Arizona adopted a deed anti-fraud law that is effective on September 13, 2026. It requires a notary to take a thumbprint when notarizing a deed or other real-property document, requires a photo identification to record a deed at the recorder’s office or kiosk, and makes recording a forged or false property document a felony. It also creates a system by the county to alert an owner when property records change.
Notary thumbprint: notaries must record a signer’s thumbprint in their journal for deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, other real-property documents, and powers of attorney (A.R.S. § 41-254). The right thumbprint, or other finger if unavailable, applies to all notarized deeds including those a law firm prepares for estate planning, probate, or trust administration. The thumbprint rule doesn’t apply to a trustee’s deed from a foreclosure, a deed of release and reconveyance, or a remote online notarization where the notary’s journal includes the signer’s identification credential number. The notary keeps an audiovisual recording for 7 years.
Photo ID to record at County Recorder: Requires showing a photo identification if in person. There are exemptions for escrow and title companies, banks, credit unions, Arizona attorneys, and governmental entities (A.R.S. § 11-472).
Recording a forged deed is a felony. Owners can also recover civil damages of at least $5,000 or treble their losses (A.R.S. § 33-420).
Alert system. On January 1, 2027, County Assessors must implement a voluntary free system that notifies an owner when a property’s ownership or mailing address changes.