{"stateName":"Arizona","slug":"arizona","summary":"Prepare the right Arizona record, complete the official request and arrange a physical return. Start here for vital, company, school and notarized documents; check the dated Phoenix service change before travelling.","commonDocuments":"Vital records; certified court and company records; registrar-prepared school documents; privately notarized documents. Choose the exact record before paying.","timing":"Checked October 28, 2026: the SOS webpage gives 10\u201320 business days by mail; its September 2025 form says 10. These are conflicting estimates, excluding procurement and transit. Phoenix appointment-only service is announced for November 2, 2026. Confirm the current queue and appointment instructions before a deadline. [AZ-01; AZ-02]","caveat":"The Phoenix notice supersedes older walk-in assumptions. Category-specific procurement and unusual notarial output remain conditional; this guide does not invent a rejection rule from a trainer anecdote.","officialResourceName":"Arizona official apostille instructions","officialResourceUrl":"https://azsos.gov/business/authentication","micrositeUrl":null,"lawResourceName":null,"lawResourceUrl":null,"secondaryLawResourceName":null,"secondaryLawResourceUrl":null,"legalNotes":["AZ-01 | Authentication | official SOS guidance | checked 2026-10-28 | publication date not stated; Phoenix notice effective 2026-11-02 | Attention; Public Notice; What to File; Filing Tips; Where to File; return-label Notice | https://azsos.gov/business/authentication","AZ-02 | Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request | official request form; PDF text inspected | checked 2026-10-28 | revision 09/2025; counter details predate newer notice | PDF page 1: instructions, payment, submission and requester fields | https://azsos.gov/sites/default/files/docs/BSD-Apostille-Request-20190107-Fontes-2025-0916.pdf","AZ-03 | Corporations Division | official record-custodian directory | checked 2026-10-28 | publication date not stated | Empowering Arizona Business; ABC and business search links | https://www.azcc.gov/corporations","AZ-04 | Vital Records | official vital-record directory; dynamic content not fully exposed | checked 2026-10-28 | publication date not stated | Birth/Death Certificates and Vital Records navigation; exact current application not qualified | https://www.azdhs.gov/licensing/vital-records/index.php","AZ-05 | ASU Apostille | official university registrar guidance | checked 2026-10-28 | publication date not stated | notarized transcripts; diploma; student submission responsibility | https://registrar.asu.edu/apostille","AZ-06 | A.R.S. 41-254 | current official statute text | checked 2026-10-28 | effective-date history not independently consolidated; SOS notice gives 2026-09-12 | C and D: covered documents, alternate print/physical inability, three exceptions and RON conditions | https://www.azleg.gov/ars/41/00254.htm","AZ-07 | Notary Resources | current SOS guidance and form index | checked 2026-10-28 | SB1479 notice signed 2026-04-09; effective 2026-09-12 | Important Upcoming Changes; Resources: Request a Certificate of Notarial Capacity | https://azsos.gov/business/notary-public/notary-resources","AZ-08 | Maricopa birth certificate application | county issuer form; PDF text inspected | checked 2026-10-28 | printed revision 03/2025 | PDF pp.1\u20132: fees, applicant ID/notarization, relationship, cardholder footnote, mail/return | https://www.maricopa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3065/Mail-Application-for-Certified-Copy-of-an-Arizona-Birth-Certificate-PDF?bidId=","AZ-09 | Maricopa death certificate application | county issuer form; PDF text inspected | checked 2026-10-28 | printed revision 03/2025 | PDF pp.1\u20132: certified versus genealogy fee, ID, eligibility evidence, payment and return | https://www.maricopa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3047/Application-for-Certified-Copy-of-an-Arizona-Death-Certificate","AZ-10 | M048 Records Request Form | ACC official request form; PDF text inspected | checked 2026-10-28 | M048.009 revision 02/2026 | PDF pp.1\u20132: one entity, fees, payment exclusions, document-ID definition, return and mailing | https://azcc.gov/docs/default-source/corps-files/forms/m048-records-request-formc0e487c0a2f64626841f98d04e0c13a5.pdf?sfvrsn=410ef289_8","AZ-11 | A.R.S. 29-3213 | current official statute text | checked 2026-10-28 | publication/revision date not stated | A(5),(8): LLC certificate and per-page copy fees | https://www.azleg.gov/ars/29/03213.htm","AZ-12 | Pinal Request Copies of Court Records | county