Surety Bond Professionals is a family-owned and operated bonding agency with over 30 years of experience. With access to a broad range of surety markets, our expert agents are ready to assist with all of your Arizona Notary bond needs.
What Are They?
You’ve probably had to use the services of a notary at some point when signing an important legal document, such as a deed, will, or power of attorney. The purpose of requiring a notarized signature is to prevent fraud. The notary must meet in person with the signer, verify his or her identity, witness the signing, and apply the appropriate stamp to confirm that the signature is valid.
Arizona, like most states, requires a notary surety bond as a guarantee that the bonded notary will carry out all notarial duties in accordance with applicable statutes and the ethical standards of the profession. Notary bonds protect the public against financial losses due to a notary’s misconduct or negligence, such as notarizing a document without the signer being present or failing to verify a signer’s identity.
Who Needs Them?
If you’re applying to become a notary in Arizona, you’ll need to provide a $5,000 notary bond to the Secretary of State. The application can be filled out on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website, but you will need to print the completed application and mail it, along with the notary bond and application fee to the Secretary of State’s Office.
You must renew your Arizona notary bond every four years for your commission as a notary to remain active.
Speak with a Surety Bond Professionals agent today to discuss your bonding needs.
How Do They Work?
A notary bond provides what is essentially a line of credit from the surety bond company to give you time to gather the funds to cover claims against the bond.
Here’s how it works:
- Claim occurs. Suppose that an imposter using forged identification has you notarize a power of attorney, giving him control over another person’s assets, then uses that POA to empty the victim’s bank accounts. The victim subsequently files a claim against your notary bond based on your failure to properly identify the signer.
- Fault determined and claim paid if valid. If the surety bond company determines that you were at fault and is unable to reach a settlement with the claimant, you are legally obligated to compensate that individual for the monetary loss caused by your actions.
- Reimburse surety. The surety bond company pays the claim the claim up front, and you now must reimburse the company in full—which you’ll likely be able to do in installments.
It’s common for notaries to purchase Errors and Omissions insurance along with a notary bond to avoid the personal financial liability for claims against their bond.
What Do They Cost?
Most surety bond companies charge only a small flat fee for an Arizona notary surety bond. The fee varies by issuer.
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Our surety bond agents will get you the Arizona notary bond you need at a competitive rate.