How to Become a Notary Public in Arizona

Being a Notary Public gives you both a side job with earning potential and the ability to have a limited official role with regard to confirming the signatories on documents.

Whether you want to be a Notary Public in Tucson, Phoenix, Flagstaff or anywhere else in Arizona, the process is painless but expensive.

The basic requirements to being a Notary Public in Arizona are that you are a resident of the state, are a legal adult 18 years of age or older and that you have not been convicted of a felony, barring that your civil rights have been restored. You also must live within the state of Arizona to be a Public Notary here.

In an interesting twist, you need not be a U.S. citizen to become a Notary Public in Arizona.

The biggest obstacle, though, may be the amount you'll need to pony up for the privilege. While the state's fees are low to become a Notary Public -- $43 sent to the Secretary of State gets you in the filing process -- you also will need a notary bond from an insurance agent. In Arizona, this notary bond costs you $5,000 for a four year term.

The time it takes to go through the process, if successful, is roughly 2-3 weeks, according to the Arizona Secretary of State website.

Breaking down the financial investment

By purchasing this notary bond, you are investing $5,000 upfront at the rate equivalent to $1,250 per annul.

The average price for a notary service is between ten to 20 dollars. You set your own price as an independent businesswoman/man. At an average of $15 a pop, you will need to do more than 80 stampings over the course of the year. This does not include the possibility of being a traveling public notary, which means gas will eat in to your profit.

There are also at least 40 independent Public Notaries in the Phoenix area alone, not including banks and other document preparation companies that will do the service.

However, if you can rise above the competition, you might be able to wing it and make a career out of it.

The need for a public notary in Arizona varies, but assess the business need for each area of town accordingly.

Public Notary application locations in Arizona