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California Notary Public Exam 1
1. You have passed the California Notary exam and received your commission packet. You
must submit your fingerprints to the FBI and DOJ within what time frame?
A) 30 days of passing the exam
B) Within 1 year of satisfactorily completing the examination
C) Within 90 days of receiving your commission
D) Before taking the oath of office
Rationale: Within 1 year of satisfactorily completing the examination – Fingerprints must be
submitted to the FBI and DOJ within one year of passing the notary exam per California law.
2. A California Notary Public surety bond is required in what amount?
A) 5, 000𝐵)10,000
C) *15,000 ∗ 𝐷)20,000
*Rationale: 15,000 ∗ –𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑦𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑎15,000 surety bond with the county
clerk to reimburse the public for notarial misconduct.
3. Who has the authority to appoint a Notary Public in California?
A) The Governor
B) The County Clerk
C) The Secretary of State
D) The employer of the notary
Rationale: The Secretary of State – The California Secretary of State appoints all notaries
public and issues their commissions.
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4. The term of a California Notary Public commission is how many years?
A) Two years
B) Three years
C) Four years
D) Five years
Rationale: Four years – A California notary commission is valid for four years from the date of
commission, not the date of filing.
5. Once commissioned, a notary must file the bond and take the oath of office within how many
calendar days?
A) 15 days
B) 20 days
C) 30 days
D) 45 days
Rationale: 30 days – The oath and bond must be filed with the county clerk within 30 calendar
days of the commission start date.
6. A military notary public is allowed to collect what maximum fee for a notarization?
A) 10𝐵)15
C) 20𝐷) ∗0*
Rationale: $0 – Military notaries appointed on a military base or naval reservation may not
charge any fees for notarial services.
7. Is United States citizenship required to become a California Notary Public?
A) Yes, citizenship is mandatory
B) No, citizenship is not required
C) Only if working for a government agency
D) Only for renewal applicants
Rationale: No, citizenship is not required – California does not require notary applicants to be
US citizens; legal residency is sufficient.
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8. Which of the following is a requirement to become a California Notary Public?
A) Pass a driving record check
B) Own a business in California
C) *Be a California resident and complete a 6-hour course*
D) Have at least a high school diploma
*Rationale: *Be a California resident and complete a 6-hour course* – Requirements include
age 18, CA residency, 6-hour course, passing exam, and background check.*
9. What may cause a notary appointment to be denied by the Secretary of State?
A) Failure to pay the application fee on time
B) Conviction of a disqualifying crime on background check
C) Missing the notary exam by less than 5 points
D) Not having a surety bond pre-approved
Rationale: Conviction of a disqualifying crime on background check – Disqualifying crimes
such as fraud or perjury will result in denial of appointment.
10. When the Secretary of State requests certified copies from your notary journal, you must
respond within:
A) 5 business days
B) 30 calendar days
C) 30 business days
D) The amount of time specified in the request
Rationale: The amount of time specified in the request – The notary must respond within the
time frame stated in the SOS request, not a fixed statutory period.
11. Is a California Notary Public required to purchase Errors and Omissions insurance?
A) True
B) False
C) Only for real estate transactions
D) Only for renewing notaries
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Rationale: False – E&O insurance is optional, not required by California law; only the $15,000
surety bond is mandatory.
12. If you currently hold a notary commission, do you need to complete a new application to
apply for another term?
A) True, you can simply renew online
B) False, you must complete a new application
C) Only if your commission expired more than 30 days ago
D) Only if you changed your name
Rationale: False, you must complete a new application – Every new commission requires a
complete new application, even for renewing notaries.
13. If your notary journal is lost and you start a new one, and later find the lost journal, may you
use the lost journal again?
A) Yes, if no entries were made after the loss
B) No, you may not use the lost journal again
C) Yes, but only for non-real estate transactions
D) Only after notifying the SOS
Rationale: No, you may not use the lost journal again – Once a journal is replaced, the lost
journal cannot be reused even if found later.
14. If your notary journal is stolen, you must report the theft to the County Clerk. Is this true or
false?
A) True
B) False, must report to Secretary of State
C) True, within 10 days
D) True, within 24 hours
Rationale: False, must report to Secretary of State – Lost or stolen journals must be reported
immediately to the Secretary of State, not the county clerk.
