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California Notary Public Exam Sample Questions and Explanations

No published past questions are available for this exam yet. Instead, here are 10 of our 118 AI-written California Notary Public Exam practice questions, chosen to match the question types that come up most.

The California Notary Public Exam exam covers Administrative Procedures (5), Notarial Acts and Documentation (12), Identification and Subscribing Witness Notarizations (4), Immigration and Foreign Language (4), Misconduct and Fees (15), 40 questions in total. New to 'California notary exam'? Read these first to see what to expect.

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California Notary Public Exam: 10 sample questions

Practice questionReviewedAdministrative Procedures › Commission, Bond, and Oath★★★★☆

Question 1. How long does a California notary public commission last?

  1. ① 5 years
  2. ② 4 years
  3. ③ 2 years
  4. ④ 10 years
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Answer: ② 4 years

Key point: A notary commission lasts 4 years

A California notary public commission lasts four years. To keep working as a notary after that, the notary must apply again before the commission ends.

Wrong choices

  • 5 years: Five years is not the term. A California commission lasts four years.
  • 2 years: Two years is too short. A California commission lasts four years.
  • 10 years: Ten years is far too long. A California commission lasts four years.
Practice questionReviewedNotarial Acts and Documentation › Acknowledgments and Jurats★★★★★

Question 2. In an acknowledgment, what must the signer do?

  1. ① Appear in person and declare to the notary that they signed the document
  2. ② Swear that the contents of the document are true
  3. ③ Sign the document in front of the notary
  4. ④ Mail the signed document to the notary
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Answer: ① Appear in person and declare to the notary that they signed the document

Key point: Acknowledgment: appear and declare you signed

In an acknowledgment, the signer personally appears before the notary, proves identity with satisfactory evidence, and declares that they signed the document. The signer may have signed earlier.

Wrong choices

  • Swear that the contents of the document are true: A sworn statement of truth is part of a jurat, not an acknowledgment.
  • Sign the document in front of the notary: This is required for a jurat, not an acknowledgment.
  • Mail the signed document to the notary: The signer must appear in person; mailing is not allowed.
Practice questionReviewedIdentification and Subscribing Witness Notarizations › Satisfactory Evidence of Identity★★★★★

Question 3. Which ID may a California notary rely on to identify a signer?

  1. ① A California driver's license that is current or was issued within the last five years
  2. ② A library card with the signer's name
  3. ③ A Social Security card
  4. ④ A credit card with the signer's photo
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Answer: ① A California driver's license that is current or was issued within the last five years

Key point: CA driver's license is acceptable ID

A California driver's license or ID card from the DMV is acceptable when it is current or was issued within the last five years.

Wrong choices

  • A library card with the signer's name: A library card is not an acceptable ID.
  • A Social Security card: A Social Security card has no photo or description and is not on the list.
  • A credit card with the signer's photo: A credit card is not on the list of acceptable IDs.
Practice questionReviewedImmigration and Foreign Language › Immigration Documents and Foreign Language Advertising★★★★☆

Question 4. A notary who is not an attorney is asked which immigration form a client should file. What should the notary do?

  1. ① Choose the form but not charge for the advice
  2. ② Recommend the form most people use
  3. ③ Decline to advise and refer the client to an attorney
  4. ④ Choose the form and charge a fee for advice
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Answer: ③ Decline to advise and refer the client to an attorney

Key point: No immigration advice from non-attorneys

A notary who is not a licensed attorney may not give advice about immigration or other legal matters, including which form to file. The client should be referred to an attorney.

Wrong choices

  • Choose the form but not charge for the advice: Free advice is still legal advice.
  • Recommend the form most people use: Recommending a form is legal advice.
  • Choose the form and charge a fee for advice: A non-attorney notary may not give or charge for legal advice.
Practice questionReviewedMisconduct and Fees › Misconduct, Penalties, and Disqualifying Interest★★★★★

Question 5. A notary wants to notarize her own signature on a loan application. May she?

  1. ① Yes, for acknowledgments but not jurats
  2. ② No, a notary may not notarize her own signature
  3. ③ Yes, if another person is present
  4. ④ Yes, if she records it in her journal
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Answer: ② No, a notary may not notarize her own signature

Key point: Never notarize your own signature

A notary may not take the acknowledgment of a document the notary signed, and may not take the notary's own affidavit or deposition.

