PA Notary Test | Questions with 100% Verified Answers |
Latest Update 2026/2027
Question: Is there a difference between being appointed and being
commissioned?
Answer: YES. Being appointed confirms your qualification for the office of notary public, and
being commissioned means that you are authorized to conduct notarial acts.
Question: Upon appointment and prior to becoming a commissioned
notary public, you will need to take an oath of office, and
record your oath, bond, commission, and official signature in
the County where you maintain a business or work address,
within:
Answer: 45 days
Question: What is the purpose of a notary public's surety bond?
Answer: The surety bond is a financial guarantee to the Commonwealth and the notary's
customers. If a customer suffers a financial loss due to a notary's failure to fulfill their
duties and responsibilities, the state or the customer has the right to remedy the matter
by seeking compensation from your bond
Question: How many notarial acts is a Pennsylvania notary public
authorized to perform?
Answer: six
Question: It is a conflict of interest if a notary public performs notarial
acts as:
Answer: For the direct benefit of their spouse.
Question: As a Pennsylvania notary public, you may only perform
notarial acts:
Answer: Within the geographical borders of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Question: What would NOT constitute a conflict of interest?
Answer: Being a shareholder in a publicly traded company that is a party to a notarized
transaction.
Question: What would constitute a direct or pecuniary interest?
Answer: Receiving monetary compensation other than a notary fee, that is contingent upon
you
notarizing a document.
Question: A notary public may establish the fee for the following service:
Answer: Copying a notarized document.
, Question: What form of identification would NOT be classified as
satisfactory evidence?
Answer: Student ID
Question: When a notary public provides a customer with a receipt for
notarial and related services such as making a copy of a
notarized document, all of the fees should?
Answer: Itemized separately on a receipt.
Question: In addition to verifying an individual's identity, what else
should you determine about an individual before performing a
notarial act?
Answer: If the individual has the competency and capacity to execute a record.
Question: The fees for notarial acts are established by:
Answer: The Department of State.
Question: With the exception of certifies copies, before conducting a
notarial act, are you required to verify the identity of the
persons who appear before you?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Joe has been your next door neighbor for more than 20 years.
Joe misplaced his government issued ID and wants to know if
you would be able to notarize a document for him. Before
performing the notarial act, how could you verify Joe's
identity?
Answer: Through personal knowledge
Question: When reviewing an individual's identification, you should
determine that:
Answer: The signature on their ID matches their signature on the signed document and that
the
individual's physical appearance looks the same as it does on their photo ID.
Question: What reason would someone request an apostille?
Answer: To prove to a foreign government that an official who notarized a document had the
authority to perform the notarial act.
Question: In order to become an e-notary, you must first be a
commissioned notary public?
Answer: Yes, An individual must first be a commissioned notary public and submit an
application
to become an e-notary.
Latest Update 2026/2027
Question: Is there a difference between being appointed and being
commissioned?
Answer: YES. Being appointed confirms your qualification for the office of notary public, and
being commissioned means that you are authorized to conduct notarial acts.
Question: Upon appointment and prior to becoming a commissioned
notary public, you will need to take an oath of office, and
record your oath, bond, commission, and official signature in
the County where you maintain a business or work address,
within:
Answer: 45 days
Question: What is the purpose of a notary public's surety bond?
Answer: The surety bond is a financial guarantee to the Commonwealth and the notary's
customers. If a customer suffers a financial loss due to a notary's failure to fulfill their
duties and responsibilities, the state or the customer has the right to remedy the matter
by seeking compensation from your bond
Question: How many notarial acts is a Pennsylvania notary public
authorized to perform?
Answer: six
Question: It is a conflict of interest if a notary public performs notarial
acts as:
Answer: For the direct benefit of their spouse.
Question: As a Pennsylvania notary public, you may only perform
notarial acts:
Answer: Within the geographical borders of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Question: What would NOT constitute a conflict of interest?
Answer: Being a shareholder in a publicly traded company that is a party to a notarized
transaction.
Question: What would constitute a direct or pecuniary interest?
Answer: Receiving monetary compensation other than a notary fee, that is contingent upon
you
notarizing a document.
Question: A notary public may establish the fee for the following service:
Answer: Copying a notarized document.
, Question: What form of identification would NOT be classified as
satisfactory evidence?
Answer: Student ID
Question: When a notary public provides a customer with a receipt for
notarial and related services such as making a copy of a
notarized document, all of the fees should?
Answer: Itemized separately on a receipt.
Question: In addition to verifying an individual's identity, what else
should you determine about an individual before performing a
notarial act?
Answer: If the individual has the competency and capacity to execute a record.
Question: The fees for notarial acts are established by:
Answer: The Department of State.
Question: With the exception of certifies copies, before conducting a
notarial act, are you required to verify the identity of the
persons who appear before you?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Joe has been your next door neighbor for more than 20 years.
Joe misplaced his government issued ID and wants to know if
you would be able to notarize a document for him. Before
performing the notarial act, how could you verify Joe's
identity?
Answer: Through personal knowledge
Question: When reviewing an individual's identification, you should
determine that:
Answer: The signature on their ID matches their signature on the signed document and that
the
individual's physical appearance looks the same as it does on their photo ID.
Question: What reason would someone request an apostille?
Answer: To prove to a foreign government that an official who notarized a document had the
authority to perform the notarial act.
Question: In order to become an e-notary, you must first be a
commissioned notary public?
Answer: Yes, An individual must first be a commissioned notary public and submit an
application
to become an e-notary.
