NYS Notary Public Actual Exam
2026/2027 | Verified Questions
New York State Department of State (NYSDOS) |
Verified Q&A | Professional Notary Public Candidates
40 Verified Questions | Official NYSDOS Notary Public Written Examination Blueprint |
2026/2027
Introduction
This document presents forty (40) original, verified questions developed for notary
public candidates working toward the official New York State Department of State
(NYSDOS) Notary Public written examination in the 2026/2027 cycle. The official
written examination consists of 40 questions administered in 60 minutes, and a score of
at least 70 percent, that is, 28 correct responses, is required for appointment. The
questions that follow are organized into four domains: Notarial Acts and Procedures;
New York State Notary Law and Regulations; Identification and Verification of Signers;
and Ethical Guidelines and Recordkeeping. Each question and its rationale is grounded
in the current New York State Executive Law, Article 15 (Sections 130 through 142-a), the
regulations of the New York State Department of State at 19 NYCRR Part 182, the Real
Property Law acknowledgment provisions, and the official NYSDOS Notary Public
License Law publication, so candidates encounter the same statutory and regulatory
principles that appear on the actual examination. This content is original and is designed
to reinforce the official NYSDOS examination objectives, strengthen legal and procedural
mastery, and build the professional competency expected of notary public certification
candidates in New York State.
Domain: Notarial Acts and Procedures
1. Which statement most accurately describes the notarial act of taking an
acknowledgment?
A. The notary certifies that the contents of the document are true and legally valid.
B. The notary administers an oath and swears the signer to the truth of every
statement in the document.
C. The signer personally appears before the notary and declares that he or she
signed the instrument freely, for the purposes stated in it.
D. The notary guarantees the identity and legal capacity of every person named in
the document.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: An acknowledgment is a declaration by a person who personally appears
before the notary that he or she executed the instrument and did so voluntarily. Under
Real Property Law Section 303 and NYSDOS guidance, the notary must know or have
satisfactory evidence that the person appearing is the person described in, and who
NYS Notary Public Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
,executed, the instrument, but the notary does not certify the truth, legality, or validity
of the document's contents. The statutory acknowledgment form used in New York
records this declaration of voluntary execution, not a certification of content.
2. A jurat differs from an acknowledgment primarily because the jurat
requires the signer to —
A. sign the document in the notary's presence and swear or affirm that the contents
are true
B. present two forms of identification to the notary
C. have the document recorded with the county clerk before appearing
D. pay the notarial fee before the certificate is filled in
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The jurat is the certificate attached to an affidavit or sworn statement; it
states that the document was subscribed, that is, signed, before the notary and that the
signer made oath or affirmation as to the truth of its contents. An acknowledgment, by
contrast, certifies that the signer appeared and acknowledged execution of an
instrument that may already bear the signature. Executive Law Section 135 empowers
notaries to administer oaths and affirmations and to take affidavits, and the jurat form
records the signer's oath or affirmation.
3. An affirmation administered by a notary public has the same legal force
as an oath and is appropriate when the declarant —
A. does not have a government-issued identification document
B. prefers that the act not be recorded in the notarial journal
C. wishes to avoid the penalties for false statements
D. conscientiously declines to take an oath
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: New York law treats an affirmation as the legal equivalent of an oath. The
official NYSDOS Notary Public License Law publication provides an affirmation form,
“Do you solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the statements made by
you are true and correct?”, for persons who conscientiously decline to swear. A false
statement made under affirmation carries the same consequences as a false statement
made under oath, and the act must still be recorded in the notarial journal.
4. The venue in a notarial certificate identifies the —
A. address of the signer's employer
B. county and state where the notarial act was performed
C. location where the document will be recorded
D. expiration date of the notary's commission
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The venue is the geographical heading of the certificate, for example “State
of New York, County of Albany,” and it states where the notarial act took place.
Executive Law Section 137 requires the notary to include the venue of the act as part of
the certificate, and the certificate must accurately reflect the county and state in which
the notary and the signer were located when the act was performed.
