All applicants are required to satisfactorily complete mandatory notary education prior to appointment as a notary public. (Government Code section 8201.) In addition, the Secretary of State will review and approve all courses of study submitted by notary education vendors. (Government Code section 8201.2.)

To locate vendors who have been authorized to provide the mandatory notary education, please refer to our list of approved notary education vendors.

Allow plenty of travel time, and bring the following with you:

• A current photo identification (e.g. California Driver's License or Identification Card issued by the DMV);
• 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 mandatory education course;
• The registration confirmation letter; and
• The $40.00 testing and application processing fee (or $20.00 testing 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 10 business days after the examination. CPS will mail the exam results to candidates. A score of at least 70% is required to pass the exam. Exam results will not be discussed over the telephone.

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

Each candidate 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 commission cancellation. (See Government Code section 8204.1.)

Back to the List