California Notary Practice Exam Questions, With Answers

This practice test has 40 original questions on California notary law, each with four options, and an answer key after each group. It is not the practice exam inside notrai's courses. Each answer gives the letter, a one-line reason and the handbook page or code section it comes from.

notrai wrote these questions from the California Notary Public Handbook, January 2026 edition, and the code sections it reproduces. They are not questions from the state exam, and the state exam's questions are not public. For the exam's format, scoring and registration, see California Notary Exam (Test): What to Expect.

This guide is not the course. Reading it does not count toward the six hours a first commission requires or the three hours of a refresher, and cannot. A refresher counts only if you apply for reappointment before your current commission expires. The statutory education requirement is satisfied only by completing a course of study the Secretary of State has approved and receiving that vendor's Proof of Completion certificate. General notarial information, not legal advice.

The questions are sorted by topic, under the five content-area names CPS HR publishes for the exam, so related guides are easy to find. The number of questions in each area, the wording and the difficulty are not meant to match the exam, and this page is not a simulation of it. Dollar amounts are as the January 2026 handbook reproduces the statutes. Laws change, so check the current code before you rely on a figure. No question depends on a fee amount in Government Code section 8211.

How to study for the California notary exam

CPS HR, which runs the exam, puts the whole handbook in scope: "All of the material in the California Notary Public Handbook (including updates, if any) is subject to examination." Start with How to Use the California Notary Handbook, which says where to get the January 2026 edition and how to read it.

Then take the five content areas one at a time. The guides below are our choice, and CPS HR does not say which handbook pages each area draws on.

Administrative Procedures. The oath and bond must be filed with the county clerk within 30 days after the beginning of the term in the commission: Your First 30 Days as a California Notary.
Notarial Acts/Documentation. Acknowledgment vs. Jurat sets out what each certificate certifies, and California Notary Journal Requirements lists what every journal entry must contain.
Identification/Subscribing Witness Notarizations. Satisfactory evidence of identity is in How to Identify a Signer in California. Acknowledgment vs. Jurat also covers proof of execution by a subscribing witness.
Immigration/Foreign Language. Read the immigration-forms fee cap, the notice required when a notary advertises in another language, and what to do when you and the signer do not share a language.
Misconduct/Fees. The fee maximums and the no-fee exceptions are in What California Notaries Can Charge. The grounds for discipline and the penalties are in What a California Notary Cannot Do.

The guides are articles, not a course, and they do not cover every section of the handbook, so read the handbook as well. Then try the questions below. Each answer cites a handbook page or code section, so a wrong answer tells you where to read again.

Administrative Procedures

1. A member of the public asks the Secretary of State for information from a notary's application. What may be given out?

A. Nothing. The whole application is confidential.
B. The applicant's name and address
C. Everything except the applicant's Social Security number
D. The name, address and any disclosed convictions

2. A renewing notary has met every requirement for reappointment, and the current commission still has four months to run. When is the new commission issued?

A. As soon as the exam result arrives
B. 60 days before the current commission expires
C. 30 days before the current commission expires
D. The day after the current commission expires

3. A notary moves the principal place of business to another county and chooses to make a new filing of the oath and bond with that county's clerk. What else does the law require?

A. Nothing. The old seal stays valid for the rest of the term.
B. A new commission number from the Secretary of State
C. A seal showing the new county, obtained within 30 days of the filing
D. A new exam before the transfer takes effect

4. A notary's name change is approved and an amended commission is issued. The notary misses the 30-day window to file the new oath and the bond amendment. What happens?

A. The commission is canceled.
B. The name change becomes void, and the commission reverts to the previous name.
C. The commission is suspended until the filing is made.
D. The name change takes effect anyway once the county clerk is told.

