Arizona Notary Public Exam Study Guide

The Arizona notary examination is 45 questions in 60 minutes with a passing grade of 80%, which works out to 36 correct answers. Each proctored attempt costs $46.75 through Prometric, and a failed attempt can be retaken after 30 days. The requirement applies to all new and renewing notaries as of July 1, 2025.

The commission behind the exam has its own numbers worth memorizing, because they double as test material: a $5,000 surety bond, a four-year term, a $43 application and bond filing fee, renewal accepted starting two months before expiration, and a fee cap of $10 per notarial act. Deadlines follow the same pattern: 30 days to report an address change ($25 penalty), 10 days to report a lost or stolen journal or seal ($1,000 penalty), and five-year retention for journals and remote notarization recordings. Numbers like these are the easiest exam points to bank, so drill them until they are automatic.

Every question is drawn directly from the Notary Public Reference Manual, the Secretary of State's official handbook that every notary must keep as a reference. Expect coverage of six broad areas. First, commissioning: eligibility, the bond, the oath of office and renewal mechanics. Second, the notarial acts themselves: acknowledgments, oaths and affirmations, verifications, signature witnessing and copy certifications, along with the certificate wording that matches each one. Third, identification: the unexpired-document list, personal knowledge, credible witnesses and the real estate exception for foreign passports.

Fourth, the journal and seal: required entry fields, the one-paper-journal rule, seal design limits and custody duties. Fifth, fees and prohibited acts: the $10 cap, unauthorized practice of law, immigration limits and the notario ban. Sixth, remote online notarization: registration, identity proofing, recordings and location rules. Our practice bank mirrors these same categories so weak areas surface quickly.

To qualify for an Arizona commission you must be at least 18, a United States citizen or permanent legal resident, an Arizona resident for income tax purposes, and able to read, write and understand English. Felonies and crimes involving dishonesty can disqualify you, and you must keep the state's approved manual on hand throughout your term.

The sequence matters. Register with Prometric first and obtain a Candidate ID number, because the application asks for it. Take and pass the examination. Then obtain your $5,000 surety bond from an insurance or bonding company, making sure the printed name matches your application exactly, the commission dates run four years less one day, and the bond is issued within the window of 60 days before to 30 days after your effective date. Swear the oath of office on the bond before a notary, and mail the original application, original bond and the $43 fee to the Secretary of State together. Processing takes several weeks, and you cannot notarize until the commission actually arrives.

Open book changes how you should prepare, not whether you prepare. With 45 questions in 60 minutes you have about 80 seconds per question, which is not enough time to hunt through an unfamiliar manual for every answer. The candidates who fail open-book exams are the ones who treat the reference as a substitute for study rather than a safety net.

Work in three passes. First, read the Notary Public Reference Manual once, cover to cover, mapping its structure so you know where fees, journal rules, identification lists and remote notarization requirements each live. Second, drill practice questions by category and score yourself honestly; anything below 80% in a category means rereading that part of the manual, not just retrying questions. Third, memorize the numbers outright: bond amount, fee cap, deadlines, penalties and retention periods. Looking up a number you should know costs a minute you will want later for a scenario question about conflicting duties or an unusual signer.

The examination is proctored by Prometric and can be taken at its Arizona testing sites; a remote proctoring option exists but has at times been suspended, so confirm availability when you schedule. Bring your admission letter and an original, valid government-issued photo ID. The exam is open book through a link to the manual built into the testing screen, but a physical copy is not allowed, whether you test at a site or remotely.

If you test remotely, the requirements are strict: a personal computer rather than an employer-issued device, the ProProctor application installed in advance, a secure internet connection, a workstation clear of papers and materials, and a camera scan of your surroundings. Cell phones and earbuds must be put away. Sessions terminated for non-compliance forfeit the testing fee, so read the admission letter carefully the day before. Budget your hour: answer what you know first, flag what needs a manual lookup, and return to flagged items with the time you saved.

A grade of 80% or better clears you to start or renew your commission; a lower score means waiting 30 days and paying the $46.75 fee again, so use the wait to reread the manual sections that hurt you. Once your paperwork is approved, the Secretary of State mails your commission certificate. Check the name, county and commission dates immediately, because your stamp must match them exactly.

Then equip yourself: order a stamp from a vendor (bring a copy of your commission, which vendors must collect), buy a paper journal, and consider errors and omissions insurance, since the bond protects the public rather than you. Calendar your renewal at least two months before expiration; renewing notaries must pass the examination again, and letting the commission lapse means you stop notarizing until the new certificate arrives. If you plan to offer electronic or remote notarization, notify the Secretary of State of your chosen technologies before your first remote act. There is currently no additional fee or bond for that authorization.