Wrong choices

  • Yes, for acknowledgments but not jurats: The ban applies to every notarial act on the notary's own signature.
  • Yes, if another person is present: A witness does not make it allowed.
  • Yes, if she records it in her journal: Recording it does not make it allowed.
Practice questionReviewedAdministrative Procedures › Commission, Bond, and Oath★★★★☆

Question 6. What is the amount of the surety bond a California notary public must file?

  1. ① $25,000
  2. ② $5,000
  3. ③ $15,000
  4. ④ $10,000
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Answer: ③ $15,000

Key point: Notary bond is $15,000

Every California notary public must file an official surety bond of $15,000. The bond is issued by a surety company and is filed with the county clerk along with the oath of office.

Wrong choices

  • $25,000: $25,000 is more than the law requires. The bond is $15,000.
  • $5,000: $5,000 is too low. The bond is $15,000.
  • $10,000: $10,000 is not the required amount. The bond is $15,000.
Practice questionReviewedNotarial Acts and Documentation › Acknowledgments and Jurats★★★★★

Question 7. Which notarial act requires the signer to sign in the notary's presence and take an oath or affirmation?

  1. ① An acknowledgment
  2. ② A protest
  3. ③ A certified copy
  4. ④ A jurat
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Answer: ④ A jurat

Key point: Jurat: sign in front + oath

For a jurat, the signer signs in the notary's presence, and the notary administers an oath or affirmation. The notary also identifies the signer with satisfactory evidence.

Wrong choices

  • An acknowledgment: An acknowledgment does not require an oath or signing in front of the notary.
  • A protest: A protest concerns unpaid bills of exchange, not a signer's oath.
  • A certified copy: A certified copy is about copying a document, not about a signer's oath.
Practice questionReviewedIdentification and Subscribing Witness Notarizations › Satisfactory Evidence of Identity★★★★★

Question 8. A signer has no acceptable ID. How many credible witnesses are needed if the witness personally knows both the notary and the signer?

  1. ① Two
  2. ② One
  3. ③ None; the notary may accept the signer's word
  4. ④ Three
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Answer: ② One

Key point: One credible witness if known to notary

One credible witness is enough when the witness personally knows both the notary and the signer, shows acceptable ID, and takes the required oath.

Wrong choices

  • Two: Two credible witnesses are used when they do not personally know the notary.
  • None; the notary may accept the signer's word: Without ID, credible witnesses are required.
  • Three: California never requires three credible witnesses.
Practice questionReviewedImmigration and Foreign Language › Immigration Documents and Foreign Language Advertising★★★★☆

Question 9. Which term may a California notary NOT use in advertising as a translation of "notary public"?

  1. ① Notario publico
  2. ② Mobile notary
  3. ③ Notary signing services
  4. ④ Notary public
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Answer: ① Notario publico

Key point: Never advertise as "notario publico"

California prohibits translating "notary public" into Spanish as "notario publico" or "notario" in advertising.

Wrong choices

  • Mobile notary: This English phrase is not a prohibited translation.
  • Notary signing services: This English phrase is not a prohibited translation.
  • Notary public: This is the correct English title.
Practice questionReviewedMisconduct and Fees › Misconduct, Penalties, and Disqualifying Interest★★★★★

Question 10. A notary who is not an attorney helps a customer decide what to write in a will. What is this?

  1. ① A normal notarial act
  2. ② The unauthorized practice of law
  3. ③ Allowed if the notary records it in the journal
  4. ④ Allowed if the notary charges no fee
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Answer: ② The unauthorized practice of law

Key point: No legal advice from non-attorney notaries

A notary who is not a licensed attorney may not give legal advice or help prepare legal documents such as wills. Doing so is the unauthorized practice of law and can lead to loss of the commission.

Wrong choices

  • A normal notarial act: Helping draft a will is legal work, not a notarial act.
  • Allowed if the notary records it in the journal: Recording it does not make it legal.
  • Allowed if the notary charges no fee: Free legal advice is still unauthorized practice of law.

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10 more questions →California Notary Public Exam exam outline

Unit summaries

Administrative Procedures

Notarial Acts and Documentation

Identification and Subscribing Witness Notarizations

Immigration and Foreign Language

Misconduct and Fees