How to Become a California Notary Public

Notary Public Commission Process

The Seminar

1. Attend the mandatory 6-hour training seminar
   • LIVE Notary Classes
   • ONLINE Notary Class
   • DVD Notary Class
     
     
2. Take the state-administered test (same day of LIVE seminar)
   • Bring a $40 check payable to: Secretary of State
   • Bring a 2"x2" Color Passport Photograph
   • Bring a valid photo ID
   • Bring a notary application
   • The test is:
     • 30 questions
     • Multiple choice
     • 50 minutes to complete
     • 70% or higher is a passing grade
     • WE GUARANTEE YOU WILL PASS!

Test Scores

3. Receive letter in the mail saying ’You have passed’
   • After the seminar, you can go online to: https://cmas.cps.ca.gov/CMAS/login.aspx to view your test score. To obtain your password, call CPS at (916) 263-3520. Test results should be posted 8-10 business days after the exam.
     
     ***You must wait until you receive your test results in the mail before you get your live scan.***

Live Scan

4. Submit live scan fingerprints to the Department of Justice and FBI for your thorough background check.
   • Cannot be a convicted felon
   • Live scan application is included with your mailed test results.
     
     
5. Wait for your commission paperwork to arrive (8-10 weeks from exam date)

Notary Supplies

6. Order your official notary stamp/embosser and bond
   • Order Now
   • Fax a copy of your Certificate of Authorization to Manufacture Notary Public Seals to (615) 790-7912 or go online to http://gsn.notary.net/coa.cfm to get your order processed.
   
   AND YOU MUST ALSO
   
   
   • Send your ORIGINAL Certificate of Authorization to Manufacture Notary Public Seals to:

     Golden State Notary
     Attn: Angelo
     PO Box 610
     Orangevale, CA 95662

     Please allow 10 business days from our receipt of your Certificate for your order to be fulfilled.

Notary Bond

7. File your 4-year/$15,000 bond and oath of office with the county clerk
   You will receive several solicitations in the mail. All bonds are the same. A good deal is $35, anything else is too much.

You're Finished!

8. Congratulations! You are a Notary Public. Now you can advertise your services on Notary.net. You can also take our Loan Signing Training Course.

Notary Public Qualifications

Every person appointed as a notary public shall:

• be 18 years of age or older (there is no maximum age set by statute);
• be a legal California resident;
• satisfactorily complete a written examination prescribed by the Secretary of State's office;
• be able to read, write, and understand English; and
• clear a background check

Application

To determine if a person meets the requirements to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, a completed application shall be submitted at the examination site. The application is forwarded to the Office of the Secretary of State and reviewed by Secretary of State staff for qualifying information. Once an applicant has passed the examination, the applicant will be required to have his/her fingerprints submitted via live scan as part of a thorough background check. Commissioned notaries seeking reappointment with less than a six-month break in service are not required to have their fingerprints retaken. Those applicants who have held a notary public commission in the past, but have had a break in their commission of more than six months, are required to have their fingerprints submitted via live scan.

Child Support

Applicants found to be non-compliant with child or family support orders will be issued temporary term commissions. Notaries found to be non-compliant after the commission is issued may be subject to commission suspension or revocation.

Convictions

State law requires all applicants be fingerprinted as part of a background check prior to being granted an appointment as a notary public. Information concerning the fingerprinting requirement will be mailed to candidates who pass the examination.

You are required to disclose all arrests and convictions on your application. Convictions dismissed under Penal Code Section 1203.4 or 1203.4a must be disclosed. If you have any questions concerning the disclosure of convictions or arrests, contact the Secretary of State prior to signing the application.

If you do not recall the specifics about your arrest(s) and or conviction(s), you can contact the California Department of Justice at (916) 227-3849.

The Secretary of State will recommend denial of an application for the following reasons:

• Failure to disclose any arrest or conviction; or
• Conviction of a felony; or
• Conviction of a disqualifying misdemeanor where not more than 10 years have passed since the completion of probation.

The most common disqualifying convictions are listed below; however, this list is not all-inclusive:

• Accessory
• Arson-related offenses
• Assault
• Auto theft
• Battery upon a child resulting in corporal injury
• Battery upon a peace officer
• Burglary
• Carrying a concealed weapon
Carrying a loaded firearm in a public place
Child molestation
Child pornography
Conspiracy
Discharge of a firearm in a public place or into an inhabited dwelling
Drugs, possession for sale and sale
Embezzlement
Escape without force
Failure to comply with a court order
Failure to pay child support
Failure to return to confinement
False financial statements
False imprisonment
Forgery
Fraud involving, but not limited to:
• bank cards,
• credit cards,
• insufficient funds/checks,
• insurance,
• mail,
• Medi-Cal or Medicare,
• real estate,
• tax,
• and welfare
Fraudulent impersonation of a peace officer
Hit and run
Kidnapping-related offenses
Manslaughter
Pimping and pandering
Possession of an unregistered firearm
Practicing without a license when a license is required
Prostitution
Rape
Receipt of stolen property
Resisting or threatening a peace officer
Robbery
Solicitation
Statutory rape
Tax evasion
Terrorist threats
Theft, grand and petty, including burglary and robbery
Threats to commit a crime involving death or great bodily injury

Appeal

Note: When a recommendation is made to deny an application, the applicant has the right to appeal the recommendation through the administrative hearing process.