An Arizona notary stamp may be any shape, but the impression stays within 1.5 inches by 2.5 inches and has to carry six items, including your commission number and the great seal of the State of Arizona. Arizona expects dark ink. Commissions run four years, and each renewal means a new stamp. This page covers the face, the size, the ink and the deadlines.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against A.R.S. § 41-266(A)(1), (B) and the Arizona Secretary of State. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp required | Yes | Arizona Secretary of State |
| Wording on the face | The great seal of the State of Arizona as an image, the words "notary public", your name as it appears on your commission, the county you are commissioned in, and the date the commission expires | A.R.S. § 41-266(A)(1), (B) |
| Commission number | A required element on the face, alongside the five above | A.R.S. § 41-266(A)(1), (B) |
| Shape and size | Any shape. The impression runs up to 1.5 inches in height and 2.5 inches in width, and a round seal runs to 1.5 inches | Arizona Secretary of State |
| Ink color | Dark ink. No statute stands behind this one | Arizona Secretary of State |
| Embosser | Allowed alongside the stamp, never in place of it | Arizona Secretary of State |
| Commission term | Four years | Arizona Secretary of State |
| Stamp at renewal | A new stamp at every renewal | Arizona Secretary of State |
| Lost, stolen or compromised device | Tell the Secretary of State inside ten days once an official journal or stamping device is lost, stolen or compromised. A late report carries a $1,000 civil penalty | Arizona Secretary of State |
| Address change | A change of mailing, business or residential address goes to the Secretary of State inside 30 days, and a late report carries a $25 civil penalty | Arizona Secretary of State |
Moving your commission to another state? Compare its rule in notary seal requirements by state.
Does Arizona require a notary stamp?
Yes. An Arizona notary works with a stamp, and its face is set by rule rather than by preference. Six items go on it, and one of them catches out buyers who order from a template built for another state.
What must appear on an Arizona notary stamp?
Six items in total. Five are the ones most states ask for in some form, and the sixth is the commission number.
- The great seal of the State of Arizona, as an image
- The words "notary public"
- Your commission number
- Your name as it appears on your commission
- The county you are commissioned in
- The date the commission expires
The county line is tied to the commission rather than to the job in front of you, so it does not change when you notarize somewhere else in the state. Field by field detail is in the Arizona notary stamp requirements, and an Arizona notary stamp format sample shows how the six items sit together.
Why does the commission number matter so much when ordering?
Because it belongs on the face and is the item most often left off an order. A stamp made without it is not an Arizona stamp, however tidy the rest of the layout looks.
Read the number off the commission itself rather than from an email or a renewal notice, and check it digit for digit before the die is cut. A closer read of the Arizona notary seal requirements shows where each element comes from.
What size and shape can an Arizona notary stamp be?
Any shape, inside a size cap. The impression runs up to 1.5 inches in height and 2.5 inches in width, and a round seal runs to 1.5 inches.
Shape freedom is unusual, and it is worth using deliberately. A rectangle gives six items more room to breathe; a circle keeps the footprint small where a document leaves little margin. Both are compliant as long as the cap is respected and every line stays readable.
What ink color does Arizona expect?
Dark ink, and this is the one requirement with no statute standing behind it. That does not make it optional in practice, so order dark and keep a dark pad in the drawer.
The reason is practical as much as legal: a pale impression is the one that fails when a document gets copied or scanned. Background on where guidance like this comes from is in the Arizona notary handbook.
Can an Arizona notary use an embosser?
Only alongside the stamp. An embosser is permitted with the stamp and never in place of it, so it can add a raised impression to a page but cannot stand as the notarial seal on its own.
Does a renewal mean a new stamp?
Yes, every term. Commissions run four years, and Arizona is among the states that require a new stamp at every renewal rather than letting an old device run on.
The structural reason is the expiration date sitting on the face, which belongs to one commission and no other. Plan a four year replacement cycle, and read how expiration dates work on an Arizona notary seal before your current term runs down.
What happens if the stamp is lost or stolen?
Ten days, and a $1,000 civil penalty for missing it. Tell the Secretary of State inside ten days once an official journal or stamping device has been lost, stolen or compromised.
Compromised is the word doing quiet work there. A device that has been out of your control counts, not only one that is missing outright, so report on the facts rather than waiting to see whether it turns up.
What if my address changes?
A change of mailing, business or residential address goes to the Secretary of State inside 30 days. A late report carries a $25 civil penalty.
None of the three address types appears on the stamp, so this is a filing obligation rather than a reason to reorder. The county on the face follows your commission, not your mailing address.
Who commissions Arizona notaries?
The Arizona Secretary of State. That office issues the commission your stamp is built from, takes the ten day and 30 day reports, and is the source of the guidance behind the dark ink expectation.
What should I have in front of me when I order?
Your commission document, and nothing secondhand. Five of the six items on the face come straight off it.
- Your name as commissioned
- Your commission number
- The county of your commission
- The expiration date
- The shape and size you want, inside the cap
If you are preparing the paperwork that will carry the impression at the same time, Arizona notary acknowledgment forms covers the certificate side.
How do I check the impression before I use it?
Ink a test on plain paper, then photocopy and scan it. All six items have to survive that trip, since the copy is what ends up in the file rather than the sheet you stamped.
Look hardest at the great seal image and the commission number, which are the first things to fill in or break up when a pad is over inked or worn. If either one loses definition, fix the device before it goes near a client document.
Frequently asked questions
Does the county change when I notarize in another county?
No. The county on the face is the one you are commissioned in, and it stays put wherever in Arizona the signing happens.
Can I keep the expired stamp as a spare?
A new stamp is required at every renewal, and the old one shows a date that no longer applies, so it has no role once the term ends.
Which statute sets the ink color?
None does. Dark ink comes from Secretary of State guidance rather than from a statute, so follow it but do not expect to cite a section number for it.
Is a name change treated the same as an address change?
The 30 day report covers a change of mailing, business or residential address. The sources read here do not set a separate deadline for a name change.
Does the ten day notice cover my journal as well as the stamp?
Yes. The notice is triggered by the loss, theft or compromise of an official journal or a stamping device, so both sit under the same ten day clock and the same $1,000 penalty.
Can a round Arizona stamp be 2.5 inches across?
No. The 2.5 inch figure is the width limit for the impression. A round seal runs to 1.5 inches.
Take the six items straight off your commission, then order from the Arizona stamps and seals collection so the number, county and date are set from the document itself.
