Site Development Plans in Maricopa County: Navigating New Notarization Requirements

In Maricopa County, Arizona, the submission process for Site Development Plans (SDPs) has shifted to fully digital. As of 2024, all SDPs must be electronically signed and notarized before they are accepted by municipal and county agencies. This directly affects professionals such as civil engineers, land surveyors, and architects—anyone submitting development plans for approval.

Understanding the Electronic Submission Process

SDPs are initially submitted electronically to the respective city for preliminary review. Upon city approval, plans are forwarded to Maricopa County Planning & Development for final processing. Throughout this process, maintaining the original PDF format with valid digital signatures and notarizations is crucial to meet the county's Electronic Document Review (EDR) standards.

For detailed EDR guidelines, refer to the county's overview:
Maricopa County Electronic Document Review Overview

Common Pitfalls in Electronic Submissions

We regularly see submissions delayed or rejected due to simple missteps. Printing a document, signing it manually, and then scanning it back into digital form breaks the required digital certificate. Other issues arise when someone uses a generic electronic signing tool that doesn’t meet the county’s strict standards for notarization or document security. Any of these errors can derail a project timeline.

AZ Roving Notary: Ensuring Compliance and Efficiency

We’ve helped facilitate over 100 notarized Site Development Plans for Maricopa County and its cities. Using the remote notarization platform Pactima, we help clients complete notarizations that retain full PDF integrity. That means the document is not corrupted in a way that would trigger rejection by the EDR system.

You upload the PDF directly to our secured server, meet with us for a secure remote session, and walk away with a document that’s ready for immediate submission. No guesswork, no formatting issues, and no surprises.

Who We Help

Civil engineers preparing drainage reports and development plans
Surveyors submitting plats, ALTA surveys, and improvement plans
Architects handling site layout documentation for commercial and mixed-use projects
Developers who submit their plans directly
Other professionals required to submit site plans

Whether you’re working on a new subdivision or a commercial pad site, we understand the county’s standards and the language used by their systems. That means you don’t have to guess what format is acceptable—we’ve already done the homework.

Our Attention to Detail Makes the Difference

A single error in a site plan—like a missing signature, a mismatched file format, or the change to the wrong venue, or the wrong wording on the notary block—can delay your entire development process. What makes AZ Roving Notary different is our attention to detail. We carefully review every document before and after notarization to make sure it meets submission standards for both the city and the county.

Did You Know?

It’s not just Maricopa County that requires electronic submissions of site plans. Cities and counties across the United States are beginning to implement similar digital workflows for land development documentation. At AZ Roving Notary, we can provide notaries specifically trained to facilitate the notarization of site development plans—no matter where you're working from.

Remote Notarization: Anytime, Anywhere

Whether you’re at your office, on-site, or out of state, as long as you have a stable internet connection and access to the PDF, we can handle your notarization. We’ve even joked that if you’re on the space station, the moon, or Mars—if you can connect to Earth, we’ve got you covered.

Conclusion

Maricopa County’s requirements for electronic SDP submission aren’t just a suggestion—they’re a necessity. If you work in engineering, architecture, or surveying, getting it right the first time is critical. AZ Roving Notary is here to make sure your notarized documents are accurate, compliant, and ready to move your project forward without delays.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR RON SERVICES

This blog was conceived by Suzanne Feinberg, content suggested by AI,
designed/edited/finalized by Zibster, and approved/publised by AZ Roving Notary.

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