CALIFORNIA NOTARY PUBLIC EXAM COMPREHENSIVE
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026 || GRADED A+
Which of the following items must be filed with the county clerk's office:
A.) An application for name change.
B.) An application for change of business or residence address.
C.) An application for appointment.
D.) A request for approval to notarize confidential marriages. - CORRECT ANSWER -
D.) A request for approval to notarize confidential marriages.
A, B and C are filed with the Secretary of State's office.
If a notary is notarizing loan documents and the lender has pre-printed the Borrowers' names
on the notarial certificates contained within the loan documents, which of the following
statements is true:
A.) The notary may be prosecuted for fraud if he strikes, from a notarial certificate, the name of
a signer who did not personally appear before him.
B.) The Secretary of State may suspend the notary's commission if the notary affixes his seal to
an acknowledgment certificate that is not completely filled out in the notary's own handwriting.
C.) The notary will not be subject to civil penalties if he signs each acknowledgment certificate
in his own handwriting.
D.) The notary may back-date the acknowledgment certificates if the borrowers actually signed
the loan documents the previous day. - CORRECT ANSWER - C.) The notary will not
be subject to civil penalties if he signs each acknowledgment certificate in his own handwriting.
A notary must sign each notarial certificate in his own handwriting. If another person signs a
notary's name to a notarial certificate, that person may be guilty of forgery.
Which of the following statements is true:
,A.) If a notary resigns his commission, the notary shall deliver his books and records to the
Secretary of State's office via certified mail within 30 days.
B.) If a notary resigns his commission, the notary shall deliver his books and records to the
county clerk's office where his oath and bond are on file within 30 days.
C.) If a notary appointed to a military reservation has his employment there terminated, the
notary shall notify the Secretary of State's office within 30 days of such termination.
D.) If a notary requests a duplicate seal certificate from the Secretary of State's office because
his seal was rendered unworkable, the Secretary of State shall send the notary a new seal
certificate of authorization within 30 days of receipt. - CORRECT ANSWER - B.) If a
notary resigns his commission, the notary shall deliver his books and records to the county
clerk's office where his oath and bond are on file within 30 days.
Notarial books and records must be delivered to the county clerk's office within 30 days. C is not
true because the COMMANDING OFFICER, not the notary, must notify the Secretary of State. D
is not true because the Secretary of State sends the new certificate of authorization within 5
days, not 30 days.
The Secretary of State's office need not be notified of which of the following:
A.) Immediately when a notary's journal and/or seal are lost or stolen.
B.) Within 30 days of a notary's change of business or residence address.
C.) Immediately when a notary's biometric thumbprint pad is stolen.
D.) Within 10 days if the notary relinquishes his journal to a peace officer. - CORRECT
ANSWER - C.) Immediately when a notary's biometric thumbprint pad is stolen.
A principal executes a trustee's deed and requests a subscribing witness present the document
for notarization. The notary personally knows a credible witness who is used to properly identify
the subscribing witness. Who must sign the notary's journal? - CORRECT ANSWER -
The subscribing witness.
The subcribing witness must sign the notary's journal. The credible witness can either sign the
notary's journal or have his ID information recorded in the journal.
, Sue is a notary public who works for a private employer during the day and provides mobile
notary services in the evening. If Sue notarizes one signature and provides the signer with a
certificate of acknowledgment, which of the following is true:
A.) Under all circumstances the notary must charge $10 per signature.
B.) The signer must pay the required fee for the notarization even if the fee charged is less than
the maximum fee allowed by law.
C.) The signer may be liable for damages if he is not charged the maximum fee for notarial
services allowed by law.
D.) The notary may be liable for damages if she does not charge the maximum fee allowed by
law. - CORRECT ANSWER - B.) The signer must pay the required fee for the
notarization even if the fee charged is less than the maximum fee allowed by law.
A notary working for a private employer is not required to always charge the maximum fees
allowed for notarial services: She may charge zero if she chooses. The signer must always pay
the required fee for notarization, even if the fee is zero, and as long as it does not exceed the
maximum notary fees allowed by law.
If the notary's journal is destroyed, the notary must: - CORRECT ANSWER -
Immediately notify the Secretary of State and start a new journal.
The notary must IMMEDIATELY notify the SECRETARY OF STATE's office and start a new journal.
If a notary public works for a private employer, the notary may not do which of the following:
A.) Allow other employees to use the notary's journal and seal.
B.) Provide copies of journal entries related to the employers business.
C.) Notarize voting materials for a public election.
D.) Notarize documents in which the employer is a party to the contract. - CORRECT
ANSWER - A.) Allow other employees to use the notary's journal and seal.
