Pennsylvania Notary Public Exam — All Questions

Under Pennsylvania's RULONA, what term is used for what other states call a 'jurat'?

• a.Copy certification
• b.Acknowledgment
• c.Verification on oath or affirmation✓
• d.Protest

RULONA calls the jurat a 'verification on oath or affirmation': the signer swears the statement is true and signs in the notary's presence. An acknowledgment only confirms voluntary signing. Knowing RULONA's terminology is a common Pennsylvania exam point.

Which act may a Pennsylvania notary perform under RULONA?

• a.Solemnizing a marriage
• b.Certifying a copy of a document presented to the notary✓
• c.Issuing a passport
• d.Granting a divorce

RULONA authorizes Pennsylvania notaries to take acknowledgments, administer oaths/affirmations, take verifications (jurats), witness signatures, and certify copies of documents presented that the notary can compare. Marriages, passports, and divorces are outside notarial authority.

In a Pennsylvania acknowledgment, the signer:

• a.Declares they signed the record voluntarily✓
• b.Swears the contents are true under oath
• c.Must sign in the notary's presence
• d.Provides a thumbprint

In an acknowledgment the signer declares they executed the record voluntarily; the record may already be signed. A verification (jurat) is what requires signing in the notary's presence plus an oath that the contents are true. Selecting the act is the signer's or document's role.

A Pennsylvania signer is unsure whether they need an acknowledgment or a verification. The notary should:

• a.Choose the acknowledgment
• b.Choose the verification
• c.Not decide for the signer; let the document or signer specify, or refer to an attorney✓
• d.Perform both

Deciding which notarial act a document requires is a legal determination. A Pennsylvania notary must not choose for the signer, as that is the unauthorized practice of law. The document's certificate or the signer should specify; otherwise refer to an attorney.

Under RULONA, satisfactory evidence of identity may be established by:

• a.The signer's spoken name only
• b.A current government photo ID with signature, or a credible witness✓
• c.A utility bill
• d.A social media profile

RULONA accepts a current government-issued ID bearing the individual's photograph and signature, or a credible witness who personally knows the individual and is known to the notary or identified by ID. The individual must personally appear at the time of the act.

A Pennsylvania notary suspects a signer is being coerced. RULONA allows the notary to:

• a.Refuse to perform the notarial act✓
• b.Proceed if ID is valid
• c.Proceed and note the concern
• d.Charge extra to proceed

RULONA expressly permits (and effectively requires) a notary to refuse when not satisfied as to identity, competence, or willingness, or when the notary suspects fraud or coercion. Valid ID does not override doubts about willingness.

For a Pennsylvania notarial act, when must the individual appear before the notary?

• a.Within 24 hours after signing
• b.Never, if ID is mailed
• c.At the time of the notarial act✓
• d.Only for verifications

RULONA requires personal appearance at the time of the notarial act for both traditional and remote (audio-video) notarizations. A notary cannot notarize a signature for someone who did not appear—mailing in ID or a signed document is not appearance.

Is a journal mandatory for Pennsylvania notaries?

• a.No, it is optional
• b.Yes—a journal (register) of every official act is required✓
• c.Only for real-property acts
• d.Only for attorneys

Pennsylvania is a mandatory-journal state: RULONA requires the notary to keep a journal recording each official act at the time it is performed. Only one journal may be active at a time. This distinguishes PA from states where journaling is optional.

Which detail must a Pennsylvania journal entry include?

• a.The signer's income
• b.The notary's home value
• c.The date/time, type of act, individual's name, and how identity was verified✓
• d.Nothing specific

A Pennsylvania journal entry records the date and time, the type of act, a description of the record, the individual's name and address, how identity was verified, and the fee charged—made at the time of the act. Complete entries protect the notary and the public.

How long must a Pennsylvania notary generally retain the journal?

• a.At least ten years after the last entry✓
• b.30 days
• c.One year
• d.Until the next commission

The journal must be retained for the period required by law—generally at least ten years after the last entry—and kept secure under the notary's exclusive control. If lost or stolen, the notary must notify the Department of State.

Under RULONA, may a Pennsylvania notary notarize a document in which the notary's spouse is a party?

• a.Yes, spouses are fine
• b.No—a disqualifying interest exists if the notary or the notary's spouse is a party or has a direct beneficial interest✓
• c.Yes, if the fee is waived
• d.Only for acknowledgments

RULONA disqualifies a notary from acting if the notary OR the notary's spouse is a party to or has a direct beneficial interest in the transaction. This bright-line rule is broader than some states' and is frequently tested. The notary must decline.

