Notary Test Questions and Answers |Fall 2025/2026 Update |
100% Correct
Question 1
If a notary's journal is stolen, the notary should do which of the following:
A.) Report the loss to the police and obtain a police report.
B.) Immediately notify the county recorder's office.
C.) Notify the Secretary of State's office within 30 days.
D.) Report the loss to the county clerk's office and obtain a new journal.
Correct Answer
A.) Report the loss to the police and obtain a police report.
The notary must IMMEDIATELY notify the SECRETARY OF STATE's office, not the county clerk's office.
Page 1 of 32
,Question 2
Which statement is correct regarding a subscribing witness:
A.) A subscribing witness must be used to prove a credible witness's identity.
B.) The subscribing witness must leave his thumbprint in the notary's journal when presenting a deed of reconveyance for
notarization.
C.) The notary may provide the subscribing witness with a Proof of Execution form for a deed of trust.
D.) The notary may provide the subscribing witness with a Proof of Execution form for a trustee's deed.
Correct Answer
D.) The notary may provide the subscribing witness with a Proof of Execution form for a trustee's deed.
A subscribing witness must be personally known to a credible witness who is personally known to the notary and who
presents acceptable paper identification to the notary. A subscribing witness may leave his thumbprint in the notary's
journal, although he is not legally required to do so. A subscribing witness may be used in conjunction with a trustee's
deed or deed of reconveyance, but not a deed of trust. A deed of trust and a trustee's deed (used in foreclosure) are two
different instruments.
Question 3
If a notary is also a licensed and bonded immigration specialist, he may legally do all of the following except:
A.) Notarize immigration documents.
B.) Advertise his notarial services and his immigration consulting services together on his website.
C.) Take a deposition in a foreign language.
D.) Enter data on immigration forms for his clients for free.
Correct Answer
B.) Advertise his notarial services and his immigration consulting services together on his website.
If a notary is also an immigration specialist, he MAY NOT advertise in any manner whatsoever, that he is a notary. A, C
and D are correct statements.
Page 2 of 32
,Question 4
An elderly woman is selling her house to her daughter. The daughter is a California notary public. Which of the following
statements is true:
A.) The daughter may notarize the Deed of Trust being used in the transaction.
B.) The daughter may act as credible witness for her mother if her mother does not possess any acceptable paper
identification.
C.) The mother may not sell her house to her daughter because they are related.
D.) The mother may use paper identification to prove her identity to another notary when that notary notarizes the
mother's signature on the Deed of Trust.
Correct Answer
D.) The mother may use paper identification to prove her identity to another notary when that notary notarizes the
mother's signature on the Deed of Trust.
Since the daughter has a direct financial or beneficial interest in the transaction, she may not notarize any of the
documents related to the transaction, ie: the deed of trust, and she may not act as a credible witness for her mother.
Question 5
Which is an example of keeping your journal and/or seal secure:
A.) Loaning your journal to a non-notary public to obtain signatures.
B.) Loaning your journal to another notary public to obtain signatures.
C.) Leaving your journal and/or seal unattended in an area accessible to others.
D.) Leaving your journal and/or seal in locked drawer.
Correct Answer
D.) Leaving your journal and/or seal in locked drawer.
The notary journal and seal must be kept under the direct and exclusive control of the notary at all times. It is acceptable
for a notary to leave his journal and/or seal in a locked drawer when not in use, assuming it is under his direct and
exclusive control.
Page 3 of 32
, Question 6
A signer is quitclaiming his interest in his vacation home to his former wife. The signer executes a quitclaim deed in the
presence of his former wife and then they both appear before a notary to request a notarization. The signer does not
possess any paper identification so his former wife acts as his credible witness. Can the notary perform this notarization
and (if yes) who must sign the notary's journal for this notarization:
Correct Answer
No - The notary may not notarize in this situation so not one is required to sign the notary's journal.
The former wife cannot act as a credible witness in this situation because she is a party to the transaction. A credible
witness cannot have any interest in the document being notarized.
Question 7
A principal executes a deed of trust and sends a subscribing witness to get the document notarized. Under what
circumstances may the notary notarize this deed of trust:
A.) The subscribing witness is personally known to the notary.
B.) A credible witness is used to identify the subscribing witness.
C.) The principal appears before the notary and presents the deed of trust for notarization.
D.) The subscribing witness leaves his thumbprint in the notary's journal.
Correct Answer
C.) The principal appears before the notary and presents the deed of trust for notarization.
A subscribing witness may not be used in conjunction with any deed of trust, mortgage, security instrument, quitclaim
deed or grant deed document, regardless of how he is identified by the notary. Only the principal may request the
notarization for this deed of trust.