A notary may only use his own journal and seal. A notary may not use another notary's journal
and/or seal and he may not allow another notary (or non-notary) to use his journal and/or seal.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026 || GRADED A+
Which of the following items must be filed with the county clerk's office:
A.) An application for name change.
B.) An application for change of business or residence address.
C.) An application for appointment.
D.) A request for approval to notarize confidential marriages. - CORRECT ANSWER -
D.) A request for approval to notarize confidential marriages.
A, B and C are filed with the Secretary of State's office.
If a notary is notarizing loan documents and the lender has pre-printed the Borrowers' names
on the notarial certificates contained within the loan documents, which of the following
statements is true:
A.) The notary may be prosecuted for fraud if he strikes, from a notarial certificate, the name of
a signer who did not personally appear before him.
B.) The Secretary of State may suspend the notary's commission if the notary affixes his seal to
an acknowledgment certificate that is not completely filled out in the notary's own handwriting.
C.) The notary will not be subject to civil penalties if he signs each acknowledgment certificate
in his own handwriting.
D.) The notary may back-date the acknowledgment certificates if the borrowers actually signed
the loan documents the previous day. - CORRECT ANSWER - C.) The notary will not
be subject to civil penalties if he signs each acknowledgment certificate in his own handwriting.
A notary must sign each notarial certificate in his own handwriting. If another person signs a
notary's name to a notarial certificate, that person may be guilty of forgery.
Which of the following statements is true:
,A.) If a notary resigns his commission, the notary shall deliver his books and records to the
Secretary of State's office via certified mail within 30 days.
B.) If a notary resigns his commission, the notary shall deliver his books and records to the
county clerk's office where his oath and bond are on file within 30 days.
C.) If a notary appointed to a military reservation has his employment there terminated, the
notary shall notify the Secretary of State's office within 30 days of such termination.
D.) If a notary requests a duplicate seal certificate from the Secretary of State's office because
his seal was rendered unworkable, the Secretary of State shall send the notary a new seal
certificate of authorization within 30 days of receipt. - CORRECT ANSWER - B.) If a
notary resigns his commission, the notary shall deliver his books and records to the county
clerk's office where his oath and bond are on file within 30 days.
Notarial books and records must be delivered to the county clerk's office within 30 days. C is not
true because the COMMANDING OFFICER, not the notary, must notify the Secretary of State. D
is not true because the Secretary of State sends the new certificate of authorization within 5
days, not 30 days.
The Secretary of State's office need not be notified of which of the following:
A.) Immediately when a notary's journal and/or seal are lost or stolen.
B.) Within 30 days of a notary's change of business or residence address.
C.) Immediately when a notary's biometric thumbprint pad is stolen.
D.) Within 10 days if the notary relinquishes his journal to a peace officer. - CORRECT
ANSWER - C.) Immediately when a notary's biometric thumbprint pad is stolen.
A principal executes a trustee's deed and requests a subscribing witness present the document
for notarization. The notary personally knows a credible witness who is used to properly identify
the subscribing witness. Who must sign the notary's journal? - CORRECT ANSWER -
The subscribing witness.
The subcribing witness must sign the notary's journal. The credible witness can either sign the
notary's journal or have his ID information recorded in the journal.
, Sue is a notary public who works for a private employer during the day and provides mobile
notary services in the evening. If Sue notarizes one signature and provides the signer with a
certificate of acknowledgment, which of the following is true:
A.) Under all circumstances the notary must charge $10 per signature.
B.) The signer must pay the required fee for the notarization even if the fee charged is less than
the maximum fee allowed by law.
C.) The signer may be liable for damages if he is not charged the maximum fee for notarial
services allowed by law.
D.) The notary may be liable for damages if she does not charge the maximum fee allowed by
law. - CORRECT ANSWER - B.) The signer must pay the required fee for the
notarization even if the fee charged is less than the maximum fee allowed by law.
A notary working for a private employer is not required to always charge the maximum fees
allowed for notarial services: She may charge zero if she chooses. The signer must always pay
the required fee for notarization, even if the fee is zero, and as long as it does not exceed the
maximum notary fees allowed by law.
If the notary's journal is destroyed, the notary must: - CORRECT ANSWER -
Immediately notify the Secretary of State and start a new journal.
The notary must IMMEDIATELY notify the SECRETARY OF STATE's office and start a new journal.
If a notary public works for a private employer, the notary may not do which of the following:
A.) Allow other employees to use the notary's journal and seal.
B.) Provide copies of journal entries related to the employers business.
C.) Notarize voting materials for a public election.
D.) Notarize documents in which the employer is a party to the contract. - CORRECT
ANSWER - A.) Allow other employees to use the notary's journal and seal.
A notary may only use his own journal and seal. A notary may not use another notary's journal
and/or seal and he may not allow another notary (or non-notary) to use his journal and/or seal.