A Pennsylvania notary who is not an attorney advises a client on which legal form to use. This is:

• a.A required service
• b.Permitted for a fee
• c.The unauthorized practice of law and prohibited✓
• d.Only allowed for RON

Advising which legal document or act to use is the unauthorized practice of law for a non-attorney notary. It can lead to discipline and liability. The notary may complete the notarial certificate but must not give legal advice.

How long is a Pennsylvania notary commission valid?

• a.Four years✓
• b.Two years
• c.Ten years
• d.One year

A Pennsylvania notary commission lasts four years. New (non-renewing) applicants must complete 3 hours of approved education, pass the Pearson VUE exam, obtain a bond, and register the commission with the recorder of deeds before acting.

What bond amount must a Pennsylvania notary obtain?

• a.$1,000
• b.$10,000✓
• c.$50,000
• d.No bond is required

Pennsylvania requires a $10,000 surety bond. After the commission issues, the notary must record the commission and signature with the recorder of deeds in the county of their business address before performing notarial acts.

Before a Pennsylvania new applicant may sit for the exam, they must:

• a.Serve one year as an apprentice
• b.Own real property
• c.Complete 3 hours of approved notary education✓
• d.Be a licensed attorney

New (non-renewing) Pennsylvania applicants must complete 3 hours of approved notary education within six months before applying, then pass the Pearson VUE exam ($65 per attempt) within the required window. Education is a prerequisite to the exam.

Under the Pennsylvania fee schedule, the maximum fee for taking an acknowledgment is:

• a.$2
• b.$5✓
• c.$15
• d.Unlimited

The Pennsylvania Department of State fee schedule caps the acknowledgment fee (for example, $5), with set maximums for oaths, verifications, and certifications. A notary may not exceed the scheduled maximum but may waive fees. Always verify the current schedule.

In addition to the notarial-act fee, a Pennsylvania notary may charge:

• a.A separate, disclosed clerical/administrative or travel fee by agreement✓
• b.Nothing else, ever
• c.A mandatory 20% surcharge
• d.A fee only in cash

Beyond the capped notarial-act fee, a Pennsylvania notary may charge a separate, disclosed fee for clerical/administrative services and a travel fee by prior agreement. All fees charged should be recorded in the journal, and fees should be posted where services are offered.

Which is a required element of the Pennsylvania notary seal?

• a.The signer's photo
• b.The notary's home phone
• c.The notary's name as commissioned, 'Notary Public,' county, commission expiration, and commission ID number✓
• d.The county sheriff's name

The Pennsylvania seal must show the notary's name exactly as commissioned, 'Notary Public,' the county where the notary maintains an office, the commission expiration date, the commission identification number, and the Commonwealth designation, and be photographically reproducible.

When a Pennsylvania notary's commission ends, the seal must be:

• a.Destroyed or defaced so it cannot be misused✓
• b.Given to the next notary
• c.Mailed to the signer
• d.Kept active indefinitely

On resignation, revocation, or expiration, the Pennsylvania notary must destroy or deface the seal so it cannot be misused, and must notify the Department of State if it is lost or stolen. The seal is used only by the commissioned notary.

To perform remote online notarizations in Pennsylvania, a notary must:

• a.Do nothing extra
• b.Notify the Department of State, use approved audio-video technology, and keep an A/V recording✓
• c.Move to another state
• d.Stop keeping a journal

A Pennsylvania notary must notify the Department of State of intent to perform electronic/remote acts, identify the approved technology, use identity proofing/credential analysis, and retain an audio-video recording. The mandatory journal duty extends to these acts.

For a Pennsylvania electronic notarization, the notary's electronic signature and seal must be:

• a.Handwritten later
• b.Optional
• c.Tamper-evident so any change to the record is detectable✓
• d.Shared with the signer

Electronic notarization requires a tamper-evident electronic signature and seal, so that any alteration to the notarized electronic record after the act is detectable. The notary must also keep the required records and, for remote acts, the audio-video recording.

A Pennsylvania notary's journal is stolen. What must the notary do?

• a.Notify the Department of State✓
• b.Do nothing until audited
• c.Buy an identical replacement and continue
• d.Notify only the signer

If the mandatory journal is lost or stolen, the Pennsylvania notary must notify the Department of State. The journal is a critical, secured record of official acts; prompt notice helps guard against fraud and documents the loss.