PA NOTARY STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔How many days do you have to report a name change? - ✔✔30 Days
✔✔Where should letters of resignation be sent? - ✔✔Dept of State Bureau of
Commissions, Elections, and Legislation
✔✔When resigning: papers must be released to whom and when? - ✔✔To the County
Office Recorders, within 30 Days
✔✔When resigning: stamp must be released to whom and when? - ✔✔rubber stamp
delivered to Dept of State Bureau of commissions within in 10 days
✔✔Official stamp wording requirements (5 requirements) - ✔✔1. "Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania "
2. "Notary Seal"
3. Name, "Notary Public"
4. County
5. Expiration Date
✔✔Official stamp border size - ✔✔1" (H); 3.5" (Width); Plain Border
✔✔Stamping device security is responsibility of - ✔✔Notary
✔✔Upon resignation or death the stamp should be: - ✔✔disabled by destroying,
defacing, damaging, erasing, or securing against use in which is it rendered unusable
✔✔Loss or theft of the stamping device should be: - ✔✔promptly notify the department
upon discovery
✔✔Embossing seal is required or not required - ✔✔not required
✔✔Journal should be in _____________ order - ✔✔Chronological
✔✔Separate journals can be held for - ✔✔tangible and electronic records
✔✔Electronic journals should be: (2) - ✔✔1. Tamper proof -
2. Evident format that complies with the regulations of the department
✔✔Journal entries should be made when: - ✔✔contemporaneously with the act
✔✔Electronic records requires the notary be registered with the department (when) -
✔✔prior to use
, ✔✔Electronic records statute permits, but does not require, the notary official stamp that
contains - ✔✔official signature
date of notarization
county and state of act
title of notarial officer
notary's expiration date
✔✔electronic records requires that - ✔✔notarial certificate be attached affixed or
associated with the electronic record
✔✔Notary fees should be fixed (set) by - ✔✔State Department
✔✔Notary fees need to be displayed in the - ✔✔Location of the notary act.
✔✔No fee charged for - ✔✔affidavit for absentee ballot
✔✔Complaints may be filed by anyone for any reason, written response must be made
____________ after notification - ✔✔30 days
✔✔Fines from a complaint for each violation can be up to - ✔✔$500.00
✔✔all hearings for complaints are held - ✔✔in Harrisburg
✔✔Administrative penalty can be imposed up to _________ for each act - ✔✔1000.
✔✔Prohibited acts are - ✔✔No authority - ie giving legal advice
False advertising - of any kind
designation - not able to use the term Notario or "notario publico"
representations- - (act in any legal advisor role)
Original records - withholding access or possession of original records.
crime codes
✔✔Identifying your customer: 3 ways to ID your customer - ✔✔Personal Knowledge
Satisfactory evidence
Second party knowledge
✔✔Personal Knowledge identification occurs with - ✔✔Personally know them 1-1
relationship
variety of situations over a long period of time
✔✔Satisfactory evidence of Identification - ✔✔Current government issues ID with serial
ID number
and at least one:
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔How many days do you have to report a name change? - ✔✔30 Days
✔✔Where should letters of resignation be sent? - ✔✔Dept of State Bureau of
Commissions, Elections, and Legislation
✔✔When resigning: papers must be released to whom and when? - ✔✔To the County
Office Recorders, within 30 Days
✔✔When resigning: stamp must be released to whom and when? - ✔✔rubber stamp
delivered to Dept of State Bureau of commissions within in 10 days
✔✔Official stamp wording requirements (5 requirements) - ✔✔1. "Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania "
2. "Notary Seal"
3. Name, "Notary Public"
4. County
5. Expiration Date
✔✔Official stamp border size - ✔✔1" (H); 3.5" (Width); Plain Border
✔✔Stamping device security is responsibility of - ✔✔Notary
✔✔Upon resignation or death the stamp should be: - ✔✔disabled by destroying,
defacing, damaging, erasing, or securing against use in which is it rendered unusable
✔✔Loss or theft of the stamping device should be: - ✔✔promptly notify the department
upon discovery
✔✔Embossing seal is required or not required - ✔✔not required
✔✔Journal should be in _____________ order - ✔✔Chronological
✔✔Separate journals can be held for - ✔✔tangible and electronic records
✔✔Electronic journals should be: (2) - ✔✔1. Tamper proof -
2. Evident format that complies with the regulations of the department
✔✔Journal entries should be made when: - ✔✔contemporaneously with the act
✔✔Electronic records requires the notary be registered with the department (when) -
✔✔prior to use
, ✔✔Electronic records statute permits, but does not require, the notary official stamp that
contains - ✔✔official signature
date of notarization
county and state of act
title of notarial officer
notary's expiration date
✔✔electronic records requires that - ✔✔notarial certificate be attached affixed or
associated with the electronic record
✔✔Notary fees should be fixed (set) by - ✔✔State Department
✔✔Notary fees need to be displayed in the - ✔✔Location of the notary act.
✔✔No fee charged for - ✔✔affidavit for absentee ballot
✔✔Complaints may be filed by anyone for any reason, written response must be made
____________ after notification - ✔✔30 days
✔✔Fines from a complaint for each violation can be up to - ✔✔$500.00
✔✔all hearings for complaints are held - ✔✔in Harrisburg
✔✔Administrative penalty can be imposed up to _________ for each act - ✔✔1000.
✔✔Prohibited acts are - ✔✔No authority - ie giving legal advice
False advertising - of any kind
designation - not able to use the term Notario or "notario publico"
representations- - (act in any legal advisor role)
Original records - withholding access or possession of original records.
crime codes
✔✔Identifying your customer: 3 ways to ID your customer - ✔✔Personal Knowledge
Satisfactory evidence
Second party knowledge
✔✔Personal Knowledge identification occurs with - ✔✔Personally know them 1-1
relationship
variety of situations over a long period of time
✔✔Satisfactory evidence of Identification - ✔✔Current government issues ID with serial
ID number
and at least one:
