California Notary Public Exam Practice Test 2026: Practice test 2

1. Question 1 of 25

   How many active notary journals may you keep at one time?

   • ATwo, one for work and one for personal
   • BOne for each employer
   • COne sequential journal
   • DAs many as you need
   Show answer

   Answer: C. One sequential journal

   Government Code section 8206 allows only one active sequential journal at a time.

2. Question 2 of 25

   Where must you keep your notary journal?

   • AIn a locked, secured place only you control
   • BIn an unlocked desk drawer at your workplace
   • CWith your employer's records clerk for safekeeping
   • DAt the county clerk's office between appointments
   Show answer

   Answer: A. In a locked, secured place only you control

   The journal must be kept in a locked and secured area that only the notary controls.

3. Question 3 of 25

   Which is a required entry in the notary journal?

   • AThe signature of each signer
   • BA summary of the document's legal effect
   • CThe signer's employer and job title
   • DThe signer's Social Security number
   Show answer

   Answer: A. The signature of each signer

   Each entry records the date, time, type of act, character of the document, each signer's signature, how identity was proven and the fee charged.

4. Question 4 of 25

   You notarize a deed of trust. What must the signer place in your journal?

   • ATheir home phone number
   • BA sketch of the property
   • CA copy of their bank statement
   • DTheir right thumbprint
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Their right thumbprint

   For deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, other real property documents and powers of attorney, the signer leaves a right thumbprint in the journal.

5. Question 5 of 25

   A signer of a power of attorney has no right thumb. What should you do?

   • AUse the left thumb or another finger and note which
   • BSkip the thumbprint and write nothing about it in the journal
   • CRefuse the notarization in every case, with no exceptions
   • DTake the thumbprint of a credible witness and note it instead
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Use the left thumb or another finger and note which

   If the right thumb is not available, the notary takes the left thumb or another finger and notes which one was used.

6. Question 6 of 25

   Do you need a journal entry when you charge no fee for a notarization?

   • AYes, every notarial act needs a journal entry
   • BNo, only paid acts are recorded
   • COnly for acts done at a bank
   • DOnly if the signer asks for one
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Yes, every notarial act needs a journal entry

   A notary may charge less than the maximum or nothing at all, but the journal entry is still required.

7. Question 7 of 25

   Your journal is lost. How should you notify the Secretary of State?

   • ABy posting a notice online and in a local newspaper
   • BNo notice is needed if you start a new journal
   • CBy phone call to the Secretary of State within one year
   • DImmediately, by a mail method that gives a receipt
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Immediately, by a mail method that gives a receipt

   Government Code section 8206 requires immediate notice of a lost or stolen journal using a delivery method that gives a receipt.

8. Question 8 of 25

   A peace officer takes your journal under the law. Within how many days must you notify the Secretary of State?

   • A24 hours
   • B90 days
   • C30 days
   • D10 days
   Show answer

   Answer: D. 10 days

   When a peace officer seizes the journal, the notary must notify the Secretary of State within 10 days and get a new journal.

9. Question 9 of 25

   Your commission ends and you do not renew. What must you do with your journals?

   • AKeep them at home for 10 years, then shred them
   • BShred them right away to protect signers' privacy
   • CGive them to your last employer within 30 days
   • DGive them to the county clerk within 30 days
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Give them to the county clerk within 30 days

   Government Code section 8209 requires the journals to go to the county clerk within 30 days, and willful failure is a misdemeanor.

10. Question 10 of 25

    A member of the public sends a written request for a copy of one journal entry. How soon must you respond?

    • AYou may ignore the request
    • BWithin 24 hours
    • CWithin 90 days
    • DWithin 15 business days
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Within 15 business days

    The notary must reply within 15 business days with a copy of the line item or a statement that no such entry exists.

11. Question 11 of 25

    Your employer paid for your journal. Who owns it?

    • AThe employer
    • BYou, the notary
    • CThe Secretary of State
    • DThe county clerk
    Show answer

    Answer: B. You, the notary

    The journal is the notary's exclusive property even when the employer paid for it, and it cannot be surrendered to the employer.

12. Question 12 of 25

    What is the result of willfully failing to keep your journal and seal under your control?

    • AIt extends the commission term
    • BThere is no penalty
    • CIt is a misdemeanor
    • DIt is only a warning letter
    Show answer

    Answer: C. It is a misdemeanor

    Government Code section 8228.1 makes willful failure to properly keep the journal or seal a misdemeanor.

13. Question 13 of 25

    You have known a neighbor for 20 years. Can you rely on that alone to identify them?

    • AYes, personal knowledge of the signer is enough on its own
    • BYes, if they bring a utility bill
    • CYes, if you write a note in the journal
    • DNo, you still need satisfactory evidence of identity
    Show answer

    Answer: D. No, you still need satisfactory evidence of identity

    The handbook says personal knowledge alone is not enough, so even a long-time neighbor must be identified with satisfactory evidence.