5. Where may a newly appointed notary take and subscribe the oath of office?

A. Only at the Secretary of State's office in Sacramento
B. In the county clerk's office, or before another notary public in that county
C. Before any notary public anywhere in California
D. Only in the county clerk's office

6. Which of these is a listed ground for the Secretary of State to suspend or revoke a commission?

A. Notarizing for a relative, when that gives the notary no direct financial or beneficial interest
B. Failing to satisfy a court-ordered money judgment, including restitution
C. Charging less than the maximum fee
D. Moving to another county without filing a new oath and bond

Answers

1. B. Information on the application "except for the applicant's name and address, is confidential". (Government Code section 8201.5)

2. C. The handbook says a reappointment commission "will be issued 30 days prior to the expiration date of your current commission if you have complied with all the requirements to become a notary public." (Handbook, Common Questions and Answers, page 25)

3. C. Filing in the new county is optional. A notary who does file "shall, within 30 days of the filing, obtain an official seal which shall include the name of the county to which the notary public has transferred." (Government Code section 8213(b))

4. B. The handbook: "If you fail to file your amended oath and bond within the 30-day time limit, the name change will become void, and your commission will revert to the previous name, and you will be required to submit another Name Change form." (Handbook, page 26, citing Government Code sections 8213 and 8213.6)

5. B. The oath is taken "either in the office of that county clerk or before another notary public in that county." That county is the one where the notary keeps the principal place of business. (Government Code section 8213(a))

6. B. One listed ground is "failure to satisfy any court-ordered money judgment, including restitution." The others are lawful: a notary may notarize for relatives unless it gives the notary a direct financial or beneficial interest, may charge less than the maximum, and need not file a new oath and bond after moving counties. (Government Code section 8214.1(n); Handbook, pages 12, 21 and 22)

Notarial Acts/Documentation

7. A notary takes an acknowledgment. How must the notary sign the certificate?

A. With a rubber stamp of the notary's name, if the seal is also affixed
B. In the notary's own handwriting
C. By an assistant, if the notary watches
D. By any method the signer agrees to

8. A certificate of acknowledgment was taken in Oregon, under Oregon law, and is presented in California. Is it sufficient here?

A. No. Only a certificate in the California form is sufficient.
B. Yes, if it was taken in accordance with the laws of the place where the acknowledgment was made
C. Only if a California notary attaches a second certificate
D. Only if the Secretary of State authenticates it

9. After finishing an acknowledgment, a notary finds a mistake in the certificate. What does the handbook say to do?

A. Cross out the error, initial it and date it.
B. Notarize the signature again, with a new certificate and a new journal entry.
C. Write a correction in the journal only.
D. Send a letter of correction to the Secretary of State.

10. A signer's driver's license reads Robert James Smith Jr., and the document names him Robert Smith. What does the handbook call the best practice for the name in the journal?

A. The name as it appears on the document
B. The full name as it appears on the license, including the suffix
C. Both names, followed by the signer's initials
D. The last name only

11. A notary has written a personal affidavit. May the notary administer the oath and complete the jurat on it personally?

A. Yes, if another person watches
B. Yes, if no fee is charged
C. No. A notary may not take the notary's own affidavit, or acknowledge an instrument the notary executed.
D. Yes, if the affidavit will not be recorded

12. A peace officer seizes a notary's journal. Under section 8206(d), what must the officer or the officer's agency do?

A. Nothing. Only the notary reports the seizure.
B. Notify the Secretary of State by facsimile within 24 hours, or as soon as possible after that, of the notary's name
C. File the journal with the county clerk within 30 days
D. Give the journal back within 10 days

13. A corporation's assistant secretary signs a deed for the corporation and acknowledges it. Under Civil Code section 1190, is an assistant secretary a duly authorized person for a corporation?

A. No. Only the president may act for a corporation.
B. Yes. The term includes the president, vice president, secretary and assistant secretary.
C. Only with a board resolution attached to the certificate
D. Only for a California corporation

14. An acknowledgment on a California subdivision map certificate is deemed complete for recording without the official seal if what is typed or printed beside the notary's signature?