court-clerk issuer guidance | checked 2026-10-28 | publication/revision date not stated | Steps 1\u20134; Fees; Payment by Mail; restricted-record disclaimer | https://www.coscpinalcountyaz.gov/166/Request-Copies-of-Court-Records","AZ-13 | University of Arizona Notarization Services | official university registrar guidance | checked 2026-10-28 | publication/revision date not stated | Please Note; Notarized Diplomas; Apostille Purposes; final contact address (earlier email has typo) | https://registrar.arizona.edu/support-services/graduation-services/graduation-services-faqs/notarization-services","AZ-14 | Arizona DPS Criminal History Records | current official issuer guidance | checked 2026-10-28 | publication/revision date not stated | Instructions; Clearance Letter; Record Reviews: accuracy/completeness scope | https://www.azdps.gov/criminal-history-records","AZ-15 | Apostille mail-channel conflict | current SOS operating guidance | checked 2026-10-28 | November2 appointment notice and undated conflicting mail entries | Where to File mail block versus Mail Only footer; sealed-courier banner | https://azsos.gov/business/authentication"],"misconceptionTitle":"A notarial copy and an issuer-certified public record are different products","misconceptionIntro":"Choose the record the receiving authority actually requires, then follow the appropriate certification process.","misconceptionNotes":[],"whatWeKnow":["Choose the document \u2014 A government record needs the issuing office\u2019s certified copy; a document you sign needs the appropriate notarial act. Do not send an ordinary photocopy in place of the recorded instrument. [AZ-02]","Check the destination before ordering \u2014 Record the foreign country on the request. Treaty applicability and additional legalization belong to the canonical apostille foundations linked above. Arizona separately describes an $18 notarial-capacity certificate for Puerto Rico/U.S. territory requests; do not label that an apostille. [AZ-01; AZ-02]","Choose mail or an appointment \u2014 Phoenix announces appointment-only service from November 2, 2026, with no walk-ins and no in-person service at the Executive Tower. Use the location in the appointment confirmation. Older printed counter directions are not a travel plan. [AZ-01]","Budget payment and physical return \u2014 Mail costs $3 per document; use check or money order payable to Arizona Secretary of State and include paid return postage. The form offers no mail expedite. Counter service adds a $25 expedite fee with a six-document limit; confirm how that fee applies to your packet when booking. [AZ-01; AZ-02]","Birth and death certificates \u2014 Start at Arizona\u2019s official Vital Records directory for the eligible applicant, event-specific application and certified output. Its dynamic application details were not fully available in this review, so no procurement price, eligibility shortcut or timing is promised. Tell the office the record is for foreign use before ordering. [AZ-04; AZ-02]","Marriage records and court orders \u2014 Obtain the certified recorded instrument from its government custodian, identifying the event or case and exact document needed. A marriage certificate, divorce decree and private statement are different products. Confirm custodian, certification, access and copy fee before ordering; no universal extra county authentication is assumed. [AZ-02]","Company documents \u2014 Arizona Corporation Commission maintains corporation/LLC filings and links to ABC and the business search. Identify the entity and exact filing or certificate; ask for the government-certified product for foreign use. A search printout and an officer\u2019s signed statement are different documents. Current copy/certificate pricing and output need confirmation with the custodian. [AZ-03; AZ-02]","School example: Arizona State University \u2014 ASU offers notarized official transcripts and diplomas. Contact Outgoing Transcripts at 480-965-7276 or Graduation at 480-965-3256 for the applicable product before ordering. ASU makes the student responsible for submitting the notarized document to SOS. Another school may use a different procedure. [AZ-05]","Private signed documents \u2014 Choose the intended act and certificate before signing; submit the original completed notarized document. A notary\u2019s stamp on a photocopy does not supply a government office\u2019s certification. For unusual POA wording or electronic-to-paper handling, obtain the actual authority instructions before paying. No blanket ban on the word notary is established by the sources reviewed here. [AZ-02]","Complete the