The Arizona Secretary of State is a constitutionally elected executive branch officer who runs the state’s elections, keeps its business and notary records, authenticates documents for use abroad, oversees campaign finance and lobbyist disclosures, and administers the Address Confidentiality Program for crime victims. The office also sits first in line to the governorship through the end of 2026, when a new lieutenant governor position takes over that role.
Elections and Voter Registration
The Secretary of State is Arizona’s chief election officer. The office coordinates the state’s obligations under the National Voter Registration Act and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, maintains the statewide voter registration database, sets uniform procedures for the counties, and certifies final results after local canvassing.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 16-142 – Secretary of State; National Voter Registration Act
Arizona requires voters to register roughly 29 days before each election, and there is no same-day registration. For the 2026 cycle, the deadline to register for the July 21 primary is June 22, 2026 at 11:59 p.m., and the deadline for the November 3 general election is October 5, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.2Arizona Secretary of State. Calendar Dates Miss those and you sit the election out.
The office also runs candidate filing and the initiative, referendum, and recall processes. Statewide candidates and U.S. Senate candidates collect nomination petition signatures equal to at least one-quarter of one percent of their party’s qualified signers, capped at 10 percent; candidates without a recognized party need signatures from 3 percent of registered voters who belong to no qualified party.3Arizona Secretary of State. Candidate Filing Constitutional amendment petitions need signatures from 15 percent of qualified electors and statutory initiatives need 10 percent.4Arizona Secretary of State. Initiatives
Trade Names and Trademarks
Businesses that want to operate under a name other than the owner’s legal name file a trade name with the Secretary of State. The process is set by Title 44 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, and it starts with a search of the office’s existing database to confirm the proposed name is distinguishable from names already on file.
The filing fee is $10 for a trade name and $15 for a trademark. Online filings take credit card payment; mailed filings take checks. A trade name registration runs five years from the date the office receives it, and a trademark runs ten. Both can be renewed in the six months before expiration. Miss that window and someone else can register your name.5Arizona Secretary of State. Trade Names and Trademarks Processing generally takes two to three weeks.
Notary Public Commissions
The Secretary of State commissions and regulates every notary public in Arizona under Title 41. A commission lasts four years. To qualify, you must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, an Arizona resident who claims the state as your primary residence on tax returns, and able to read, write, and understand English.6Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 41-269 – Commission as Notary Public; Qualifications
Before applying, you register with Prometric and pass a notary examination on Arizona law, procedures, and ethics, as required by ARS 41-270.7Arizona Secretary of State. New Notary The application fee, including the bond filing, is $43, and you also need a surety bond to protect the public against notarial errors.8Arizona Secretary of State. Notary The office keeps a public database showing each notary’s current status and commission expiration, and it investigates formal complaints.
Remote online notarization is allowed, but it requires a separate authorization on top of the standard commission. You must already hold an active Arizona notary commission, contract with a technology vendor that provides the remote platform, and submit an application describing that technology. There is no additional fee or bond.9Arizona Secretary of State. Remote and eNotary
Apostilles and Document Authentication
When an Arizona document needs to be recognized in another country, the Secretary of State issues either an apostille or a certificate of authentication. Apostilles go to countries that are party to the Hague Convention of 1961; certificates of authentication go to countries outside it and serve the same verifying purpose.10Arizona Secretary of State. Authentication
The office authenticates birth certificates, school transcripts, notarized powers of attorney, and similar records. The document must be an original or certified copy from an Arizona agency, and if it is notarized, the notary must hold a current Arizona commission. Documents from other states must go through the secretary of state in the state that issued them.10Arizona Secretary of State. Authentication
The fee is $3 per document. Walk-in counter service is same-day, and mailed requests typically take about five business days. Expedited processing through the office’s Mobile Business Services is $3 per document plus a $25 expedite fee, with a three-document maximum per request.11Arizona Secretary of State. Mobile Business Services
Address Confidentiality Program
Under ARS 41-161, the Secretary of State administers the Address Confidentiality Program, which gives victims of domestic violence, sexual offenses, or stalking a substitute mailing address so their actual location stays out of public records.12Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 41-161 – Definitions
To enroll, an applicant must have relocated within the past 90 days to a location unknown to the perpetrator, or be planning such a move within Arizona. Applicants need documentation of their victimization, such as police reports, orders of protection, or letters from counselors or domestic violence advocates. A parent or guardian can apply on behalf of a minor or incapacitated person.13Arizona Secretary of State. Eligibility and Enrollment
Once enrolled, participants use the substitute address on all interactions with state and local government agencies, which are required to accept it. The office receives first-class, registered, certified, and election mail on the participant’s behalf and forwards it to the real address at no cost.14Arizona Secretary of State. Address Confidentiality Program
Campaign Finance and Lobbyist Registration
Arizona’s campaign finance disclosure system, SeeTheMoney, is maintained by the Secretary of State and lets anyone search contributions and expenditures reported by candidates, political committees, and ballot measure campaigns. The office also enforces the reporting deadlines those committees face throughout the cycle.
The office regulates lobbyists as well. Designated lobbyists and lobbyists for compensation file quarterly expenditure reports for every quarter they remain registered. Principals and public bodies file annual reports. For the 2026–2027 term, the biennial lobbyist registration renewal window ran from December 1, 2025 through January 12, 2026.15Arizona Secretary of State. Lobbying
Constitutional Role and Line of Succession
The Arizona Constitution puts the Secretary of State first in line for the governorship if the governor dies, resigns, or becomes permanently unable to serve, provided the Secretary of State was elected rather than appointed. If the Secretary of State holds office by appointment or cannot qualify, succession passes to the attorney general, then the state treasurer, then the superintendent of public instruction, each of whom must also hold their office by election.16Justia Law. Arizona Constitution Article 5 Section 6 – Death, Resignation, Removal or Disability of Governor Jan Brewer became governor this way in 2009, and Katie Hobbs won the 2022 gubernatorial race while serving as Secretary of State. Starting in January 2027, a newly created lieutenant governor position will take over the top succession spot.
Day to day, the office’s constitutional record-keeping duties include serving as custodian of the Great Seal of Arizona, affixing it to documents that carry the governor’s official signature, keeping a register of the governor’s official acts, and certifying election results to the governor’s office.17Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 41-121 – Duties