California Notary Public Exam 1
1. You have passed the California Notary exam and received your commission packet. You
must submit your fingerprints to the FBI and DOJ within what time frame?
A) 30 days of passing the exam
B) Within 1 year of satisfactorily completing the examination
C) Within 90 days of receiving your commission
D) Before taking the oath of office
Rationale: Within 1 year of satisfactorily completing the examination – Fingerprints must be
submitted to the FBI and DOJ within one year of passing the notary exam per California law.
2. A California Notary Public surety bond is required in what amount?
A) 5, 000𝐵)10,000
C) *15,000 ∗ 𝐷)20,000
*Rationale: 15,000 ∗ –𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑦𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑎15,000 surety bond with the county
clerk to reimburse the public for notarial misconduct.
3. Who has the authority to appoint a Notary Public in California?
A) The Governor
B) The County Clerk
C) The Secretary of State
D) The employer of the notary
Rationale: The Secretary of State – The California Secretary of State appoints all notaries
public and issues their commissions.
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4. The term of a California Notary Public commission is how many years?
A) Two years
B) Three years
C) Four years
D) Five years
Rationale: Four years – A California notary commission is valid for four years from the date of
commission, not the date of filing.
5. Once commissioned, a notary must file the bond and take the oath of office within how many
calendar days?
A) 15 days
B) 20 days
C) 30 days
D) 45 days
Rationale: 30 days – The oath and bond must be filed with the county clerk within 30 calendar
days of the commission start date.
6. A military notary public is allowed to collect what maximum fee for a notarization?
A) 10𝐵)15
C) 20𝐷) ∗0*
Rationale: $0 – Military notaries appointed on a military base or naval reservation may not
charge any fees for notarial services.
7. Is United States citizenship required to become a California Notary Public?
A) Yes, citizenship is mandatory
B) No, citizenship is not required
C) Only if working for a government agency
D) Only for renewal applicants
Rationale: No, citizenship is not required – California does not require notary applicants to be
US citizens; legal residency is sufficient.
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8. Which of the following is a requirement to become a California Notary Public?
A) Pass a driving record check
B) Own a business in California
C) *Be a California resident and complete a 6-hour course*
D) Have at least a high school diploma
*Rationale: *Be a California resident and complete a 6-hour course* – Requirements include
age 18, CA residency, 6-hour course, passing exam, and background check.*
9. What may cause a notary appointment to be denied by the Secretary of State?
A) Failure to pay the application fee on time
B) Conviction of a disqualifying crime on background check
C) Missing the notary exam by less than 5 points
D) Not having a surety bond pre-approved
Rationale: Conviction of a disqualifying crime on background check – Disqualifying crimes
such as fraud or perjury will result in denial of appointment.
10. When the Secretary of State requests certified copies from your notary journal, you must
respond within:
A) 5 business days
B) 30 calendar days
C) 30 business days
D) The amount of time specified in the request
Rationale: The amount of time specified in the request – The notary must respond within the
time frame stated in the SOS request, not a fixed statutory period.
11. Is a California Notary Public required to purchase Errors and Omissions insurance?
A) True
B) False
C) Only for real estate transactions
D) Only for renewing notaries
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Rationale: False – E&O insurance is optional, not required by California law; only the $15,000
surety bond is mandatory.
12. If you currently hold a notary commission, do you need to complete a new application to
apply for another term?
A) True, you can simply renew online
B) False, you must complete a new application
C) Only if your commission expired more than 30 days ago
D) Only if you changed your name
Rationale: False, you must complete a new application – Every new commission requires a
complete new application, even for renewing notaries.
13. If your notary journal is lost and you start a new one, and later find the lost journal, may you
use the lost journal again?
A) Yes, if no entries were made after the loss
B) No, you may not use the lost journal again
C) Yes, but only for non-real estate transactions
D) Only after notifying the SOS
Rationale: No, you may not use the lost journal again – Once a journal is replaced, the lost
journal cannot be reused even if found later.
14. If your notary journal is stolen, you must report the theft to the County Clerk. Is this true or
false?
A) True
B) False, must report to Secretary of State
C) True, within 10 days
D) True, within 24 hours
Rationale: False, must report to Secretary of State – Lost or stolen journals must be reported
immediately to the Secretary of State, not the county clerk.
