How to Become a Notary in California (2026 Guide)

Key Takeaways

• California requires notaries to be 18+, a legal state resident, and pass a background check
• You must complete a 6-hour state-approved training course (3-hour refresher for renewals)
• Pass a closed-book, proctored exam administered by CPS HR Consulting
• File a $15,000 surety bond and take your oath at the county clerk within 30 days
• Total cost to become a California notary: roughly $220–$460 depending on your course and supplies
• Commission term is 4 years

Becoming a notary in California takes six steps: a 6-hour state-approved course, a proctored exam you must pass with 70%, live scan fingerprints, a background check, supplies, and a $15,000 bond filed with your county clerk within 30 days of commissioning. The commission runs four years, and the whole process costs about $220 to $460 and six to twelve weeks. California asks more of its notaries than almost any other state, the trade-off is a commission that employers and signing services trust.

Who Can Become a Notary in California

To qualify as a California notary public, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old (no maximum age)
• Be a legal California resident
• Be able to read and write English
• Pass a background check (live scan fingerprints)

What Can Disqualify You

The Secretary of State will deny your application if you:

• Fail to disclose any arrest or conviction on your application
• Have a felony conviction where fewer than 10 years have passed since probation was completed
• Have a disqualifying misdemeanor conviction where fewer than 5 years have passed since probation was completed
• Are non-compliant with child or family support orders
• Have a conviction that warrants denial based on the nature and severity of the offense

Common disqualifying convictions include forgery, fraud, embezzlement, assault, and drug possession for sale. Even convictions dismissed under Penal Code § 1203.4 must be disclosed. (Government Code § 8201.)

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1: Complete Approved Training

New notaries must complete a 6-hour course approved by the California Secretary of State. Renewing notaries with an active, non-expired commission can take a 3-hour refresher instead. The course covers California notary law, proper procedures, and what you can and cannot do as a notary.

We recommend taking the California notary course from CalNotaryClass: it’s state-approved and includes exam preparation.

Step 2: Register for and Pass the Notary Exam

The California notary exam is a closed-book, multiple-choice test administered by CPS HR Consulting at locations across the state. You need a 70% to pass. You’ll submit your completed application, proof of course completion, a 2″x2″ passport photo, and the $40 fee (check or money order) at the exam site. Results arrive by email or mail about 15 to 20 business days after the sitting. A passed exam is valid for one year, so do not test years ahead of your commission date; if you fail, the retake fee is $20 at the exam site. Renewals should schedule the exam at least six months before the commission expires so processing does not leave them uncommissioned.

Step 3: Submit Live Scan Fingerprints

After passing the exam, the state will send you instructions for live scan fingerprinting. There are locations throughout California. Cost is typically $25–$50 for the fingerprinting plus a $49 DOJ/FBI processing fee.

Step 4: Wait for Your Commission Packet

Processing takes 2 to 8 weeks depending on the state’s backlog and whether anything comes up on your background check. If approved, you’ll receive your commission packet in the mail. If denied, they’ll tell you why.

You are not a notary yet. Don’t notarize anything until you complete the remaining steps.

Step 5: Buy Your Notary Supplies

Once commissioned, you need:

• A notary stamp: must be purchased from an authorized manufacturer using the certificate in your commission packet ($15–$25)
• A notary journal: required for recording every notarial act ($10–$50)

Step 6: File Your Oath and Bond at the County Clerk

You must file your notary public oath of office and a $15,000 surety bond at your county clerk’s office. The bond costs about $35–$50 and can be purchased from surety companies online. Some counties charge an additional filing fee ($15–$30).

Do this within 30 calendar days of the date on your commission certificate, or your commission is void and you’ll have to start over.

Costs to Get Commissioned

Here’s what you can expect to spend:

Item	Cost
Training course (6-hour)	$35–$150
Application and exam fee	$40
Passport photo	$10–$15
Live scan fingerprints + DOJ/FBI	$74–$99
Surety bond ($15,000)	$35–$50
Notary stamp	$15–$25
Notary journal	$10–$50
County filing fee	$0–$30
Total	$219–$459

Surety Bond Requirements

California requires every notary to maintain a $15,000 surety bond for the life of the 4-year commission. The bond protects the public from losses caused by notary errors or misconduct, it does not protect the notary personally.

For personal protection, consider errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. The state doesn’t require it, but it covers legal fees and damages if you’re sued for a notarial mistake, which the bond never does. Notary-specialty E&O is cheap: roughly $19 a year for $25,000 of coverage and about $75 for $100,000.