A. The notary's commission number only
B. The notary's name, the county of the principal place of business, and the commission expiration date
C. The signer's thumbprint and the date
D. The notary's name and telephone number

15. Where does the handbook say the seal should not be placed?

A. Within an inch of the notary's signature
B. Over signatures or over any printed matter on the document
C. On the certificate itself
D. On the last page of the document

16. A signer who cannot write signs by mark, and two witnesses subscribe their names. Must the notary identify the two witnesses and have them sign the journal?

A. Yes, always.
B. No, unless they are also acting as credible witnesses to identify the signer.
C. Only if the document affects real property.
D. No. Witnesses to a mark never sign the journal.

17. A notary commissioned for a military reservation under section 8203.1 executes a jurat. Besides the name of the State, what must the jurat contain?

A. The commanding officer's signature
B. The name of the reservation in which the instrument is executed
C. The notary's federal employee number
D. Nothing more

18. A notary is served with a subpoena duces tecum for the journal. What does the law require?

A. Mail the original journal to the court.
B. Refuse, because the journal is the notary's exclusive property.
C. Provide the journal for examination and copying in the notary's presence, and certify the copies if asked.
D. Hand the journal to the requesting attorney.

Answers

7. B. "The certificate shall be signed by the notary public in the notary public's own handwriting." (Government Code section 8205(a)(2))

8. B. "Any certificate of acknowledgment taken in another place shall be sufficient in this state if it is taken in accordance with the laws of the place where the acknowledgment is made." (Civil Code section 1189(b))

9. B. "There are no provisions in the law that allow for the correction of a completed notarial act." The handbook says to notarize again, "including completing and attaching a new certificate containing the date of the new notarial act and completing a new journal entry." (Handbook, Correcting a Notarial Act, page 19)

10. B. "The best practice is to capture the full name as it appears on the driver's license or identification card, including suffixes like Jr., Sr., II, III, etc." (Handbook, Common Questions and Answers, page 27)

11. C. "A notary public shall not take the acknowledgment or proof of instruments of writing executed by the notary public nor shall depositions or affidavits of the notary public be taken by the notary public." (Government Code section 8224.1)

12. B. "A peace officer or law enforcement agency that seizes a notary journal shall notify the Secretary of State by facsimile within 24 hours, or as soon as possible thereafter, of the name of the notary public whose journal has been seized." The notary has a separate duty to report the seizure. (Government Code section 8206(d))

13. B. The section reads: "'Duly authorized person,' with respect to a domestic or foreign corporation, includes the president, vice president, secretary, and assistant secretary of the corporation." (Civil Code section 1190)

14. B. The acknowledgment is complete without the seal "so long as the name of the notary, the county of the notary's principal place of business, and the notary's commission expiration date are typed or printed below or immediately adjacent to the notary's signature in the acknowledgment." (Government Code section 66436(c))

15. B. "The seal should not be placed over signatures or over any printed matter on the document." An illegible or badly placed seal can get a document rejected for recording. (Handbook, Notary Public Seal, page 9)

16. B. "A notary public is not required to identify the two persons who witnessed the signing by mark or to have the two witnesses sign the notary public's journal." The exception: witnesses acting as credible witnesses to identify the signer must sign the journal. (Handbook, Signature by Mark, page 16)

17. B. "In addition to the name of the State, the jurat shall also contain the name of the reservation in which the instrument is executed." (Government Code section 8203.5)

18. C. "The notary public shall provide the journal for examination and copying in the presence of the notary public upon receipt of a subpoena duces tecum or a court order, and shall certify those copies if requested." (Government Code section 8206(e))

Identification/Subscribing Witness Notarizations

19. A notary's neighbor of 20 years asks for an acknowledgment. Does the notary still need satisfactory evidence of her identity?

