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California notary exam: study from the official handbook

The state publishes a free official handbook, and it is the best place to start. Download it first: Notary Public Handbook, California Secretary of State (edition dated January 2026).

Nothing here is legal advice. We summarize the official handbook and cite the page. Laws and fees change, and the official handbook and the state's current instructions control. We make no claims about exam content, format or pass rates. Check exam scheduling, format and fees with the state.

What to know first

Applicants must be a California legal resident, at least 18, complete an approved course, pass a written exam and pass a background check (Gov. Code 8201, CA p. 7).
First-time applicants take a 6-hour course; a 3-hour refresher is only for renewing before the commission expires (CA p. 7).
Within 30 calendar days of the commission start, file the oath and a $15,000 bond with the county clerk (Gov. Code 8212, 8213, CA p. 8).
The commission term is 4 years (Gov. Code 8204, CA p. 31).

Key numbers (with handbook citations)

Section and page in the edition named above.

Number	What it is	Cite
18	Minimum age	8201; p. 7
6 hours	Initial course	p. 7
3 hours	Refresher (renew before expiration)	p. 7
4 years	Commission term	8204; p. 31
30 days	File oath and bond with county clerk	8212, 8213; p. 8
$15,000	Surety bond	8212; p. 8
2 in. / 1 x 2.5 in.	Max seal size, circle / rectangle	8207; pp. 8-9
5 years	ID current or issued within	1185; pp. 9-10
1 or 2	Credible witnesses (known / not known to notary)	1185; pp. 9-10
15 business days	Respond to journal copy request	8206; p. 11
$0.30	Per page, journal copy	8206; pp. 11-12
$15	Acknowledgment per signature; oath + jurat; POA copy; immigration forms per set	8211, 8223; pp. 20-22
$30 + $7 + $7	Deposition, oath, certificate	8211; p. 22
$0	Vote-by-mail materials; veterans' benefits	8211, 6107; pp. 21-22
$2,500	Thumbprint failure; refusing peace officer journal access	8214.23, 8214.21; p. 39
$10,000	False material fact in acknowledgment certificate	1189; p. 13
30 days	Report address change / deliver journals after commission ends	8213.5, 8209; pp. 12, 22
$500	Max fine, willful failure to report address change	8213.5; p. 22

Optional: cited study guide (PDF)

Our California Notary Public Exam Study Guide: 9 plain-English chapters with a citation after every fact, a key-numbers sheet, and 40 practice questions with an answer key that points to the section and page to reread. Practice questions are ours, not actual exam questions.

See the study guide

Disclosure: this guide is sold by Plan & Prosper Templates, the same publisher as Notary Where. The official handbook above is free and is all you strictly need.

Sources

Last checked: 2026-10-26