Cheat sheet
California Notary Cheat Sheet
Misconduct + Fees
- 37-38% of exam
- Fee Schedule Prohibited Acts Advertising Penalties Conflict Traps
Acts + Documentation
- 30% of exam
- Notarial Acts Certificate Rules Act Picker Acknowledgment vs Jurat Proof Limits
Administrative Procedures
- 12-13% of exam
- Exam Facts Eligibility Commission Path Oath Bond Deadline Picker
Identity + Witnesses
- 10% of exam
- Identity Evidence Credible Witnesses Identity Picker ID vs Witness Signer Screening
Immigration + Language
- 10% of exam
- Immigration Forms Foreign Language Notario Rules E-Notary RON Language Traps
Quick Facts
- Exam CA Notary
- Owner California SOS
- Vendor CPS HR
- Questions 45 items
- Scored 40 scored
- Time 1 hour
- Pass Scaled 70
- Fee $40 application
- Retake $20 exam
- Term 4 years
- Bond $15,000
Fee Zeroes MI
- Votes and veterans are zero
- Voting materials: $0 Veterans benefits: $0
Interest vs Role MI
Direct interest
- Named principal
- Real property party
- Refuse act
Employee role
- Agent capacity
- Escrow role
- May notarize
- Beneficiary vs employee
Refusal Picker MI
- Signer absent → Refuse ( No appearance )
- Signer coerced → Refuse ( Not willing )
- Signer confused → Refuse ( No awareness )
- Document blank → Refuse ( Incomplete )
- Notary named party → Refuse ( Direct interest )
- Legal advice requested → Refer attorney
Fee Schedule MI
- Acknowledgment $15 per signature
- Proof $15 per signature
- Oath $15 each
- Jurat $15 each
- Deposition $30 service
- Depo oath $7 extra
- Depo cert $7 extra
- POA copy $15
- Voting materials $0
- Veterans benefit $0
Prohibited Acts MI
- Legal advice Attorney work
- Document choice Attorney work
- Incomplete doc Refuse
- Absent signer Refuse
- Own signature Refuse
- Direct interest Refuse
- Vital record Cannot certify
- Backdating False certificate
Penalties MI
- False acknowledgment $10,000 max
- Thumbprint failure $2,500 max
- Seal violation $1,500 max
- Address failure $500 max
- Name failure $500 max
- Improper coercion Misdemeanor
- Journal failure Misdemeanor
- Perjury Felony risk
Journal Core AC
- Date, type, doc, signer, ID, fee
- Date/time Act type Instrument Signer signature ID evidence Fee
Acknowledgment vs Jurat AC
Acknowledgment
- Execution admitted
- No oath
- May be pre-signed
Jurat
- Oath required
- Sign before notary
- Truth sworn
- Admit vs swear
Act Picker AC
- Signer admits execution → Acknowledgment ( No oath )
- Sworn written statement → Jurat ( Sign here )
- Oral truth promise → Oath/Affirmation ( No document )
- Principal absent → Proof ( Witness route )
- POA copy needed → Copy certification
- Vital record copy → Refuse ( Registrar only )
- Electronic record printout → Custodian jurat
- Incomplete document → Refuse ( Face incomplete )
Notarial Acts AC
- Acknowledgment Execution admitted
- Jurat Sworn signature
- Oath Truth promise
- Affirmation Secular oath
- Proof Subscribing witness
- POA copy Allowed certification
- Deposition Oath plus certificate
- Protest Financial institution only
Oath vs Affirmation AC
Oath
- Religious tone
- Truth promise
Affirmation
- Secular promise
- Same legal effect
- Words differ; duty same
Certificate Rules AC
- Venue State and county
- Date Actual act date
- Signature Notary handwriting
- Seal Official seal
- Boxed notice Identity only
- Capacity Do not certify
- False facts $10,000 penalty
- Wrong wording Redo act
Seal vs Journal AC
Seal
- Certificate authentication
- Locked control
- Destroy when invalid
Journal
- Act record
- One active
- County clerk after end
- Mark vs record
Journal AC
- Count One active journal
- Storage Locked and secured
- Control Direct exclusive control
- Date/time Required entry
- Act type Required entry
- Instrument Character required
- Signer Signature required
- Fee Required entry
- Public copy 15 business days
- Copy fee $0.30 per page
POA Copy vs Vital AC
POA copy
- Notary may certify
- Probate Code
- $15 fee
Vital record
- Notary cannot certify
- Registrar only
- County recorder
- Power allowed; vital banned
Thumbprints AC
- Deed Thumbprint required
- Quitclaim Thumbprint required
- Deed trust Thumbprint required
- Real property Thumbprint required
- POA Thumbprint required
- Trustee deed Exception
- Reconveyance Exception
- Missing thumbprint $2,500 penalty
Seal AC
- Image Photographically reproducible
- Words Notary Public
- Name Commission name
- County Oath filing county
- Expiration Required element
- Commission no. Required element
- Vendor no. Required element
- Circle 2 inch max
- Rectangle 1 x 2.5 max
- Control Locked exclusive
Exam Buckets AD
- M-A-A-I-I: 15,12,5,4,4
- Misconduct: 15 Acts: 12 Admin: 5 Identity: 4 Immigration: 4