A. No. Knowing someone that long is enough.
B. No, if the notary writes how long they have known each other in the journal.
C. Yes. Personal knowledge alone is not enough for an acknowledgment or a jurat.
D. Only for a jurat

20. A signer presents a current U.S. passport card instead of a passport book. May the notary rely on it?

A. No. Only the passport book is listed.
B. Yes. The statute names a passport issued by the U.S. Department of State, and the card is one.
C. Only with a second form of identification
D. Only if a credible witness also swears to who the signer is

21. A signer presents a current U.S. military identification card. What does the handbook warn about it?

A. Military cards may be used only for jurats.
B. Current military cards might not contain all the information the statute requires.
C. Military cards are never acceptable.
D. Military cards must have been issued in California.

22. A principal signs a document before the subscribing witness arrives. What must happen for the witness to serve as a subscribing witness?

A. Nothing more. The witness may sign as soon as the witness sees the signature.
B. The witness cannot serve and must watch a new document being signed.
C. The principal acknowledges to the witness having signed it, and asks the witness to sign as a witness.
D. The principal must sign again in front of the notary.

Answers

19. C. "An acknowledgment may not be taken or a jurat executed on the basis of personal knowledge alone." (Handbook, Common Questions and Answers, page 27)

20. B. The handbook says the code "does not differentiate between a Passport Book or a Passport Card, only that it is a passport issued by the Department of State of the United States." (Handbook, page 27, citing Civil Code section 1185(b)(3)(B))

21. B. The handbook's list carries this caution: "current military identification cards might not contain all the required information". The card must also be current or issued within five years, and have a photograph, a description of the person, the person's signature and an identifying number. (Handbook, Identification, page 10; Civil Code section 1185(b)(4))

22. C. "A subscribing witness is one who sees a writing executed or hears it acknowledged, and at the request of the party thereupon signs his name as a witness." (Code of Civil Procedure section 1935; the handbook's example on page 15)

Immigration/Foreign Language

23. A notary who is not a lawyer advertises notary services on a flyer written in Korean. The required notice carries a statement about legal advice. What else must the notice include, and in which language?

A. The notary's commission number, in Korean only
B. The fees set by statute that a notary may charge, in English and in Korean
C. A Korean translation of the words notary public, in Korean only
D. The notary's bond number, in English only

24. A notary qualified and bonded as an immigration consultant enters a client's data on a set of federal immigration forms, and also notarizes a signature on them. What may the notary charge?

A. Only the capped fee for entering the data
B. Nothing, because the forms concern immigration
C. The capped data-entry fee, plus notarial fees as section 8211 allows
D. Whatever the client agrees to pay

25. A notary executes a jurat on a statement that purports to identify the affiant and includes the affiant's birthdate and photograph. The statement is being prepared for submission with forms the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service requires. Besides a certified copy of a birth certificate or a DMV identification card or driver's license, what may the notary accept?

A. Nothing else
B. Any documents or declarations acceptable to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
C. The affiant's sworn statement of age alone
D. Only a passport issued by the affiant's country of citizenship

26. Under Business and Professions Code section 22449, what counts as price gouging when a client seeks services for a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals application?

A. Charging more than the maximum notary fee
B. Charging any fee at all
C. Any practice that pressures the client to buy services now because buying later will cost more
D. Charging different clients different prices

Answers

23. B. The notice goes up "in English and in the other language" and sets out the statement and "The fees set by statute which a notary public may charge." (Government Code section 8219.5(a))

24. C. The data-entry fee is capped per individual for each set of forms, and "If notary services are performed in relation to the set of immigration forms, additional fees may be collected pursuant to Section 8211." (Government Code section 8223(b))

25. B. "For the purposes of preparing for submission of forms required by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, and only for such purposes, a notary public may also accept for identification any documents or declarations acceptable to the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service." (Government Code section 8230)

26. C. Price gouging "means any practice that has the effect of pressuring the client or prospective client to purchase services immediately because purchasing them at a later time will result in the client or prospective client paying a higher price for the same services." A notary's violation is cause for revocation or suspension of the commission. (Business and Professions Code section 22449(b)(2) and (c)(2))

Misconduct/Fees

27. A notary fails to obtain a required thumbprint in the journal. The civil penalty can reach:

A. $600
B. $1,200
C. $2,500
D. $4,000

28. Eight months ago, after proceedings under the procedure section 8214.3 refers to, the Secretary of State denied a person's notary application. The person applies again and is denied again. Does the person have a right to a hearing on the second denial?

