California Notary Public Study Guide 2026

How to become a California notary

The California Secretary of State grants notary public commissions. A notary is a public officer who checks the identity of people who sign documents, takes acknowledgments and gives oaths. A notary does not decide whether a document is true, legal or fair.

Who can apply

• You must be at least 18. There is no maximum age in the statute.
• You must be a legal California resident.
• You must complete a course approved by the Secretary of State.
• You must pass the written exam.
• You must pass a background check with fingerprints.

The steps in order

1. Complete the approved education course and get your Proof of Completion certificate.
2. Register for the exam with CPS HR Consulting.
3. Take the exam. Bring your application, your Proof of Completion, a passport-style color photo and photo ID.
4. After you pass, get fingerprinted for the background check.
5. Wait for your commission packet from the Secretary of State.
6. File your oath and bond with the county clerk within 30 calendar days of the start of your term.
7. Buy your seal and journal.

You must tell the Secretary of State about all convictions and any arrest with a trial pending. This includes convictions that a court later dismissed. Failing to disclose a conviction is itself a reason the state may deny the application.

Education and the exam

Education

A Proof of Completion certificate is valid for two years from the date it was issued. If you do not pass the exam before it expires, you must take the six-hour course again.

The exam

• The exam has 45 multiple-choice items. Five of them are not scored. They are tried out for future exams.
• You have one hour.
• It is closed book and run by proctors.
• You need a scaled score of at least 70. Scores run from 0 to 100 and are not percentages.
• You may test only once in a calendar month.
• CPS HR Consulting sends your results after the exam.
• A passing result is valid for one year from the exam date.

Every part of the current handbook can be tested. Read it more than once, and learn the key numbers in this guide.

Commission, oath and bond

A commission lasts four years. It starts on the date shown on the commission. It does not take effect until you file your oath and bond.

• File the oath and bond within 30 calendar days of the start of your term. The handbook says no exceptions are made.
• File them with the county clerk in the county of the principal place of business shown on your application.
• The bond is a $15,000 surety bond.
• The bond protects the public. It is not insurance for you. You can still be personally liable for harm you cause.

Changes during your commission

• Address change: tell the Secretary of State in writing within 30 days, by certified mail or another method that gives a receipt.
• Name change: send a name change form. After the amended commission arrives, file an amended oath and bond within 30 days, and get a new seal.

Employers

An employer may pay for your commission, bond, seal and supplies under an agreement. That employer may limit your notary work to its own business transactions. Your seal and journal still belong to you.

The notary seal

Government Code section 8207 sets the rules for the seal. The impression must be photographically reproducible, so it shows clearly on a copy.

• Keep the seal under your direct and exclusive control.
• Do not give it to your employer when you leave a job, even if the employer paid for it.
• If it is lost or stolen, tell the Secretary of State immediately.
• When your commission ends, destroy the seal.

The journal of notarial acts

Government Code section 8206 requires a journal. You may keep only one active sequential journal at a time. Keep it in a locked and secured area that only you control.

What each entry includes

• Date, time and type of notarial act
• The kind of document, such as a grant deed or affidavit
• The signature of each person whose signature you notarize
• How you identified the signer, including the ID type, issuing agency, number and date
• The fee you charged, even if it was nothing

Thumbprints

For a deed, quitclaim deed, deed of trust, any other document affecting real property, or a power of attorney, the signer puts a right thumbprint in the journal. If the right thumb is not available, use the left thumb or another finger and write down which one. If no print is possible, note why.

Lost, seized and finished journals

The journal is your property, even if your employer paid for it. Willfully failing to keep the journal or seal properly is a misdemeanor.

Proving who the signer is

Civil Code section 1185 requires satisfactory evidence of identity. Knowing someone personally is not enough on its own, even if you have known them for years.

Identity documents

The ID must be current or issued within the past five years. The handbook lists two groups.

• A California driver license or DMV ID card
• A U.S. passport. The passport card also counts.
• Certain inmate ID cards issued by the state prison system or a sheriff
• Other documents, such as a foreign passport, an out-of-state or Canadian or Mexican driver license, a U.S. military ID, or a tribal ID. These must show a photo, a physical description, a signature and an ID number.

Credible witnesses

If the signer has no acceptable ID, credible witnesses may vouch for them under oath.

• One credible witness is enough only if you personally know the witness and they show ID.
• If you do not know the witnesses, you need two, and each shows ID.
• A witness swears that the signer is the person named, that getting other ID would be very hard, and that the witness has no financial interest and is not named in the document.

Acknowledgments, jurats and other acts

Both certificates must use the wording set by law. That includes a boxed notice at the top. It says the notary verifies only the identity of the signer, not the truth or validity of the document. Complete the certificate fully when you sign and seal it. You sign an acknowledgment certificate under penalty of perjury.

The law sets no exact oath words. A simple example is asking whether the signer swears or affirms that the statements in the document are true.

Other acts

• Proof by a subscribing witness: a person who saw the principal sign appears instead of the principal. It cannot be used for powers of attorney, deeds of trust, mortgages, most grant deeds, quitclaim deeds, other real property documents or anything needing a thumbprint.
• Certified copy of a power of attorney: compare the copy with the original and certify that it is true and correct.
• Vital records: you cannot certify copies of birth, death or marriage records.
• Signature by mark: two witnesses sign their own names on the document. In the journal, one witness writes the signer's name next to the mark and signs.

What a notary must not do

• Do not notarize without personal appearance. A mailed document or a video call does not count. Remote online notarization is not yet available in California.
• Do not notarize a document that is incomplete or has blanks that should be filled in.
• Do not act when you have a direct financial or beneficial interest, such as being named as a principal in a financial deal or a party to a property transaction. Relatives are allowed if you have no such interest.
• Do not give legal advice or choose legal forms for people. Refer them to an attorney.
• Do not advertise as an immigration consultant or specialist.
• If you are not an attorney, do not translate Notary Public as notario publico or notario. Ads in another language need the notices required by law.
• Do not charge more than the maximum fee set by Government Code section 8211. You may charge less or nothing.
• Do not use an interpreter. If you cannot talk directly with the signer, refer them to a notary who speaks their language.

Penalties

The Secretary of State may deny, suspend or revoke a commission for misconduct. Examples include overcharging, failing to complete a certificate when you seal it, and not disclosing convictions. Willfully stating a false fact on an acknowledgment brings a civil penalty and is also a crime. A notary can also be personally liable for damages.

Study tips

• Read the current handbook from start to finish. Every part can be tested.
• Make a list of every time limit: 30 calendar days, 30 days, 10 days, 15 business days, one year and two years.
• Know the difference between an acknowledgment and a jurat. It is one of the most tested ideas.
• Learn which documents need a thumbprint and which cannot use a subscribing witness.
• Practice until you score well above 70 on these practice sets, then review your weak topics.