contain the notary public’s commission number [A.R.S. § 41-313(D)(2)].
A notary public can only have one seal.
Failure to comply: Using a seal not meeting the requirements described in A.R.S. § 41-313(D)(2) is grounds for the Secretary of State to refuse, revoke, or suspend a notary public’s commission [A.R.S. § 41-330(A)(4)].
PURCHASE A NOTARY PUBLIC JOURNAL Notaries public must obtain a journal. Journals can be purchased at stationery or office supply stores and through notary organizations.
Journals must be in paper form and list notarial acts in chronological order. Additionally, although not required by law, use of a permanently bound journal is recommended for the notary’s protection. Permanently bound pages are more difficult to remove or lose than loose-leaf pages.