A. Yes. Every denial carries a right to a hearing.
B. No, because the Secretary of State denied an application within the year before this one, after those proceedings
C. Only if the person pays a hearing fee
D. Only if the second application lists a new address

29. A notary willfully stamps the official seal on a personal letter of reference to make it look official. Under section 8207.4, the civil penalty can reach:

A. $500 in total
B. $1,500 for each violation
C. $2,500 in total
D. $10,000 for each violation

30. A notary willfully failed to keep the seal under direct and exclusive control. The conduct ended in 2020 and was discovered in 2023. Under section 8228.1, prosecution must begin by:

A. 2023
B. 2024
C. 2027
D. There is no deadline.

31. A person knowingly files a forged deed of trust on a single-family home of no more than four units with the county recorder. In addition to any other punishment, Penal Code section 115.5(a) allows a fine of up to:

A. $10,000
B. $25,000
C. $50,000
D. $75,000

32. A former notary whose commission has expired keeps notarizing deeds of trust on single-family homes of no more than four units. What is the offense?

A. An infraction
B. A misdemeanor
C. A felony
D. Only a civil penalty

33. Under section 8228, who may enforce the notary law by examining a notary's books, records, letters and contracts?

A. Any member of the public, by written request
B. The Secretary of State or a peace officer, possessing reasonable suspicion and acting in an official capacity within that authority
C. Only a court, by subpoena
D. The notary's employer

34. The Secretary of State proposes a civil penalty under section 8214.15, and the notary asks for a hearing. Who decides the penalty?

A. The county clerk
B. The Secretary of State, without a hearing
C. The hearing officer
D. A jury

35. A notary under investigation by the Secretary of State resigns the commission. What happens to the investigation?

A. It ends with the resignation.
B. It may continue, and disciplinary proceedings may still be brought.
C. It is moved to the county where the oath was filed.
D. It is paused until the notary applies again.

36. A notary's former business partner knowingly destroys the notary's journal. Under section 8221, what does the partner face?

A. Nothing, because the partner is not a notary
B. A misdemeanor, plus liability in a civil action to anyone injured
C. Only a civil penalty paid to the Secretary of State
D. Only the cost of a new journal

37. A notary employed by a county notarizes an affidavit relating to securing a pension. What may the notary charge?

A. The usual jurat fee
B. Half the usual fee
C. No fee
D. A fee paid by the county, not the signer

38. An applicant pleaded nolo contendere to a felony and was convicted. How does section 8214.1 treat that?

A. It is not a conviction, because there was no guilty plea.
B. It is deemed a conviction.
C. It counts only if it happened within five years.
D. It counts only if the sentence included jail time.

39. An applicant was convicted of a DUI 25 years ago. Must it be disclosed on the notary application?

A. No. Convictions older than 10 years need not be disclosed.
B. No, if the conviction was a misdemeanor
C. Yes. There is no time limit, and failing to disclose is grounds for denial.
D. Only if the conviction was later dismissed

40. An applicant's real estate license was revoked for misconduct based on dishonesty. May the Secretary of State refuse the notary appointment on that ground?