one-page request \u2014 Identify document types, destination, requester/contact details and the requested return information; sign and date the form. Recount the documents and reconcile the payment with the selected channel. Mail to Secretary of State, Attn: Apostille Dept., 1700 W. Washington Street, Fl. 7, Phoenix, AZ 85007-2808. [AZ-02; AZ-01]","Return label and courier handoff \u2014 Include prepaid return packaging; SOS requires the customer address as both sender and recipient on carrier labels. The current counter notice sends couriers carrying sealed envelopes to the ADOA mail room at 1802 W. Jackson St., Phoenix AZ 85007. Confirm the carrier handoff for your selected channel. [AZ-01]","What if the document is returned? \u2014 Separate a missing payment/return item from a defective source record or notarization. Obtain the office\u2019s written reason, then correct the responsible stage before resubmitting. Do not silently alter an already completed notarial act or issued packet. This is practical recovery guidance, not a published rejection-rate claim.","Can I do this without a service? \u2014 Yes: compare the direct official route with optional document review or logistics help after identifying the record. A local runner does not fix a missing certified record or a closed counter. Price procurement, notarial work if needed, state fees and transport separately; managed help requires an agreed scope.","Check the Arizona signing prerequisite for a POA or property document \u2014 A.R.S. 41-254(C) covers powers of attorney, deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust and other documents affecting real property. The notary normally obtains the signer\u2019s right thumbprint in the journal; an alternate finger or documented physical inability may apply. Subsection D excludes the specified foreclosure trustee deed and release/reconveyance, and a compliant remote act only when the journal includes the identification credential number and the audiovisual recording is kept at least seven years. SOS dates SB 1479\u2019s change to September 12, 2026. This concerns the notarial act and journal; it is not an instruction to mail fingerprints with the apostille packet. [AZ-06; AZ-07]","Keep territory-bound records distinct from a notary-capacity request \u2014 The current SOS notary-resources index links a Certificate of Notarial Capacity application, while the apostille page broadly describes an $18 territory route. For a vital or court record, do not assume that a certificate concerning an Arizona notary substitutes for the issuing office\u2019s domestic certification. Establish the exact receiving-office requirement and record/signature involved. The application itself could not be reopened in this refresh; its current fields and past/present-notary scope remain unqualified here. [AZ-01; AZ-07]","Worked case: Maricopa vital-record order \u2014 Its March 2025 birth/death forms charge $20 per certified copy; the $5 government/genealogy product is different. Complete and sign the event-specific form with eligibility/relationship evidence. The applicant checklist permits front/back valid signed government photo ID or a notarized application signature. The separate cardholder footnote still requires a copy of that cardholder\u2019s valid current signed government photo ID and the cardholder\u2019s signature, including when the applicant uses notarization. These forms reject cash and checks. Mail the accepted payment and self-addressed stamped envelope to MCOVR, PO Box 2111, Phoenix AZ 85001. The death form expressly requires eligibility evidence. This is Maricopa\u2019s process, not a statewide rule for every county. One $20 record and one $3 SOS certificate make $23 before other costs. [AZ-08; AZ-09; AZ-01]","Worked case: ACC certified company record \u2014 Use M048.009, revised February 2026, one request per entity, identifying the exact certified filing or certificate. Certified copies for corporations and LLCs are $5 plus $0.50 per page per document; non-copy certificates are $10. One document means the full package under one ACC document ID. For one four-page certified filing and one $3 SOS certificate, listed charges are $10 before extras. The LLC statute independently gives the $5-plus-page unit. Confirm the physical certified output needed for your SOS packet; a search printout or officer\u2019s statement is different. [AZ-10; AZ-11; AZ-01]","Pay and return the ACC order through its own channel \u2014 M048 requires prepayment. Mail a properly completed check or money order payable in full to Arizona Corporation Commission; its exclusions include temporary