Page 4 of 32
100% Correct
Question 1
If a notary's journal is stolen, the notary should do which of the following:
A.) Report the loss to the police and obtain a police report.
B.) Immediately notify the county recorder's office.
C.) Notify the Secretary of State's office within 30 days.
D.) Report the loss to the county clerk's office and obtain a new journal.
Correct Answer
A.) Report the loss to the police and obtain a police report.
The notary must IMMEDIATELY notify the SECRETARY OF STATE's office, not the county clerk's office.
Page 1 of 32
,Question 2
Which statement is correct regarding a subscribing witness:
A.) A subscribing witness must be used to prove a credible witness's identity.
B.) The subscribing witness must leave his thumbprint in the notary's journal when presenting a deed of reconveyance for
notarization.
C.) The notary may provide the subscribing witness with a Proof of Execution form for a deed of trust.
D.) The notary may provide the subscribing witness with a Proof of Execution form for a trustee's deed.
Correct Answer
D.) The notary may provide the subscribing witness with a Proof of Execution form for a trustee's deed.
A subscribing witness must be personally known to a credible witness who is personally known to the notary and who
presents acceptable paper identification to the notary. A subscribing witness may leave his thumbprint in the notary's
journal, although he is not legally required to do so. A subscribing witness may be used in conjunction with a trustee's
deed or deed of reconveyance, but not a deed of trust. A deed of trust and a trustee's deed (used in foreclosure) are two
different instruments.
Question 3
If a notary is also a licensed and bonded immigration specialist, he may legally do all of the following except:
A.) Notarize immigration documents.
B.) Advertise his notarial services and his immigration consulting services together on his website.
C.) Take a deposition in a foreign language.
D.) Enter data on immigration forms for his clients for free.
Correct Answer
B.) Advertise his notarial services and his immigration consulting services together on his website.
If a notary is also an immigration specialist, he MAY NOT advertise in any manner whatsoever, that he is a notary. A, C
and D are correct statements.
Page 2 of 32
,Question 4
An elderly woman is selling her house to her daughter. The daughter is a California notary public. Which of the following
statements is true:
A.) The daughter may notarize the Deed of Trust being used in the transaction.
B.) The daughter may act as credible witness for her mother if her mother does not possess any acceptable paper
identification.
C.) The mother may not sell her house to her daughter because they are related.
D.) The mother may use paper identification to prove her identity to another notary when that notary notarizes the
mother's signature on the Deed of Trust.
Correct Answer
D.) The mother may use paper identification to prove her identity to another notary when that notary notarizes the
mother's signature on the Deed of Trust.
Since the daughter has a direct financial or beneficial interest in the transaction, she may not notarize any of the
documents related to the transaction, ie: the deed of trust, and she may not act as a credible witness for her mother.
Question 5
Which is an example of keeping your journal and/or seal secure:
A.) Loaning your journal to a non-notary public to obtain signatures.
B.) Loaning your journal to another notary public to obtain signatures.
C.) Leaving your journal and/or seal unattended in an area accessible to others.
D.) Leaving your journal and/or seal in locked drawer.
Correct Answer
D.) Leaving your journal and/or seal in locked drawer.
The notary journal and seal must be kept under the direct and exclusive control of the notary at all times. It is acceptable
for a notary to leave his journal and/or seal in a locked drawer when not in use, assuming it is under his direct and
exclusive control.
Page 3 of 32
, Question 6
A signer is quitclaiming his interest in his vacation home to his former wife. The signer executes a quitclaim deed in the
presence of his former wife and then they both appear before a notary to request a notarization. The signer does not
possess any paper identification so his former wife acts as his credible witness. Can the notary perform this notarization
and (if yes) who must sign the notary's journal for this notarization:
Correct Answer
No - The notary may not notarize in this situation so not one is required to sign the notary's journal.
The former wife cannot act as a credible witness in this situation because she is a party to the transaction. A credible
witness cannot have any interest in the document being notarized.
Question 7
A principal executes a deed of trust and sends a subscribing witness to get the document notarized. Under what
circumstances may the notary notarize this deed of trust:
A.) The subscribing witness is personally known to the notary.
B.) A credible witness is used to identify the subscribing witness.
C.) The principal appears before the notary and presents the deed of trust for notarization.
D.) The subscribing witness leaves his thumbprint in the notary's journal.
Correct Answer
C.) The principal appears before the notary and presents the deed of trust for notarization.
A subscribing witness may not be used in conjunction with any deed of trust, mortgage, security instrument, quitclaim
deed or grant deed document, regardless of how he is identified by the notary. Only the principal may request the
notarization for this deed of trust.
Page 4 of 32