A. No. Only criminal convictions count.
B. Yes. It is a listed ground for refusal.
C. Only if the revocation happened in the last five years
D. Only if the license was issued in California

Answers

27. C, $2,500. Section 8214.23(a) sets "a civil penalty not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500)" for a notary who fails to obtain a thumbprint that section 8206 requires. (Government Code section 8214.23(a))

28. B. Section 8214.3 gives a right to a hearing, "except that a person shall not have a right to a hearing after a denial of an application for a notary public commission in either of the following cases". The first is that the Secretary of State "has, within one year previous to the application, and after proceedings conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3, denied or revoked the applicant's application or commission." (Government Code section 8214.3(a))

29. B, $1,500 for each violation. Section 8207 bars using the seal except for notarial duties. Section 8207.4(a) reaches "Any person who willfully violates any part of Section 8207, 8207.1, 8207.2, 8207.3, 8231.7, or 8231.8", with a penalty of up to $1,500 for each violation. (Government Code sections 8207 and 8207.4(a))

30. C, 2027. The offense is a misdemeanor, and prosecution "shall be commenced within four years after discovery of the commission of the offense, or within four years after the completion of the offense, whichever is later." Four years after discovery is the later date. (Government Code section 8228.1(a) and (b))

31. D, $75,000. The filer "is punishable, in addition to any other punishment, by a fine not exceeding seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000)." (Penal Code section 115.5(a))

32. C. Acting as a notary without a commission is a misdemeanor under section 8227.1. When the act concerns a document affecting title to, placing an encumbrance on, or placing an interest secured by a mortgage or deed of trust on, real property that is a single-family residence of no more than four dwelling units, the person "is guilty of a felony." (Government Code sections 8227.1 and 8227.3)

33. B. "The Secretary of State or a peace officer, as defined in Sections 830.1, 830.2, and 830.3 of the Penal Code, possessing reasonable suspicion and acting in his or her official capacity and within his or her authority, may enforce the provisions of this chapter through the examination of a notary public's books, records, letters, contracts, and other pertinent documents relating to the official acts of the notary public." (Government Code section 8228)

34. C. "If a hearing is requested, the hearing officer shall make the determination." Without a request, the Secretary of State may impose it. (Government Code section 8214.15(c))

35. B. Section 8214.4 applies once the Secretary of State has found grounds for suspension or revocation after Chapter 5 proceedings. In that case, "the resignation or expiration of the notary public's commission shall not bar the Secretary of State from instituting or continuing an investigation or instituting disciplinary proceedings." (Government Code section 8214.4)

36. B. "If any person shall knowingly destroy, deface, or conceal any records or papers belonging to the office of a notary public, such person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and be liable in a civil action for damages to any person injured as a result of such destruction, defacing, or concealment." (Government Code section 8221(a))

37. C. The handbook lists the exception: "no fee shall be collected by a notary public working for a public entity for services rendered in an affidavit, application, or voucher in relation to the securing of a pension". (Handbook, Fees, page 21, citing Government Code section 6106)

38. B. "A conviction after a plea of nolo contendere is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of this subdivision." (Government Code section 8214.1(b))

39. C. "There is no time limit for disclosure of convictions." And "Failure to disclose all conviction information on each application for an appointment or reappointment is grounds for denial." (Handbook, Common Questions and Answers, page 23)

40. B. A ground for refusal is a "Revocation, suspension, restriction, or denial of a professional license, if the revocation, suspension, restriction, or denial was for misconduct based on dishonesty". (Government Code section 8214.1(c))

Official sources

Check the source before you rely on a rule or a figure.

California Notary Public Handbook, with the code sections it reproduces — www.sos.ca.gov/notary
CPS HR Consulting, Notary Exam Information, including the five content areas — cpshr.us/services/california-notary-exam-2/notary-exam-information

Where notrai fits

notrai is a California Secretary of State–approved notary public education vendor. The Secretary of State approved two notrai courses of study — the six-hour course for first-time applicants and the three-hour refresher for renewing notaries who meet its conditions (Six-Hour vs. Three-Hour lists them) — each under its own certificate of approval. That approval covers those two courses of study and nothing else. It is not an endorsement or recommendation of the courses, of notrai or of this website, and nothing on this page is legal advice.

Both courses are online and self-paced, and each issues a Proof of Completion certificate to a student who completes it. Each also includes its own practice exam, built from the course material rather than the state exam. You can try it with a notrai account before you buy a course.

Separately, notrai has an AI tutor you can ask about California notary law.

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