Senate Bill 1226 Summary

• Repeals Title 33, Chapter 4, Article 5 and establishes a new comprehensive framework for notarial acts in Title 41, Chapter 2, Article 1, based on the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (2018).

• Authorizes notaries public to perform notarial acts for remotely located individuals using communication technology, subject to identity verification requirements and audiovisual recording of the transaction.

• Expands notarial authority to include electronic records and electronic signatures, with standards for official stamps and tamper-evident technologies to be established by the Secretary of State.

• Establishes qualifications for notary public commissions including U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, Arizona residency, English literacy, passage of examination if required, and submission of a $5,000 surety bond.

• Grants notaries public independence from employer restrictions, including rights to perform notarial acts outside the workplace, retain fees earned, and maintain ownership of their commission, stamping device, and journal containing public records.