Hawaii Notary Public Exam Practice Test
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A full bank of original Hawaii Notary Public Exam practice questions across the official content areas, weighted like the real exam, with explanations. Free, no signup.
What is the Hawaii Notary Public Exam exam like?+
A multiple-choice exam, and you need 80% to pass. Practice by topic here, then take the full timed mock exam to gauge readiness.
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No. Every question is 100% original, written from public primary sources with explanations. We never copy real exam questions or paid prep material.
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PrepPass practice is in English, 中文 and Español. The official exam is in English — switch the question language to English any time to rehearse the exact terminology you'll see on test day.
Sample practice questions
A few real questions from this free bank, with full explanations. Use the practice tool above for the whole set.
- 1. Journal
What is the most heavily tested duty of a Hawaii notary?
- a.Advertising
- b.Keeping a mandatory record (journal) of every official act
- c.Certifying passports
- d.Solemnizing marriages
Answer: b
Explanation: Hawaii places unusual emphasis on record-keeping: a notary must keep a permanent record of every notarial act, and this journal duty is the most heavily tested topic on the Hawaii exam. Complete, contemporaneous entries are mandatory, not optional.
- 2. Journal
Because a Hawaii notary keeps a permanent record of acts, the notary may be asked to:
- a.Certify a copy of a record of a notarial act
- b.Destroy the record after each act
- c.Keep no records at all
- d.Share records publicly online
Answer: a
Explanation: Since Hawaii notaries maintain a permanent official record, they may be required to certify a copy of a record of a notarial act. The record must be kept secure, retained for the period required by law, and handled as the Attorney General directs when the commission ends.
- 3. Acts
Every Hawaii notarial certificate must include, in addition to the signature and seal:
- a.The signer's fingerprint
- b.A certification statement and the notary's certification/identification number
- c.The notary's home address
- d.A photo of the document
Answer: b
Explanation: Hawaii requires a specific certification statement on each certificate plus the notary's signature, seal, and certification/identification number assigned by the Attorney General. Tying each act to the notary's certification number is a distinctive, tested Hawaii feature.
- 4. Acts
A Hawaii signer asks the notary to decide whether an acknowledgment or jurat is needed. The non-attorney notary should:
- a.Not choose for the signer; let the document/signer specify or refer to an attorney
- b.Choose the acknowledgment
- c.Choose the jurat
- d.Do both
Answer: a
Explanation: Selecting the notarial act is a legal determination. A non-attorney Hawaii notary who chooses for the signer engages in unauthorized practice of law. The document or signer should specify the act; otherwise refer the signer to an attorney.
- 5. Id
A Hawaii signer appears not to understand the document and seems pressured. The notary should:
- a.Refuse the act because willingness and awareness are in doubt
- b.Proceed if ID is valid
- c.Proceed and note it in the record
- d.Charge more to proceed
Answer: a
Explanation: The notary must be satisfied the signer appears willing and aware. If the signer cannot understand the document or seems coerced, the Hawaii notary must refuse. Valid ID does not cure doubts about voluntariness or capacity.
- 6. Prohibited
A non-attorney Hawaii notary is asked to prepare a legal contract and give advice on it. This is:
- a.A normal notarial service
- b.Required
- c.The unauthorized practice of law and prohibited
- d.Allowed for a higher fee
Answer: c
Explanation: Preparing legal documents or giving legal advice is the unauthorized practice of law for a non-attorney notary. The Hawaii notary may complete the notarial certificate and administer oaths but must not counsel the signer on legal matters.
- 7. Commission
Which set of fees is associated with becoming a Hawaii notary?
- a.$40 exam only
- b.$10 exam, $20 application, and $100 upon commissioning
- c.$65 exam only
- d.No fees
Answer: b
Explanation: Hawaii's statutory fees include a $10 exam fee, a $20 application fee, and a $100 fee paid upon commissioning. The notary must also file a bond and take the oath of office before acting. Verify the current amounts with the Attorney General.
- 8. Fees
Under HRS §456-17, the Hawaii notary fee per act is capped at approximately:
- a.$2
- b.$5
- c.$15
- d.No limit
Answer: b
Explanation: Hawaii caps the notarial fee at a modest statutory amount (about $5 per act/signature under HRS §456-17). A notary may charge less but not more, and the fee should be recorded in the mandatory record of acts. Verify the current maximum.
- 9. Seal
A distinctive element on a Hawaii notary's seal is:
- a.The signer's photo
- b.The notary's certification/identification number
- c.The county sheriff's name
- d.The document's title
Answer: b
Explanation: A Hawaii notary seal shows the notary's name, 'Notary Public,' 'State of Hawaii,' and the certification/identification number assigned by the Attorney General. That certification number, tying each act to the specific notary, is a distinctive Hawaii feature.
- 10. Enotary
When Hawaii authorizes a remote notarization, the notary must still:
- a.Skip identity checks
- b.Verify identity by the required process and retain the audio-video recording
- c.Avoid keeping records
- d.Ignore the certification number
Answer: b
Explanation: Even for authorized remote acts, the Hawaii notary must verify identity through the required process (credential analysis and identity proofing or personal knowledge), retain the audio-video recording, and still meet the certificate and certification-number requirements. Record-keeping continues to apply.