All persons seeking appointment as a notary public must satisfactorily complete a Secretary of State approved six-hour course of study prior to appointment. (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.

Current California notaries public with a valid notary public commission and who have completed an approved six-hour course of study at least once must satisfactorily complete an approved three-hour refresher course prior to reappointment. Important: An approved three-hour refresher course is only acceptable if the notary public applies for reappointment before expiration of the current notary public commission. If the notary public commission expires before course completion and a completed application is received, the person must take another approved six-hour course before being reappointed as a notary public.

The Secretary of State reviews for approval all courses of study submitted by notary public education vendors. (Government Code section 8201.2.) To locate vendors who have been authorized to provide an approved notary public education course, please refer to our list of approved vendors.

The goal of notary public education is to:

• provide proper training for all notaries public;
• provide a full understanding of the duties and responsibilities of a notary public;
• standardize knowledge for all notaries public; and
• reduce complaints and lawsuits due to negligence or misconduct by a notary public.

Upon satisfactory completion of an approved notary public course of study, a student will receive a Proof of Completion certificate. A Proof of Completion certificate evidencing completion of a six-hour education course is valid for a period of two years from the date of issuance. If a person seeking appointment does not pass the notary public examination before expiration of the Proof of Completion certificate, that person will have to satisfactorily complete another six-hour course.

A Proof of Completion certificate evidencing completion of a three-hour refresher course is also valid for two years from the date of issuance. However, a person seeking reappointment must apply and take the notary public examination before expiration of their Proof of Completion certificate and before expiration of their notary public commission.

Once you have obtained your Proof of Completion certificate for the approved notary public education course, you will need to do the following:

• Register for an exam by contacting CPS HR Consulting; and
• Take with you to the exam site your completed notary public application form with the Proof of Completion certificate and a 2" x 2" color passport photo of yourself which the CPS Proctor will staple to your application.

All applicants seeking appointment as a notary public, will be required to satisfactorily pass a written exam prior to appointment as a notary public.

Please refer to the following links for exam materials:

• Notary Public Handbook
• Notary Public Application
• Testing Information

If you would like the above information mailed to you:

• Email CPS HR Consulting at notaryinfo@cpshr.us.
• Contact CPS HR Consulting at (916) 263-3520.

To register for the exam:

• Visit CPS HR Consulting at notary.cpshr.us; or
• Call CPS HR Consulting at (916) 263-3520.

Prior to taking the exam, it is recommended that the applicant review the Notary Public Handbook.

Allow plenty of travel time and bring the following items to the exam:

• A current photo identification (e.g. California Driver's License or Identification Card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles);
• A complete current Notary Public Application form;
• A 2" x 2" color passport photo of yourself;
• The Proof of Completion certificate of your six-hour or three-hour approved education course;
• The registration confirmation letter; and
• The $40.00 exam and application processing fee (or $20.00 exam fee for applicants who previously took the exam and failed). Payment must be by check or money order made payable to the Secretary of State (cash is not accepted at the exam site).

Exam results will be available 15 business days after the examination. CPS HR Consulting will mail the exam results to applicants. A score of at least 70 is required to pass the exam. Exam results will not be discussed over the telephone.

Successful applicants (those receiving a score of at least 70) will have their applications transmitted to the Secretary of State for processing.

Each applicant not receiving a score of at least 70 will be sent their original application and re-take voucher with the fail notice. The examination may be re-taken, but may not be taken more than once in the same calendar month.

Checks returned by the financial institution upon which they were drawn are subject to a return fee and may be grounds for notary public application processing delay or notary public commission cancellation. (Government Code section 8204.1.)

Before submitting fingerprints via Live Scan, applicants must first take and pass the notary public exam. Applicants who fail the exam will not be required to have their fingerprints taken until passing the exam.

Prior to granting commissions as notaries public, applicants must complete a background check. To assist in determining the fitness of the applicants to hold the position of notary public, applicants are legally required to be fingerprinted. (Government Code section 8201.1.) Applicants must have their fingerprints taken within one year of the exam date. If fingerprints are not taken within one year of the exam date the applicant will be required to retest.

Applicants must submit one set of classifiable fingerprints, acceptable to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) for each notary public commission term. Fingerprints must be submitted electronically through the DOJ's Live Scan Program that takes and transmits fingerprints to the DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Request for Live Scan Service (PDF) form is available online. Important: A notary public commission will not be issued until a report from the DOJ and the FBI is received stating that there is no criminal history. If the report identifies any criminal history, a notary public commission will not be issued until the criminal history is reviewed, evaluated, and found to be non-disqualifying.

For Live Scan locations and business hours see the DOJ's website at oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations.

You must bring the following to the Live Scan site:

• A completed Request For Live Scan Service (PDF) form.
• A current photo identification.
• A fingerprint processing fee and an additional rolling fee. Please call the Live Scan site to verify the amount of the rolling fee.

Be sure to request a copy of your Request For Live Scan Service form and keep your copy until you receive your notary public commission. It is not necessary to mail a copy to the Secretary of State; the information will be transmitted electronically by DOJ.

The notary public commission packet will be mailed once the application has been approved and after the applicant has passed the background check.

The notary public commission packet includes:

• a cover letter with instructions;
• filing instructions;
• a notary public commission certificate;
• two Notary Public Oath and Certificate of Filing forms;
• a Certificate of Authorization to Manufacture Notary Public Seals; and
• a list of Authorized Manufacturers of Notary Public Seals.

If you took the exam at least six weeks prior to the expiration date on your current notary public commission, your new notary public commission will not be sent to you more than 30 days before the expiration date.

Once the notary public commission packet has been received, the next step would be to purchase the notary public supplies.

• Notary Public Bond
  • A notary public is required to purchase and file an official bond with the county clerk's office in the county where their principal place of business is located within 30 calendar days from the commencement date of the commission. (Government Code section 8213.)
• Notary Public Seal
  • A list of Secretary of State authorized seal manufacturers will be mailed with the notary public commission packet. These are the only manufacturers who are authorized to make notary public seals.
• Notary Public Journal with Thumbprint Pad
  • A notary public is required to keep and maintain one active sequential journal for all their notarial acts, and thumbprint signers when required.
    • The Academy of Notaries Public has complete bond packages that include; the required 15k Surety Bond and PSI Notary Public Seal, and your choice of 15, 25, 50, and 100K Errors and Omission Insurance starting at $140.00, and the required
    • Journal w/Cleanprint Thumbprint Pad. Sold separately or added with packages or Seminar packages for substantial savings.

A notary public must file an oath of office and 15K surety bond with the county clerk's office in the county where their principal place of business is located, as indicated on the notary application. This must be done within 30 calendar days from the commencement date of the commission. This 30 day period cannot be extended.

Statutes provide for filing the oath and bond by mail. It should be noted that the county processes documents in chronological order, but not necessarily on the date received due to the volume of documents. The oath and bond may be submitted to the county clerk prior to the commencement date of the commission and must be filed no later than 30 calendar days after the commencement date of the commission.

It is recommended that the oath and bond be submitted in person to guarantee timely filing. (Government Code section 8213(a).)