HAWAII NOTARY PUBLIC Actual OFFICIAL
PRACTICE EXAM – State-Specific Review &
Verified Guide
Q1. The term of a Hawaii notary public commission is:
A. Two years.
B. Four years.
C. Six years.
D. At the pleasure of the Attorney General.
Correct Answer: B
HRS Citation: §456-3
Statutory Text: "Every commission shall be for a term of four years and may be renewed
for subsequent terms of four years each in accordance with this chapter."
Application: This is a straightforward recall of the commission term as defined by
Hawaii law.
Key Point: Hawaii notary commissions expire four years from the date the bond and
oath are filed with the Attorney General.
Q2. Where must a Hawaii notary public file their bond and oath to receive their
commission?
,A. The Circuit Court of the county where they reside.
B. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA).
C. The Office of the Attorney General.
D. The Lieutenant Governor's office.
Correct Answer: C
HRS Citation: §456-5
Statutory Text: "The bond and the oath of office shall be filed in the office of the attorney
general."
Application: Filing with the Attorney General is the specific, mandatory step in Hawaii.
Key Point: The Attorney General is the sole filing authority for notary bonds and oaths in
Hawaii.
Q3. A notary's spouse asks to have a warranty deed notarized where the spouse is the
grantor (seller). The notary should:
A. Notarize it; there is no conflict with family.
B. Politely decline, as notarizing for a spouse is expressly prohibited.
C. Notarize it only if another witness is present.
D. Notarize it, but note the relationship in the journal.
Correct Answer: B
HRS Citation: §456-14(2)
, Statutory Text: Prohibits a notary from taking an acknowledgment or performing any
notarial act "in any transaction in which the notary is a party directly or pecuniarily
interested, or in which the notary is an attorney, agent, or representative of a party, or in
which the notary is the spouse of a party..."
Application: The notary's spouse is a party to the document. This is a direct statutory
prohibition.
Key Point: A Hawaii notary cannot notarize for a spouse under any circumstances.
Q4. The maximum fee a Hawaii notary may charge for taking an acknowledgment is:
A. $5.00
B. $10.00
C. $15.00
D. There is no maximum; it is negotiable.
Correct Answer: B
HRS Citation: §456-20(1)
Statutory Text: "For taking an acknowledgment, $10 per signature;"
Application: The statute sets a maximum fee schedule. Charging more is a violation.
Key Point: Hawaii law sets specific, maximum fees for notarial acts. A notary may
charge less or waive the fee.
Q5. If a Hawaii notary's official seal is lost or stolen, the notary must notify the Attorney
General in writing within:
PRACTICE EXAM – State-Specific Review &
Verified Guide
Q1. The term of a Hawaii notary public commission is:
A. Two years.
B. Four years.
C. Six years.
D. At the pleasure of the Attorney General.
Correct Answer: B
HRS Citation: §456-3
Statutory Text: "Every commission shall be for a term of four years and may be renewed
for subsequent terms of four years each in accordance with this chapter."
Application: This is a straightforward recall of the commission term as defined by
Hawaii law.
Key Point: Hawaii notary commissions expire four years from the date the bond and
oath are filed with the Attorney General.
Q2. Where must a Hawaii notary public file their bond and oath to receive their
commission?
,A. The Circuit Court of the county where they reside.
B. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA).
C. The Office of the Attorney General.
D. The Lieutenant Governor's office.
Correct Answer: C
HRS Citation: §456-5
Statutory Text: "The bond and the oath of office shall be filed in the office of the attorney
general."
Application: Filing with the Attorney General is the specific, mandatory step in Hawaii.
Key Point: The Attorney General is the sole filing authority for notary bonds and oaths in
Hawaii.
Q3. A notary's spouse asks to have a warranty deed notarized where the spouse is the
grantor (seller). The notary should:
A. Notarize it; there is no conflict with family.
B. Politely decline, as notarizing for a spouse is expressly prohibited.
C. Notarize it only if another witness is present.
D. Notarize it, but note the relationship in the journal.
Correct Answer: B
HRS Citation: §456-14(2)
, Statutory Text: Prohibits a notary from taking an acknowledgment or performing any
notarial act "in any transaction in which the notary is a party directly or pecuniarily
interested, or in which the notary is an attorney, agent, or representative of a party, or in
which the notary is the spouse of a party..."
Application: The notary's spouse is a party to the document. This is a direct statutory
prohibition.
Key Point: A Hawaii notary cannot notarize for a spouse under any circumstances.
Q4. The maximum fee a Hawaii notary may charge for taking an acknowledgment is:
A. $5.00
B. $10.00
C. $15.00
D. There is no maximum; it is negotiable.
Correct Answer: B
HRS Citation: §456-20(1)
Statutory Text: "For taking an acknowledgment, $10 per signature;"
Application: The statute sets a maximum fee schedule. Charging more is a violation.
Key Point: Hawaii law sets specific, maximum fees for notarial acts. A notary may
charge less or waive the fee.
Q5. If a Hawaii notary's official seal is lost or stolen, the notary must notify the Attorney
General in writing within:
