Arizona’s New Notary Competency Exam & What That Means for You

Intro:

If you're going to walk into a notary commission or renew one, there’s a new requirement as of July 2025 in Arizona: all new and renewing notaries must pass a competency exam. Here’s what that means for notaries — and for people getting documents notarized.

Key Points:

• The exam is mandatory starting July 1, 2025. Notaries must pass it to get or renew their commission. Pro Stamps+2Arizona Secretary of State+2

• What the exam covers: It’s based on the 2025 Notary Public Reference Manual. 45 questions, open-book, must get at least 80% to pass. Time limit 60 minutes. Arizona Secretary of State+1

• Cost and logistics: The exam fee (for taking it) is about $46.75. Offered by Prometric. There are multiple testing sites, plus remote options. Arizona Secretary of State+1

• Why this matters: Higher standards protect clients from fraud, errors, misuse of notary seals. As Arizona’s population grows, and more notarization is happening online / mobile, having trustworthy notaries is more critical.

• For the public: what you should check when hiring a notary—ask if they have passed the competency exam (if new/renewed recently), see if they are current, see if they are authorized for RON or eNotary if your document can be handled that way.

Conclusion:

These changes show Arizona raising the bar for notary integrity and service. For clients, that means more trust and protection. For notaries, it means preparing, studying, and making sure everything is in order. AZ RAM Stewardship Notary Services & More is committed to staying ahead of these changes—so we serve you confidently and correctly.