Notarial Seal, Journal, and Records Retention
Arizona requires a notary to use an official seal (a stamp) containing the notary's name, the words "Notary Public," the state, and the commission expiration date. The seal must be legible and applied to each notarial certificate. A notary may not use a seal that is not the notary's own, may not lend the seal to another, and must keep the seal secure. If the seal is lost or stolen, the notary must notify the Secretary of State.
Arizona also requires a journal of notarial acts. The journal records, for each act, the date and time, the type of act, the signer's name and address, the identification used, and the fee charged, among other details. The journal is the notary's record and must be retained for the period set by statute (commonly cited as five years after the last entry) and made available to the Secretary of State on request. The journal is not a public record in the ordinary sense and should be protected as confidential information.
Traps: questions that suggest the seal may be shared with an assistant, that the journal is optional, or that records may be discarded at the end of the commission. Another trap is a seal missing the expiration date or the words "Notary Public." Also watch for a notary who records only the signer's name but omits the identification method.
Rule of thumb: seal = identity of the notary on the document; journal = the notary's private record of every act. Keep both complete, secure, and retained.