Bond vs E&O AD
Bond
- Required
- Protects public
- $15,000
E&O
- Optional
- Protects notary
- Insurance policy
- Public vs notary
Deadline Picker AD
- Commission begins → File oath/bond ( 30 days )
- Address changes → Notify SOS ( 30 days )
- Name changes → Amend oath/bond ( 30 days )
- Records requested → Respond to SOS ( 30 days )
- Journal copy requested → Provide line item ( 15 business days )
- Journal lost → Notify SOS ( Immediately )
- Seal lost → Notify SOS ( Immediately )
- Commission invalid → Deliver records ( 30 days )
Exam Facts AD
- Format Closed-book MCQ
- Total 45 items
- Scored 40 items
- Pretest 5 unscored
- Time 1 hour
- Pass Scaled 70
- Retest Once monthly
- Results 15-20 business days
30-Day Clock AD
- Bond, address, name, records
- Oath/bond filing Address notice Name amendment End records
Exam Weights AD
- Misconduct 15 scored
- Acts 12 scored
- Admin 5 scored
- Identity 4 scored
- Immigration 4 scored
- Handbook All testable
Eligibility AD
- Age 18 or older
- Residence Legal CA resident
- Course Approved SOS course
- New course Six hours
- Current renewal Three-hour refresher
- Expired renewal Six-hour course
- Exam Written exam
- Background DOJ and FBI
Commission Path AD
- Application $40 at exam
- Photo 2x2 color
- Live Scan After pass
- Commission Four-year term
- Bond $15,000 official
- Oath County clerk
- Filing Within 30 days
- Seal After authorization
ID Elements ID
- Photo, description, signature, serial
- Photo Physical description Signature Serial number
One vs Two Witnesses ID
One witness
- Known to notary
- Knows signer
- Neutral witness
Two witnesses
- Notary needn't know
- Both show ID
- Both sign journal
- Known one; unknown two
Identity Picker ID
- Acceptable ID present → Paper ID ( Record details )
- US passport card → Accept ( Passport ID )
- No signer ID → Credible witness
- One witness → Known to notary
- Two witnesses → Witness IDs
- Personal knowledge only → Reject ( Need evidence )
- Witness has interest → Reject ( Not neutral )
- ID lacks signature → Reject ( Incomplete ID )
Identity Evidence ID
- Rule Satisfactory evidence
- ID age Current or 5 years
- CA DL Allowed ID
- CA ID Allowed ID
- US passport Book or card
- Inmate ID Custody-specific
- Military ID Allowed if complete
- Tribal ID Federally recognized
ID Elements ID
- Photo Required element
- Description Required element
- Signature Required element
- Serial Required element
- Consular ID Allowed if complete
- Foreign passport Allowed if complete
- Other-state DL Allowed if complete
- CA employee ID Allowed if complete
Credible Witnesses ID
- One witness Personally known notary
- Two witnesses Notary needn't know
- Witness ID Paper ID required
- Signer known Witness knows signer
- No signer ID Witness route
- No interest Witness neutral
- Witness oath Required statement
- Journal Witness details
Electronic vs RON IM
Electronic
- Allowed now
- Physical presence
- Paper rules apply
RON
- Not yet authorized
- Audio-video
- NAP 2.0 launch
- E-sign vs remote
Immigration Language IM
- Immigration forms Not prohibited
- Form help Attorney/consultant only
- Form fee $15 per set
- Non-English ad Notice required
- Notario Spanish translation banned
- Legal advice Never allowed
- Foreign doc May notarize
- Interpreter Avoid for act
E-Notary RON IM
- Electronic notarization Allowed now
- Paper rules Still apply
- Physical presence Still required
- Seal Still required
- Thumbprint If required
- RON Not yet authorized
- NAP 2.0 Launch trigger
- 2030 Outer date
Common Traps
Score vs percent
- Scaled 70 ≠ Not raw percent
Appearance vs video
- Physical appearance now ≠ RON not yet
Identity vs truth
- Verify signer identity ≠ Not document truth
Personal knowledge trap
- Knowledge alone fails ≠ Use satisfactory evidence
Journal vs employer
- Notary owns journal ≠ Employer never owns
Seal vs employer
- Notary owns seal ≠ Employer never keeps
POA vs vital copy
- POA copy allowed ≠ Vital copy refused
Notario vs notice
- Notice still required ≠ Notario still banned
Travel vs notary fee
- Separate travel fee ≠ $15 act cap
Proof vs real property
- Proof allowed generally ≠ Real property barred
Last Minute
- 1. 45 items; 40 scored
- 2. Pass = scaled 70
- 3. Weights: 15/12/5/4/4
- 4. Retest only once monthly
- 5. New course = six hours
- 6. Current renewal = three hours
- 7. File oath/bond within 30 days
- 8. Bond protects public, not notary
- 9. Ack admits; jurat swears
- 10. ID current or five years
- 11. Thumbprint: real property, POA
- 12. Journal and seal stay yours
- 13. Maximum act fee = $15
- 14. Notario translation is banned
- 15. RON not yet authorized