Before you can be issued a notary public commission you must satisfactorily complete an approved SIX-hour notary course of study.  Online or Live Class.

Which means you must be in attendance for a full SIX-hours. (Government Code section 8201.) Please note that all persons being appointed, no matter how many notary public commission terms that person has held in the past, are required to take the six-hour course of study.

You must attend a 6-hour notary class if you are a brand new notary applicant.

 If you are renewing your notary commission, you must have taken at least (1) six hour notary course to be eligible to take only the (3) hour notary course of study requirement.

The California State Exam:

What you will need to bring:

1. Valid Photo ID
2. Passport Photo 2'x2' 
3. Check or Money Order Payable to the Secretary of State ( cash not accepted)
4. Completed Notary Application
5. Proof of Completion

The Notary Public Examination

• 45 Questions Multiple Choice ( not open book)
• 60  Minutes to Complete
• Must Pass By 70%
• Results Emailed 15-20 (business days from the date of the notary exam)

The State Exam is administered by Proctors employed by Cooperative Personnel Services (CPS). The exam is NOT administered by the Secretary of State. Once the notary exam has been completed and processed results are issued by email 15-20 business days from the date of the notary exam. You can also review results on-line only after the 15-20 processing period. Telephone inquiries are not accepted.

The notary state exam is 30 multiple choice  questions. You must pass with 70%.

What do I need to bring to the notary public exam?

After your registration has been processed for the notary class you will automatically be issued a list of notary exam sites. 

You must bring with you the following items:

You will be required to have a Check or Money Order payable to the Secretary of State in the amount of $40. This fee is required by the California Secretary of State for processing your application. Credit Cards or Cash are NOT accepted.

1.     One of the following Photo Identification: (current or issued within the last 5 years)

o    A driver’s license or State DMV I.D. card

o    A Canadian or Mexican Driver’s license

o    U.S. Passport or Passport issued by a foreign government

o    A U.S. Military I.D. Card

No other forms of photo identification are allowed.

2.     A completed application – ( Will be issued on the day of class)

3.     Check or Money Order payable the Secretary of State in the amount of $40 ( this is for application fee and processing)

4.     All Applications for appointment must include a 2″ x 2″ color passport-type photograph of yourself attached to the application ( Passport photos will be taken and processed on the day of class)

5.     Two (2)  No. 2 lead pencils

Dress attire is casual

Making sure you follow all the necessary steps required will greatly increase your success.

Notary Public Applicant Check List

Complete Approved Education

Register for the Exam 

Take the Exam                                  

Submit Fingerprints via Live Scan     

Await Commission Packet              

Purchase Notary Public Materials

Any applicant that has not had Live Scan Fingerprinting performed for a background check will NOT be issued a Commission Packet.  Your notary passing results are valid for (1) full year.

California Secretary of State Notary Division Processing Times

• Take Notary Course
• Take Notary Exam
• Get Live Scan Background Check ( commission will not be issued without a background check)
• Pass Notary Exam
• Pass Background Check
• Receive Notary Commission
• File Oath & Bond

The time it takes to process a document varies depending on the type of request submitted and how the request is submitted.

Notary Public Applications

For applicants seeking reappointment, a commission will be issued 30 days prior to expiration of your current commission if you have complied with all requirements to become a notary public. 

The issuance of a notary public commission may be delayed pending completion of a background check by the California Department of Justice.

Why is a Notary Public issued a Notary Commission and not a Notary License?

The Secretary of State does not issue license’s only commissions. 

The notary public commission expires every “4” years.

Definition of commission

1

a : a formal written warrant granting the power to perform various acts or duties

b : a certificate conferring military rank and authority; also : the rank and authority so conferred received a lieutenant’s commission in the army

2

: an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts : charge a commission to serve as notary public

3

a : authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another

b : a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another executed a commission for me while he was in Singapore

4

a : a group of persons directed to perform some duty The state set up a commission to study the proposed merger of the school districts.

b : a government agency having administrative, legislative, or judicial powers regulatory powers exercised by the Federal Trade Commission

c : a city council having legislative and executive functions She served on the city’s water commission.

The California Notary Commission is valid for 4 years. The effective date and expiration date is listed on the notary commission.

See renewing notary requirements for additional information.

How soon can I take the test for reappointment if I currently hold a notary public commission?

