CALIFORNIA NOTARY PUBLIC FINAL
STUDY GUIDE 2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ Suppose that you are notarizing a document for a friend who you have
known since childhood. Which of the following is not necessary to
include in the journal:
A. The serial number of an identifying document presented
B. Notary fee (since you are not going to charge your friend)
C. A form of ID (since you know the person)
D. The length of time you have known your friend. Answer: D. The
length of time you have known your friend
⩥ In almost all of the notarial certificates the notary public completes,
there will be a venue heading such as "State of California, County of
___________." The county named is
A. where the notary's oath and bond are on file
B. the notary's official business address
C. where the signer appeared personally before the notary
D. the notary's geographical jurisdiction. Answer: C. where the signer
appeared personally before the notary
,⩥ Inmate identification is an acceptable form of identification for proof
of the identity of a credible witness or an individual who executes a
written instrument provided
A. (**) The inmate is in custody in a local detention facility.
B. Both (*) and (**)
C. None of the above and/or below answers
D. (*) The inmate identification is current or has been issued within 5
years by a sheriff's department. Answer: B. Both (*) and (**)
⩥ An acknowledgment
A. proves that the signer signed the document in the presence of the
notary public
B. proves that the signer personally appeared before the notary public
and acknowledged signing the document
C. proves that the signer acknowledged signing the document
D. proves that the signer personally appeared before the notary public.
Answer: B. proves that the signer personally appeared before the notary
public and acknowledged signing the document
⩥ If your oath and bond are not filed within the time limit for qualifying,
which of the following apply?
A. You must retake the six hour training notary training course
B. You may pay a $20 late processing fee in the case of delay beyond
your control including but not limited to mail service delays and county
clerk mail processing delays
, C. Your commission is no longer valid and you must apply for another
one
D. You must pay a $20 late processing fee to proceed with the
application. Answer: C. Your commission is no longer valid and you
must apply for another one
⩥ Suppose a subscribing witness brings you a document to be notarized
and is then placed under oath. Which of the following must be said by
the subscribing witness?
A. The principal asked the subscribing witness to sign the document as a
witness and actually signed
B. The subscribing witness either saw the principal sign the document
OR heard the principal acknowledge that they signed the document
C. The principal signer is the person described in the document and the
subscribing witness personally knows the principal
D. All of the above and/or below answers. Answer: D. All of the above
and/or below answers
⩥ Only one of the following is not a required item in a notary public's
journal. Which one is it?
A. The county in which each signer presently resides
B. The date, time and type of each official act (e.g., acknowledgment,
jurat)
C. The signature of each person whose signature is being notarized
STUDY GUIDE 2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ Suppose that you are notarizing a document for a friend who you have
known since childhood. Which of the following is not necessary to
include in the journal:
A. The serial number of an identifying document presented
B. Notary fee (since you are not going to charge your friend)
C. A form of ID (since you know the person)
D. The length of time you have known your friend. Answer: D. The
length of time you have known your friend
⩥ In almost all of the notarial certificates the notary public completes,
there will be a venue heading such as "State of California, County of
___________." The county named is
A. where the notary's oath and bond are on file
B. the notary's official business address
C. where the signer appeared personally before the notary
D. the notary's geographical jurisdiction. Answer: C. where the signer
appeared personally before the notary
,⩥ Inmate identification is an acceptable form of identification for proof
of the identity of a credible witness or an individual who executes a
written instrument provided
A. (**) The inmate is in custody in a local detention facility.
B. Both (*) and (**)
C. None of the above and/or below answers
D. (*) The inmate identification is current or has been issued within 5
years by a sheriff's department. Answer: B. Both (*) and (**)
⩥ An acknowledgment
A. proves that the signer signed the document in the presence of the
notary public
B. proves that the signer personally appeared before the notary public
and acknowledged signing the document
C. proves that the signer acknowledged signing the document
D. proves that the signer personally appeared before the notary public.
Answer: B. proves that the signer personally appeared before the notary
public and acknowledged signing the document
⩥ If your oath and bond are not filed within the time limit for qualifying,
which of the following apply?
A. You must retake the six hour training notary training course
B. You may pay a $20 late processing fee in the case of delay beyond
your control including but not limited to mail service delays and county
clerk mail processing delays
, C. Your commission is no longer valid and you must apply for another
one
D. You must pay a $20 late processing fee to proceed with the
application. Answer: C. Your commission is no longer valid and you
must apply for another one
⩥ Suppose a subscribing witness brings you a document to be notarized
and is then placed under oath. Which of the following must be said by
the subscribing witness?
A. The principal asked the subscribing witness to sign the document as a
witness and actually signed
B. The subscribing witness either saw the principal sign the document
OR heard the principal acknowledge that they signed the document
C. The principal signer is the person described in the document and the
subscribing witness personally knows the principal
D. All of the above and/or below answers. Answer: D. All of the above
and/or below answers
⩥ Only one of the following is not a required item in a notary public's
journal. Which one is it?
A. The county in which each signer presently resides
B. The date, time and type of each official act (e.g., acknowledgment,
jurat)
C. The signature of each person whose signature is being notarized
