OHIO NOTARY PUBLIC 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔If you notarize without satisfactory evidence you are subject to what penalty -
✔✔civil penalty of up to 10,000
✔✔Oath of Credible witnesses criteria - ✔✔1 If notary personally knows the witness,
only one witness is necessary
o Witness must know signer
o Witness must present proper ID to the notary
2 If witness is unknown to notary, two witnesses with proper ID are required
3 Once either the single credible witness or the two credible witnesses' identities
are established, they each must take an oath affirming these statements:
4 Witness personally knows signer
5 Signer is person named in document
6 It would be very difficult or impossible for signer to obtain another form of ID
7 Signer does not possess any of the ID documentations deemed necessary
8 Witness does not have a financial interest in the document
9 Witness isn't named in the document
10 If two credible witnesses are used, they must take their oaths under penalty of
perjury
✔✔Journal Requirements 5 - ✔✔1. Journal must be bound
2. Journal must be sequential
3. Only one active journal must be kept at a time
4. Journal must be under your direct control at all times
5. Journal must be stored in locked, secure area
6. Administrative action may be taken by the Secretary of State if proper precautions of
securing the journal are not taken
✔✔what to do if Lost, Stolen, Misplaced or Unusable Journal - ✔✔1. Report to
Secretary of State by certified or registered mail immediately. Include all
pertinent information:
Period of the journal entries
Your notary public commission number
The expiration date of your commission
Copy of police report specifying journal theft (if applicable)
Failure to report status of journal to the Secretary of State constitutes a
misdemeanor, and your commission could be revoked or suspended
✔✔Surrender journal to the County Clerk within 30 days only upon - ✔✔1 Your
resignation
2 Your disqualification
3 Removal from office
4 Expiration of your commission without obtaining reappointment within 30 days
, 5 death
✔✔If requested by a peace officer acting in official capacity and within his/her authority
(he/she must believe that the journal contains criminal evidence) - ✔✔Failure to provide
access to your journal is grounds for revocation or suspension
of your commission and a civil penalty of up to $2,500.00.
You must obtain a receipt for the journal
You must notify the Secretary of State by certified mail within 10 days of the
situation
Make sure you complete the notification in a timely manner or you are guilty of a
misdemeanor, and your commission could be revoked or suspended
o The notification must include the following:
Period of Journal entries
Your notary public commission number
Expiration date of your commission
Copy of your receipt
Once a journal is surrendered you must begin a new one. Even when the old one is
returned, you must continue to use the new journal
✔✔Requests To Copy Journal Pages how long to you have to respond - ✔✔15 days
✔✔Requests To Copy Journal Pages how much can you charge - ✔✔You may not
charge more than $.30 per page
✔✔Requests To Copy Journal Pages
written requests must include - ✔✔o Name of party(ies)
o Type of document
o Month and year of requested notarization
✔✔If you receive a subpoena duces tecum or court order: you must - ✔✔1 You must
provide journal for inspection or copying while in your presence
2 If requested, you may certify the copies
✔✔Subscribing Witness Duties - ✔✔1. Either watches the document being signed by
principal signer or hears the principal signer acknowledge signing document
2. Asked by the principal signer to sign the document as a witness
3. Brings the document to be notarized
✔✔Can a notary issue a confidential marriage license - ✔✔A notary public who is
interested in obtaining authorization to issue confidential marriage
licenses may apply for approval to the county clerk in the county in which the notary
public
resides. A notary public must not issue a confidential marriage license unless he or she
is
approved by the county clerk having jurisdiction.
ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔If you notarize without satisfactory evidence you are subject to what penalty -
✔✔civil penalty of up to 10,000
✔✔Oath of Credible witnesses criteria - ✔✔1 If notary personally knows the witness,
only one witness is necessary
o Witness must know signer
o Witness must present proper ID to the notary
2 If witness is unknown to notary, two witnesses with proper ID are required
3 Once either the single credible witness or the two credible witnesses' identities
are established, they each must take an oath affirming these statements:
4 Witness personally knows signer
5 Signer is person named in document
6 It would be very difficult or impossible for signer to obtain another form of ID
7 Signer does not possess any of the ID documentations deemed necessary
8 Witness does not have a financial interest in the document
9 Witness isn't named in the document
10 If two credible witnesses are used, they must take their oaths under penalty of
perjury
✔✔Journal Requirements 5 - ✔✔1. Journal must be bound
2. Journal must be sequential
3. Only one active journal must be kept at a time
4. Journal must be under your direct control at all times
5. Journal must be stored in locked, secure area
6. Administrative action may be taken by the Secretary of State if proper precautions of
securing the journal are not taken
✔✔what to do if Lost, Stolen, Misplaced or Unusable Journal - ✔✔1. Report to
Secretary of State by certified or registered mail immediately. Include all
pertinent information:
Period of the journal entries
Your notary public commission number
The expiration date of your commission
Copy of police report specifying journal theft (if applicable)
Failure to report status of journal to the Secretary of State constitutes a
misdemeanor, and your commission could be revoked or suspended
✔✔Surrender journal to the County Clerk within 30 days only upon - ✔✔1 Your
resignation
2 Your disqualification
3 Removal from office
4 Expiration of your commission without obtaining reappointment within 30 days
, 5 death
✔✔If requested by a peace officer acting in official capacity and within his/her authority
(he/she must believe that the journal contains criminal evidence) - ✔✔Failure to provide
access to your journal is grounds for revocation or suspension
of your commission and a civil penalty of up to $2,500.00.
You must obtain a receipt for the journal
You must notify the Secretary of State by certified mail within 10 days of the
situation
Make sure you complete the notification in a timely manner or you are guilty of a
misdemeanor, and your commission could be revoked or suspended
o The notification must include the following:
Period of Journal entries
Your notary public commission number
Expiration date of your commission
Copy of your receipt
Once a journal is surrendered you must begin a new one. Even when the old one is
returned, you must continue to use the new journal
✔✔Requests To Copy Journal Pages how long to you have to respond - ✔✔15 days
✔✔Requests To Copy Journal Pages how much can you charge - ✔✔You may not
charge more than $.30 per page
✔✔Requests To Copy Journal Pages
written requests must include - ✔✔o Name of party(ies)
o Type of document
o Month and year of requested notarization
✔✔If you receive a subpoena duces tecum or court order: you must - ✔✔1 You must
provide journal for inspection or copying while in your presence
2 If requested, you may certify the copies
✔✔Subscribing Witness Duties - ✔✔1. Either watches the document being signed by
principal signer or hears the principal signer acknowledge signing document
2. Asked by the principal signer to sign the document as a witness
3. Brings the document to be notarized
✔✔Can a notary issue a confidential marriage license - ✔✔A notary public who is
interested in obtaining authorization to issue confidential marriage
licenses may apply for approval to the county clerk in the county in which the notary
public
resides. A notary public must not issue a confidential marriage license unless he or she
is
approved by the county clerk having jurisdiction.