14. Question 14 of 25

    A California driver license used as identification must be current or issued within how many years?

    • AOne year
    • BTwenty years
    • CFive years
    • DTen years
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Five years

    Under Civil Code section 1185, the listed identity documents must be current or issued within the past five years.

15. Question 15 of 25

    Is a U.S. passport card acceptable identification for a notarization?

    • ANo, only the passport book counts as identification
    • BOnly if it is shown together with a birth certificate
    • CYes, it is treated the same as a passport book
    • DOnly for jurats, not for acknowledgments
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Yes, it is treated the same as a passport book

    The Secretary of State says the Civil Code does not tell a passport book apart from a passport card, so both are acceptable.

16. Question 16 of 25

    An out-of-state driver license is offered as identification. What must it contain?

    • AOnly a photo and the holder's full legal name
    • BA notary seal or stamp from the state that issued it
    • CA barcode, a home address and an expiry date
    • DA photo, description, signature and ID number
    Show answer

    Answer: D. A photo, description, signature and ID number

    Documents such as out-of-state licenses must include a photograph, a description, a signature and a serial or identifying number.

17. Question 17 of 25

    What should you write in the journal about the ID a signer showed?

    • AIts type, issuer, serial number and issue or expiry date
    • BOnly the word 'verified' and the date you checked it
    • CNothing, as long as you checked the photo against the signer
    • DThe signer's height, weight, eye color and home address
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Its type, issuer, serial number and issue or expiry date

    The journal records the identity document type, who issued it, its serial number and its date of issue or expiration.

18. Question 18 of 25

    When may a single credible witness identify a signer?

    • AWhen the witness is a person named in the document itself
    • BWhen the witness is the signer's own lawyer or legal adviser
    • CWhen the witness is any adult who is present in the room
    • DWhen the notary personally knows the witness, who shows ID
    Show answer

    Answer: D. When the notary personally knows the witness, who shows ID

    One credible witness is enough only if the notary personally knows that witness, who must also present identification.

19. Question 19 of 25

    You do not personally know either of the credible witnesses. How many do you need?

    • AOne
    • BNone, the signer can swear alone
    • CTwo
    • DThree
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Two

    When the notary does not know the witnesses, two credible witnesses are needed, each identified with satisfactory ID.

20. Question 20 of 25

    Which person may NOT act as a credible witness for a signer?

    • AA co-worker of the signer
    • BA neighbor of the signer
    • CA person named in the document
    • DA friend who has known the signer for years
    Show answer

    Answer: C. A person named in the document

    A credible witness must swear they have no financial interest in the document and are not named in it.

21. Question 21 of 25

    What must a credible witness do before vouching for a signer?

    • ASign the document as one of the parties to it
    • BPay a witness fee to the notary before the act
    • CBring a signed letter from the signer's employer
    • DSwear or affirm under penalty of perjury
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Swear or affirm under penalty of perjury

    Credible witnesses swear under penalty of perjury that the signer is who they claim to be and that other ID is very hard to get.

22. Question 22 of 25

    In an acknowledgment, what does the notary certify?

    • AThe signer appeared, was identified and admitted signing
    • BThat the notary prepared or wrote the document
    • CThat the signer read and understood every page of it
    • DThat the document is true and legally valid in California
    Show answer

    Answer: A. The signer appeared, was identified and admitted signing

    Under Civil Code section 1189, an acknowledgment confirms personal appearance, identity and the signer's statement that they signed.

23. Question 23 of 25

    A signer signed a deed at home yesterday and brings it to you today. Can you take an acknowledgment?

    • AOnly if the signature is in blue ink
    • BYes, even if a relative brings it in on the signer's behalf
    • CNo, the document must always be signed in front of you
    • DYes, if the signer appears and says they signed it
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Yes, if the signer appears and says they signed it

    For an acknowledgment, the document may be signed before the visit, but the signer must personally appear before the notary.

24. Question 24 of 25

    Under what penalty does a notary complete an acknowledgment certificate?

    • AOnly a fine set by the employer
    • BPenalty of perjury
    • CNo penalty at all
    • DLoss of the bond only
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Penalty of perjury

    Civil Code section 1189 requires the notary to sign the acknowledgment certificate under penalty of perjury.

25. Question 25 of 25

    When must the acknowledgment certificate be fully completed?

    • ABefore the signer arrives
    • BWhenever the signer asks for it
    • CAt the time the notary signs and seals it
    • DWithin 30 days after the notarization
    Show answer

    Answer: C. At the time the notary signs and seals it

    The certificate must be complete when the seal and signature are put on it, and failing to do so is a ground for discipline.

Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.

The real test: A scaled score of at least 70 (scores run from 0 to 100 and are not percentages). 5 of the 45 items are unscored.