NYS Notary Public Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
, 5. A member of the public asks a notary to certify a copy of a birth certificate
as a “true copy.” Under New York law and NYSDOS guidance, the notary —
A. may do so if the original is presented at the same time
B. may do so for an additional fee of $2.00
C. may do so if the request is made in writing
D. has no authority to certify copies of public records such as birth certificates
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: New York notaries have no authority to issue certified copies of public
records. Birth certificates, marriage licenses, diplomas, court documents, and similar
records may be certified only by the public official who has custody of the original. A
notary who certifies a copy of such a record exceeds the authority granted under
Executive Law Section 135 and may face disciplinary action. A document custodian
may, however, sign and swear to a statement about a copy before a notary.
6. A signer appears before a notary holding a deed that she signed at home
the previous day and asks the notary to take her acknowledgment. The
notary —
A. may take the acknowledgment, because an acknowledgment confirms execution
of an instrument that may already be signed
B. must refuse, because the signature was not made in the notary's presence
C. must require the signer to re-sign the document in the presence of two witnesses
D. may take the acknowledgment only if the document was drafted by an attorney
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: For an acknowledgment, the signature does not have to be made in the
notary's presence; the signer appears and acknowledges that the signature on the
instrument is his or her own and was made voluntarily. The personal-appearance
requirement attaches to the acknowledgment itself. This differs from a jurat, which
does require the signature to be subscribed in the notary's presence before the oath or
affirmation is administered.
7. A document presented for notarization contains several blank spaces that
have not been filled in. The notary should —
A. fill in the blank spaces and then notarize the document
B. notarize the document and note the blanks in the journal entry
C. refuse to notarize the document until all blank spaces have been properly filled
in
D. notarize only the pages that contain no blank spaces
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A notary must never notarize a document that contains blank spaces,
because a blank document could later be altered or put to an unintended use. The
signer must present a fully filled-in instrument, and the notary should satisfy himself
or herself that the document is ready for execution. Filling in blanks for a signer, or
certifying an instrument that is not fully filled in, violates the notary's duty of care and
may expose the notary to liability and disciplinary action.
NYS Notary Public Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
2026/2027 | Verified Questions
New York State Department of State (NYSDOS) |
Verified Q&A | Professional Notary Public Candidates
40 Verified Questions | Official NYSDOS Notary Public Written Examination Blueprint |
2026/2027
Introduction
This document presents forty (40) original, verified questions developed for notary
public candidates working toward the official New York State Department of State
(NYSDOS) Notary Public written examination in the 2026/2027 cycle. The official
written examination consists of 40 questions administered in 60 minutes, and a score of
at least 70 percent, that is, 28 correct responses, is required for appointment. The
questions that follow are organized into four domains: Notarial Acts and Procedures;
New York State Notary Law and Regulations; Identification and Verification of Signers;
and Ethical Guidelines and Recordkeeping. Each question and its rationale is grounded
in the current New York State Executive Law, Article 15 (Sections 130 through 142-a), the
regulations of the New York State Department of State at 19 NYCRR Part 182, the Real
Property Law acknowledgment provisions, and the official NYSDOS Notary Public
License Law publication, so candidates encounter the same statutory and regulatory
principles that appear on the actual examination. This content is original and is designed
to reinforce the official NYSDOS examination objectives, strengthen legal and procedural
mastery, and build the professional competency expected of notary public certification
candidates in New York State.
Domain: Notarial Acts and Procedures
1. Which statement most accurately describes the notarial act of taking an
acknowledgment?
A. The notary certifies that the contents of the document are true and legally valid.
B. The notary administers an oath and swears the signer to the truth of every
statement in the document.
C. The signer personally appears before the notary and declares that he or she
signed the instrument freely, for the purposes stated in it.
D. The notary guarantees the identity and legal capacity of every person named in
the document.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: An acknowledgment is a declaration by a person who personally appears
before the notary that he or she executed the instrument and did so voluntarily. Under
Real Property Law Section 303 and NYSDOS guidance, the notary must know or have
satisfactory evidence that the person appearing is the person described in, and who
NYS Notary Public Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
,executed, the instrument, but the notary does not certify the truth, legality, or validity
of the document's contents. The statutory acknowledgment form used in New York
records this declaration of voluntary execution, not a certification of content.
