A Notary Public is a guardian of the public trust, and must perform his/her duties in strict compliance with Arizona laws, with absolute integrity and adhering to the highest ethical standards. Arizona residents apply in their county of residence, and are commissioned through the Secretary of State.
The title and office of Notary Public is an ancient and honorable one, dating back over two thousand years to the Roman Empire. Notaries serve in every state/territory of the Union, and in nearly every country of the world.
It’s important to note that a commission as a Notary Public is not to be confused with a license to practice law and, in fact, a notary is specifically prohibited from practicing law or giving legal advice unless the notary is also an attorney.
The primary responsibility of every Notary Public is to protect the public by deterring fraud. As a commissioned officer of the state, the notary has a duty to ensure all elements of notarization are met:
It’s also important to note that it is signatures, not documents, which are notarized. Notarization does not make any document “legal”; it means only that the signers have satisfied the required notarization elements for their signature as shown above.