checks and missing preprinted account/name/address/check-number information. The form permits a capped not-to-exceed check when old microfilm page counts are unknown. Mail goes to ACC\u2013Records Section, 1300 W. Washington St., Phoenix AZ 85007. Select the requested return option. Card use is limited to the channels/products stated on the form; do not treat its card rules as mail authorization. ACC issuance and SOS authentication are separate charges and stages. [AZ-10]","Resolve the SOS mail-address conflict before dispatch \u2014 The apostille-specific mail block still gives Washington Street, Floor 7, but the same page\u2019s general Mail Only footer gives 1802 W. Jackson St., Box #130, Phoenix AZ 85007. Obtain current apostille-channel instructions before sending originals. Its sealed-courier banner concerns handoff to the ADOA mail room; it does not justify breaking an issuer-sealed transcript or altering a certification to use an unsealed-counter route. Preserving the issuer packet and resolving the channel first is practical handling guidance. Appointment confirmation remains the source for the actual counter location; no older booking address is adopted here. [AZ-15]","Worked case: Pinal court record \u2014 Use the clerk\u2019s Request Copies of Court Records process, wait for the amount due, then follow its payment instructions. It publishes contact within five business days and another processing/delivery stage after payment; these are not SOS or international-delivery promises. Listed charges are $0.50 per page, $35 per document certification and $8 shipping/handling, with possible research charges. Mail payment instructions name Clerk of Superior Court, PO Box 2730, Florence AZ 85132 and ask for a self-addressed stamped envelope. Confirm the exact certified output, payment and return total; sealed/confidential records remain restricted. [AZ-12]","Additional school case: University of Arizona diploma \u2014 Its registrar can notarize your original diploma or a separately ordered replacement with notarization requested; it does not keep a copy of your diploma. Services are limited to its awarded degrees, and another person acting for you needs permission. The page gives a minimum 3\u20135 business day preparation period, subject to availability. Confirm registrar charges and pickup/FedEx return, then submit to SOS yourself. Use the page\u2019s correctly spelled final contact, gradservices@arizona.edu; an earlier email on the page contains a typo. Its eDiploma option for direct verification is not proof of paper apostille eligibility. [AZ-13]","Do not buy an Arizona accuracy review as a visa clearance \u2014 DPS says its Central State Repository cannot supply private employment, immigration, visa or foreign-adoption checks/clearance letters in the described circumstances. The separate record-review process is for accuracy and completeness; it is not that clearance product. DPS links a statement explaining the restriction and distinguishes local clearance and an FBI national check. Obtain the product the actual receiving authority requires before choosing its certification route. [AZ-14]"],"whatMustBeConfirmed":["Phoenix appointment location and availability on/after November 2; Tucson arrangements are not assumed to match Phoenix. [AZ-01]","Mail estimate conflict: current webpage 10\u201320 business days versus September 2025 form 10. [AZ-01; AZ-02]","Exact $25 expedite charging unit for the selected packet, counter payment and any changed courier instructions. [AZ-01; AZ-02]","Vital-record eligibility, application, fees and output; current ACC certified-product fee/payment and delivery; court-specific restrictions. [AZ-02; AZ-03; AZ-04]","Unusual school, private-document certificate or electronic-original conversion route; recipient recency and translation needs."],"sourceConfidence":"Qualified agency-guidance review for the described ordinary routes; procurement, output and form limitations remain explicit. No independent all-statute audit, recipient acceptance, official contact or transaction test.","lastReviewed":"2026-10-28","contentUpdateUrl":"/request.html","canIssueEApostille":false,"eApostilleCapabilityNote":"SOS explicitly says it does not issue electronic apostilles. A PDF, portal payment or scan-back is not the issued physical certificate. [AZ-01]","apostillePhysicalSecurityLevel":null,"apostillePhysicalSecurityFeatures":null,"apostillePhysicalSecurityNote":"Keep the issued certificate attached to its document; preserve the original packet and any issuing-authority verification information.","targetedLawReviewDate":null,"targetedLawReviewScope":null}