2. A jurat differs from an acknowledgment primarily because the jurat
requires the signer to —
A. sign the document in the notary's presence and swear or affirm that the contents
are true
B. present two forms of identification to the notary
C. have the document recorded with the county clerk before appearing
D. pay the notarial fee before the certificate is filled in
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The jurat is the certificate attached to an affidavit or sworn statement; it
states that the document was subscribed, that is, signed, before the notary and that the
signer made oath or affirmation as to the truth of its contents. An acknowledgment, by
contrast, certifies that the signer appeared and acknowledged execution of an
instrument that may already bear the signature. Executive Law Section 135 empowers
notaries to administer oaths and affirmations and to take affidavits, and the jurat form
records the signer's oath or affirmation.
3. An affirmation administered by a notary public has the same legal force
as an oath and is appropriate when the declarant —
A. does not have a government-issued identification document
B. prefers that the act not be recorded in the notarial journal
C. wishes to avoid the penalties for false statements
D. conscientiously declines to take an oath
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: New York law treats an affirmation as the legal equivalent of an oath. The
official NYSDOS Notary Public License Law publication provides an affirmation form,
“Do you solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the statements made by
you are true and correct?”, for persons who conscientiously decline to swear. A false
statement made under affirmation carries the same consequences as a false statement
made under oath, and the act must still be recorded in the notarial journal.
4. The venue in a notarial certificate identifies the —
A. address of the signer's employer
B. county and state where the notarial act was performed
C. location where the document will be recorded
D. expiration date of the notary's commission
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The venue is the geographical heading of the certificate, for example “State
of New York, County of Albany,” and it states where the notarial act took place.
Executive Law Section 137 requires the notary to include the venue of the act as part of
the certificate, and the certificate must accurately reflect the county and state in which
the notary and the signer were located when the act was performed.
NYS Notary Public Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
, 5. A member of the public asks a notary to certify a copy of a birth certificate
as a “true copy.” Under New York law and NYSDOS guidance, the notary —
A. may do so if the original is presented at the same time
B. may do so for an additional fee of $2.00
C. may do so if the request is made in writing
D. has no authority to certify copies of public records such as birth certificates
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: New York notaries have no authority to issue certified copies of public
records. Birth certificates, marriage licenses, diplomas, court documents, and similar
records may be certified only by the public official who has custody of the original. A
notary who certifies a copy of such a record exceeds the authority granted under
Executive Law Section 135 and may face disciplinary action. A document custodian
may, however, sign and swear to a statement about a copy before a notary.
6. A signer appears before a notary holding a deed that she signed at home
the previous day and asks the notary to take her acknowledgment. The
notary —
A. may take the acknowledgment, because an acknowledgment confirms execution
of an instrument that may already be signed
B. must refuse, because the signature was not made in the notary's presence
C. must require the signer to re-sign the document in the presence of two witnesses
D. may take the acknowledgment only if the document was drafted by an attorney
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: For an acknowledgment, the signature does not have to be made in the
notary's presence; the signer appears and acknowledges that the signature on the
instrument is his or her own and was made voluntarily. The personal-appearance
requirement attaches to the acknowledgment itself. This differs from a jurat, which
does require the signature to be subscribed in the notary's presence before the oath or
affirmation is administered.
7. A document presented for notarization contains several blank spaces that
have not been filled in. The notary should —
A. fill in the blank spaces and then notarize the document
B. notarize the document and note the blanks in the journal entry
C. refuse to notarize the document until all blank spaces have been properly filled
in
D. notarize only the pages that contain no blank spaces
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A notary must never notarize a document that contains blank spaces,
because a blank document could later be altered or put to an unintended use. The
signer must present a fully filled-in instrument, and the notary should satisfy himself
or herself that the document is ready for execution. Filling in blanks for a signer, or
certifying an instrument that is not fully filled in, violates the notary's duty of care and
may expose the notary to liability and disciplinary action.
NYS Notary Public Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