To avoid a break in notary public commission terms, you should take the notary public exam at least six months prior to the expiration date of your current notary public commission. Test results are valid for one year from the date of the examination. (California Code of Regulations, Title 2, section 20803.

The process for becoming a Notary Public in the state of California can take  8-12 weeks. This usually will apply to new notary applicants, however can apply to renewing notary applicants. 

This waiting time includes the processing and issuing of Notary Public exam results usually 10-15 days from exam date. Also, receiving the Notary Commission packet – once you have met all requirements, your commission/notary license will be sent to you by U.S. mail 2-6 weeks after your background (fingerprints) were taken. Depending on the amount of applicants, holidays etc. 

If you are a current California Notary with a valid notary commission and have completed an approved (6) six-hour course of study at least once, then you will be allowed to take the notary (3) three-hour approved refresher course for reappointment.

Note: The (3) refresher course is acceptable only if the notary public takes the (3) hour approved course of study, submits an application, passes the  notary exam prior to the expiration of the current notary public commission. Should the notary public commission expire before the course completion the notary must take another (6) Six-hour approved course.

To avoid a break in notary public commission terms, you should take the notary public exam at least six months prior to the expiration date of your current notary public commission. Test results are valid for one year from the date of the examination.

I am currently a commissioned notary public applying for reappointment without

a break in my commission. Am I still required to submit my fingerprints each

time I reapply?

Yes. All notary public applicants, whether or not they have held a previous commission,

must submit fingerprints to the California Department of Justice for the purpose of a

background check. The Department of Justice will forward fingerprint images to the

Federal Bureau of Investigation requesting a federal summary of criminal information

that will be provided to the Secretary of State.

If you want to resign your commission, send a letter to the Secretary of State and deliver all of your notarial records and papers to the county in which your current oath of office is on file within 30 days and destroy your seal. (California Government Code section 8209.) Please refer to Contact Information for the Secretary of State’s mailing address.

My current notary public commission will expire soon and I have already reapplied to become a notary public. When will I get my new commission?

If all application requirements are met, your new notary public commission will be issued 30 days prior to the expiration date of your current notary public commission.

Send the Secretary of State a letter or a change of address form by certified mail or any other means of physical delivery that provides a receipt within 30 days of the change.

Notary Public Address Change Form

A duplicate commission certificate can be obtained by written request to the Secretary of State. There is a fee of $10 per certificate. Please refer to Contact Information for the Secretary of State’s mailing address. (California Code of Regulations, Title 2, section 20802.).

Send a letter immediately by certified mail or any other means of physical delivery that

provides a receipt to the Secretary of State explaining what happened and, if applicable,

a photocopy of a police report. Upon written request, the Secretary of State will send

an authorization so you can have a new stamp made.

Yes. The Department of Justice nor the FBI is not allowed to share your information from previous Live Scan Fingerprinting background checks with other agencies. Your background results are confidential and can not be shared.

Your Live Scan form acts as a release for a criminal history response to be sent to requesting agency, for this application that would be the Secretary of State Notary Division. A NEW application is required each time a criminal history is requested. Previous Live Scan Fingerprinting results or information can not be utilized.

Also, when renewing your notary commission every “4” years, you will be required to submit new Live Scan Fingerprinting.

 A vendor or manufacturer is authorized to provide a notary with an official seal only upon presentation by the notary public of a certificate of authorization. ( this is issued to the notary public by the secretary of state)certificate of authorization notary 

A vendor of official seals shall note the receipt of certificates of authorization and

sequential identification numbers of certificates presented by a notary public upon a certificate

of authorization.

A copy of a certificate of authorization shall be retained by a vendor and the original, which shall contain a sample impression of the seal issued to the notary public, shall be submitted to the Secretary of State for verification and record keeping. The Secretary of State shall develop guidelines for submitting certificates of authorization by vendors.authorization to manufacture a notary seal

Any notary whose official seal is lost, misplaced, destroyed, broken, damaged, or is rendered otherwise unworkable shall immediately mail or deliver written notice of that fact to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State, within five working days after receipt of the

notice, if requested by a notary, shall issue a certificate of authorization which a notary may use to obtain a replacement seal.

A subdivision is any division of land into two or more parcels. All divisions of land, including the creation of air parcels for condominium purposes, are regulated by the State Subdivision Map Act.

California State Notary Handbook