Exam Tips

The exam is multiple choice and covers California notary law, procedures, and ethics. The pass rate is 70%. Most people who prepare with a state-approved course pass on the first attempt. The 2026 California Notary Public Handbook from the Secretary of State is the official reference: read it before the exam.

Renewal

California notary commissions last 4 years. The renewal process is the same as the initial application, with one exception: if you take the 3-hour refresher course and pass the exam before your current commission expires, you can skip the full 6-hour course. Start the renewal process at least 6 months before your commission expires to avoid a gap.

Becoming a Signing Agent in California

Being commissioned as a notary is the first step. If you want to work as a notary signing agent (handling loan document signings), you’ll also need:

• A signing agent training course that teaches loan document fundamentals and signing procedures
• A background screening (most title companies require one through the NNA or similar)
• E&O insurance that specifically covers signing agent work
• A dual-tray laser printer for printing loan packages — see our dual-tray printer recommendations

See our guide to becoming a signing agent for more details on this career path.

How Much You Can Charge

California sets maximum fees notaries can charge per notarial act:

• Acknowledgments: $15 per signature
• Jurats: $15 per signature
• Oaths and affirmations: $15 per person
• Certified copies of journal entries: 30 cents per page
• Proof of execution by subscriber: $15 per signature

These are maximums. You can charge less or nothing at all. If you charge a fee, you must display a fee schedule or provide one upon request. You may also charge a travel fee for mobile notary services, but the signer must agree to it in advance.

Notarial Acts You Can Perform

California notaries can perform these notarial acts:

• Acknowledgments: verifying the signer appeared before you and acknowledged signing voluntarily
• Jurats: administering an oath and witnessing the signer sign in your presence
• Oaths and affirmations: swearing in a signer for verbal statements
• Certified copies of journal entries: providing copies of specific journal records when requested
• Proof of execution by subscribing witness: notarizing on the sworn statement of a witness who watched the signing, heavily restricted; see the rules before attempting it

California notaries cannot certify copies of documents: only copies of their own journal entries. For document copies, the signer must make a copy and sign a sworn statement (copy certification by document custodian).

Notarizing for Family Members

California law does not specifically prohibit notarizing for family members. What it prohibits is acting where you have a direct financial or beneficial interest, and family documents are where that rule bites hardest.

You can never notarize your own signature, and you cannot notarize a document that names you or pays you. A spouse’s mortgage or property transfer puts your shared finances inside the transaction, which is exactly what the rule targets. Parents, siblings, and adult children are fine when you hold no stake in the outcome. When in doubt, refer family members to another notary.

Penalties for Misconduct

California runs some of the strictest notary enforcement in the country, on both the criminal and administrative side.

Practicing without a commission is a misdemeanor carrying up to a year in jail. Charging above the legal maximum or notarizing without the signer present gets a commission suspended or revoked, and falsifying a notarization is a felony with up to four years in prison. Journal violations matter here more than anywhere: California requires a journal for every act, and failing to keep one properly is grounds for revocation. On the civil side the $15,000 bond pays the public, and anything above it comes out of your pocket.

Your Commission Belongs to You

California law is unusually blunt about who owns a notary commission.

The commission is personal: an employer cannot control it, cannot require you to skip proper procedure, and cannot limit your services to company business during work hours. If you leave the job, your stamp, journal, and commission go with you and the employer must return every supply, regardless of who paid for them. Employers are generally not liable for your notarial acts, unless they directed the misconduct, at which point they share it.

How California Compares to Neighboring States

Requirement	California	Nevada	Arizona	Oregon
Bond	$15,000	$10,000	$5,000	None
Exam	Yes	Via required course	Yes	Yes
Training	6 hours	Yes (3 hrs)	No (exam only)	No (exam only)
Term	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years
Max Fee	$15	$15	$10	$10
Journal	Required	Required	Required	Required
RON	Not authorized	Yes	Yes	Yes

California has the highest training requirement of the four (6 hours) and ties Nevada for the highest fee cap ($15). Oregon requires no bond, which makes it the cheapest entry in the region, and Arizona runs a required exam with no course. One real difference: Nevada, Arizona, and Oregon all permit remote online notarization, while California still does not (see the remote notarization section below). Full guides: Nevada, Arizona, Oregon.

Remote Online Notarization

Not yet. California law requires signers to appear personally before the notary. The Legislature has authorized remote online notarization (SB 696), but it only takes effect once the Secretary of State certifies the required technology platform, or on January 1, 2030, whichever comes first. California notaries can already notarize electronic documents under the traditional in-person rules. Do not buy a “RON-ready” California package yet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated October 2026. Requirements based on the California Secretary of State and Government Code § 8201.