Selling Notary Seals Without Proof in Arizona Now a Felony

By jack
2 June, 2013

Posted by Pennslyvania Association of Notaries

Posted by PAN in General on May 30th, 2013

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer recently signed into law increasing the violation of selling a notary seal to anyone who does not provide proper documentation proving their notary commission to a felony class 6.

This carries a potential penalty of up to one year in jail and up to a $150,000 fine.

The law also provides that anyone who knowingly acts as or impersonates a notary while not lawfully commissioned as guilty of impersonating a public servant.

The law is a result of the work of Paul Ryan who made it his personal crusade to get the state legislature to look at Arizona’s election laws and consider some changes. Ryan enlisted the help of Senator Michele Reagan, who urged then Senate President Steve Pierce to appoint a committee to work on election reforms last summer.

According to the Fountain Hill Times, the name “Joyce Wong” showed up as a notary on election petitions for a Fountain Hills recall election in 2012. However, no one, not even the Secretary of State, could locate Wong or verify that she was actually a notary. The petition signatures on sheets allegedly notarized by Wong, however, were counted.