California Notary Public — All Questions

How must entries be recorded in a California notary journal?

• a.Sequentially, in chronological order at the time of each act✓
• b.Only at the end of the day
• c.Only for real property documents
• d.In any order

Government Code §8206 requires each act to be recorded sequentially in a bound journal at the time of the notarization. This chronological record creates a reliable audit trail of the notary's official acts.CA Government Code §8206

For which documents does California require the signer's thumbprint in the notary journal?

• a.Only jurats
• b.All documents
• c.Only wills
• d.Deeds, quitclaim deeds, and deeds of trust affecting real property, and powers of attorney✓

A right-thumbprint is required in the journal when notarizing documents affecting real property—such as deeds, quitclaim deeds, and deeds of trust—and for powers of attorney. This requirement is a key California anti-fraud measure.CA Government Code §8206

Which of the following is a required journal entry for each notarial act?

• a.The signer's bank account number
• b.The notary's home phone number
• c.The date, time, and type of act; the signer's name; the type of ID used; and the fee charged✓
• d.A photocopy of the document

Each entry must record the date and time of the act, the type of act, the character of the document, the signer's name and signature, the method of identification, and the fee charged. Sensitive data like bank numbers are never recorded.CA Government Code §8206

Who owns and controls a California notary's sequential journal?

• a.The Secretary of State
• b.The employer who paid for it
• c.The notary personally, as the sole custodian✓
• d.The county clerk

The journal is the exclusive property of the notary, even if an employer paid for it. The notary must keep it under direct and exclusive control and may not surrender it to an employer.CA Government Code §8206

When a notary's commission ends, what must happen to the journal?

• a.It is mailed to the FBI
• b.All journals must be delivered to the county clerk within 30 days✓
• c.It is destroyed
• d.It is given to the employer

Upon resignation, revocation, or expiration, the notary must deliver all journals to the county clerk within 30 days. If the notary dies, the personal representative has the same duty.CA Government Code §8209

If a notary's journal is lost, misplaced, or stolen, what must the notary do?

• a.Immediately notify the Secretary of State in writing✓
• b.Buy a new one and continue
• c.Notify only the employer
• d.Nothing

The notary must promptly send a written report to the Secretary of State upon discovering the journal is lost or stolen, describing the circumstances. Prompt reporting helps limit fraud from the missing record.CA Government Code §8206

Which of the following must appear on a California notary seal?

• a.The State Seal, the words 'Notary Public,' the notary's name, the county, the commission number, and the commission expiration date✓
• b.The notary's photo
• c.The employer's logo
• d.The notary's home address

The seal must show the California State Seal, the words 'Notary Public,' the notary's name, the county where the bond is filed, the commission number, and the commission expiration date. It must be a fixed, legible stamp.CA Government Code §8207

A California notary seal must be:

• a.Photographically reproducible when affixed to a document✓
• b.Embossed only
• c.Applied in red ink only
• d.Round only

The seal must be photographically reproducible so that it copies clearly for recording and archiving. It is typically an inked rubber stamp; an embosser alone is not sufficient because it may not photocopy.CA Government Code §8207

If a notary's official seal is lost or stolen, what should the notary do?

• a.Continue using a replacement immediately with no notice
• b.Notify the Secretary of State✓
• c.Ignore it
• d.Report only to the police

A lost or stolen seal should be reported to the Secretary of State, and steps taken to prevent its misuse. Prompt notice helps protect the public from fraudulent notarizations using the missing seal.CA Government Code §8207

If a peace officer investigating a crime asks to inspect a notary's journal, the notary must:

• a.Destroy the journal first
• b.Refuse
• c.Permit inspection and provide requested information as authorized by law✓
• d.Charge a fee to allow it

The journal must be shown to a peace officer or the Secretary of State on request in the course of an official investigation. Although the notary owns the journal, it serves a public-interest recordkeeping function.CA Government Code §8206

The fee charged for each notarial act must be:

• a.Kept secret
• b.Recorded in the journal for that act✓
• c.Rounded to the nearest dollar
• d.Reported to the IRS separately

Each journal entry must include the fee charged for that act, or note that no fee was charged. This documents compliance with the statutory fee limits.CA Government Code §8206

When a thumbprint is required, which thumbprint does California specify?

• a.Either thumb, notary's choice
• b.The signer's right thumbprint (or, if none, another available fingerprint noted in the journal)✓
• c.Left thumb
• d.Both thumbs

The journal must contain the signer's right thumbprint for the specified real-property and power-of-attorney documents. If the right thumb is unavailable, the notary takes another fingerprint and notes which one in the journal.CA Government Code §8206

California law regarding notary journals allows which of the following about electronic records?

• a.The journal must be a bound, tangible book kept in chronological order; certain electronic recordkeeping is limited by statute✓
• b.Paper journals are prohibited
• c.Journals must always be electronic
• d.No records may be kept at all

California requires a physical, bound sequential journal for traditional notarizations. Electronic recording is tightly regulated, and the tangible journal remains the primary required record.CA Government Code §8206

When a notary's commission expires or is revoked, what must be done with the seal?

• a.Destroy the seal so it cannot be misused✓
• b.Mail it to the Secretary of State for reuse
• c.Keep it as a souvenir
• d.Give it to a friend

Upon expiration, resignation, or revocation, the seal must be destroyed or defaced so it cannot be used to create fraudulent notarizations. This is done in addition to delivering the journals to the county clerk.CA Government Code §8207

How should a notary handle recording multiple signers on the same document in the journal?

• a.Only record the first signer
• b.A separate journal entry (line item) for each signer's act✓
• c.One combined entry for everyone
• d.No entry needed if it is one document

Each signer's notarial act requires its own line item in the journal, even if they sign the same document. This ensures every act is separately documented with the signer's identification and, where required, thumbprint.CA Government Code §8206

Why does California require a sequential journal rather than loose notes?

• a.To save the notary money
• b.Because the employer requires it
• c.To create a continuous, tamper-resistant chronological record for each act✓
• d.To replace the seal

A bound, sequential journal creates a continuous record that is difficult to alter or backdate, deterring fraud. It provides evidence of what the notary did and protects both the public and the notary.CA Government Code §8206