New AZ Notary Law Alert: SB1479

What is SB1479?

In an effort to reduce deed fraud, the Arizona legislature recently passed SB1479, which amends existing laws related to property transfers.

"Property ownership is the cornerstone of financial security for families, seniors, and small businesses in Arizona. When criminals are able to forge documents, record false claims, or quietly transfer property without the rightful owner's knowledge, it erodes trust in our entire system,” said sponsor Senator Frank Carroll in a press release. He continued, “This initiative aims to protect homeowners, restore confidence in our public records, and ensure that the law firmly supports legitimate property owners.”

The bill, which enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support in both chambers of the Arizona legislature, was signed into law by Governor Katy Hobbes in April. The new law, which went into effect on July 27, 2026, affects how county recorders, title companies, and notaries handle transactions related to real property. Let’s take a look at how it affects the notarial process.

Thumbprint requirements for in-person notarization in Arizona

The new law requires that Arizona notaries obtain a signer’s thumbprint in our notary journal if the document is any of the following:

• Deed

• Quitclaim Deed

• Deed of Trust

• Other document that affects real property

• Power of Attorney

In compliance with the new law, all of our Tucson mobile notaries now require a journal thumbprint for all of the above document types. For loan signings, our Notary Signing Agents now obtain a thumbprint for every journal entry, as all documents in a loan or real-estate package affect real property.

The law makes exceptions for a Trustee's Deed that results from a judicial or nonjudicial foreclosure or a Deed of Release and Reconveyance, so we will not require thumbprints for those.

Our Tucson travel notaries carry thumbprint pads with nontoxic ink that easily wipes off without leaving a stain.

ID and journal requirements for Remote Online Notarization (RON)

For Remote Online Notarization (RON), a thumbprint is not required. But the new law does make these additional changes for the documents listed above:

• The audiovisual recording must show the ID that is presented for the notarization

• The notary must keep the recording and electronic journal for a minimum of seven years (up from five)

• The notary otherwise complies with ARS § 41-263. Notarial act performed for remotely located individual; definitions 

Our remote online notaries always have signers hold up the ID that they used to pass ID verification to the camera during the signing session, and we compare it with the image generated by the platform and with the signer’s live image.

We will keep a secure copy of all RON sessions’ audiovisual recordings, journal entries, and audit trails for at least seven years, in accordance with the new law.

We always perform online notarization sessions in full accordance with the requirements of ARS § 41-263 and all other statutes, regulations, and rules related to RON signings.

How will SB1479 affect your signing?

If you are signing a deed, power of attorney, or other property-related document that needs to be notarized, be prepared to both sign and give a thumbprint in the notary’s journal when signing in person.

For remote signings, the process will remain unchanged for the signer: you’ll still go through ID verification, and we’ll still have you hold your ID up to the camera. The only change you may notice is that our script now says we will retain the records for seven years instead of five.

Questions about our new signing procedures? Email laurel@notaryatoz.com or call +1 (520) 200-1424. Click here to schedule an appointment.

Important disclaimer

We are not attorneys licensed to practice law in this state. The above analysis is not intended to be legal advice. The Arizona Secretary of State has not yet updated the Arizona Notary Public Reference Manual with guidelines for implementing the new law, so changes in our policies are being made in a sincere attempt to comply with the contents of the law itself. When the new guidelines are released, we may make changes in our policies to be more in accordance with guidance from the AZ SOS.

If you have questions about SB1479 or any other legal matter, please contact a licensed Arizona attorney.