Download Practice Notary Exam Questions and Answers for California and more Exams Public Law in PDF only on Docsity!
Practice Notary Exam Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
True or False - The specific wording for an oath or an affirmation is prescribed by law. ✔✔False
Forgery is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than ___ year(s). ✔✔ 1
True or False - To become a California notary public, you must be a legal resident of California. ✔✔True
True or False - If the employer and notary public employee have an agreement for the employer to pay bond premiums and costs for performance of notarial duties, the employer may limit the employee to provide notarial services solely to transactions directly associated with the business purpose of the employer during work hours. ✔✔True
True or False - The certificate of authorization allows a notary public to notarize a document in another state. ✔✔False
True or False - A notary public is not required to identify the two persons who witnessed the signing by mark. ✔✔True
True or False - A notary public must not issue a confidential marriage license unless he or she is approved by the Secretary of State. ✔✔False
What is it called when a subscribing witness delivers a document to a notary public? ✔✔Proof of Execution
Any person who solicits, coerces, or in any manner influences a notary public to perform an improper notarial act knowing that act to be an improper notarial act, including any act relating to maintaining the official journal, shall be guilty of a ___. ✔✔misdemeanor
If a member of the public requests a photostatic copy of the journal entry representing a transaction, the notary public must respond within ___ day(s) of receipt of the request with either a plain copy (not certified) of the requested journal entry or an acknowledgment that no such line item exists. ✔✔ 15
If a regulation mentions a number of days (e.g., 90 days), it means ✔✔Calendar days
True or False - The notary stamp must be in the shape of a triangle ✔✔False
True or False - In California, notary publics are commissioned by the Department of Real Estate. ✔✔False
True or False - If a notary public acts as an agent, employee, insurer, attorney (assuming the notary public is admitted to practice law in California), escrow or lender for another person who has a direct financial or beneficial interest in a transaction, then the notary public does not have a prohibited direct financial or beneficial interest. ✔✔True
A notary public may be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 in ____ situations. ✔✔ 2
Purposes of an acknowledgement are to: ✔✔- show that the signer personally appeared
- confirm the identity of the signer
- prove that the signer signed the document
True or False - The use of a seal is required by California notary law. ✔✔True
A notary public may complete an out-of-state acknowledgment form that will be used in another state or territory of the United States as long as the notary public does not determine or certify that the ___ or ___. ✔✔signer holds a particular representative capacity; make other determinations and certifications not allowed by California law
A notary public may certify copies of all of the following except ✔✔marriage records
The notarial journal and all other notarial records must be delivered to the clerk of the county in which the notary public's current oath is on file within 30 days in each of the following except ✔✔none of the above - this is a monthly requiremen
True or False - A notary public must keep the seal and journal under his or her direct control. No one except the notary public should have access. ✔✔True
If the notary public willfully fails or refuses to deliver all notarial records and papers to the county clerk within 30 days of resignation or removal from office, or within 30 days of commission expiration if the notary public fails to be reappointed, the person is guilty of a ___. ✔✔misdemeanor
Among other items, the credible witness must swear or affirm that ✔✔- the individual appearing before the notary public as the signer of the document is the person named in the document
- the credible witness personally knows the signer
- the credible witness does not have a financial interest in the document and is not named in the document
Every officer, including notaries public, authorized by law to make or give any certificate or other writing is guilty of a ___ if the officer makes and delivers as true any certificate or writing containing statements, which the officer knows to be false. ✔✔misdemeanor
True or False - Satisfactory evidence is the absence of any information, evidence, or other circumstances which would lead a reasonable person to believe that the individual is not the individual he or she claims to be. ✔✔True
True or False - A California notary public may not notarize documents in Arizona. ✔✔True
The penalty for violating the restrictions on advertising notarial services in a language other than English or literally translating the words "notary public" into Spanish is ✔✔$1,
True or False - A notary public may notarize a document in which the notary public is an agent. ✔✔True
True or False - In the case of two credible witnesses, both witnesses need to personally know the signer and the signer does not possess one or more of the identification documents authorized by law to establish the signer's identity. ✔✔True
Willful failure to deliver the notarial journal and other notarial records to the county clerk within the appropriate time is a(n) ___. ✔✔misdemeanor
True or False - A notary public's commission takes effect on the date the notary public files their oath of office and a surety bond in the amount of $15,000 with the county clerk's office. ✔✔True
The penalty for failing to complete the acknowledgment at the time the notary public's signature and seal are affixed to the document is ✔✔$
True or False - California notary publics receive their seals from their training provider ✔✔False
True or False - The notary public seal must contain the commission expiration date, the county wherein the oath and bond are filed, the commission number assigned to the notary public, and the sequential identification number assigned to the manufacturer or vendor by the California Secretary of State. ✔✔True
True or False - Every person who makes a false sworn statement to a notary public, with knowledge that the statement is false, to induce the notary public to perform an improper notarial act on an instrument or document affecting title to, or placing an encumbrance on, real property consisting of a single-family residence containing not more than four dwelling units is guilty of a ✔✔felony
True or False - If a principal signer cannot personally appear before the notary public, the notary public may never notarize the document. ✔✔False
True or False - It is okay to use the words "notario publico," but only if you can speak Spanish. ✔✔False
True or False - When you resign your commission, you must send your seal to the Secretary of State. ✔✔False
The notarial journal and all other notarial records must be delivered to the clerk of the county in which the notary public's current oath is on file within 30 days in each of the following ✔✔- a notary public's commission expires and the notary public has not obtained reappointment within 30 days after the expiration of the commission
- the notary public resigns
- the notary public is removed from office
Notaries public may use the following as identification ✔✔- paper identification documents meeting certain requirements
- the oath of a single credible witness
- the oaths of two credible witnesses
True or False - If a notary public is appointed to act for and on behalf of a state or county public agency as an employee of the agency, fees must be charged for all services and those fees must be remitted or turned over to the employing agency. ✔✔True
Notary publics seeking reappointment must retake the notary public exam ✔✔every four years
When you resign your commission, what must you do with your seal? ✔✔Destroy or deface it
The penalty for the use of false or misleading advertising wherein the notary public has represented that he or she has duties, rights, or privileges that he or she does not possess is ✔✔$1,
True or False - California notary publics must notify the Secretary of State in writing via certified mail within 60 days of any business or residence address changes. ✔✔False
A notary public who knowingly and willfully with intent to defraud performs any notarial act in relation to a deed of trust on real property consisting of a single-family residence containing not more than four dwelling units, with knowledge that the deed of trust contains any false statements or is forged in whole or in part, is guilty of a(n) ✔✔felony
True or False - Whenever possible, all notary publics should give immigration advice. ✔✔False
A valid size for the notary stamp is ✔✔- not over two inches in diameter
- width is 1 inch, length is 2 1/2 inches
True or False - Some military identification cards do not contain all the required information and cannot be used as identification if all required information is not present. ✔✔True
The notary public stamp may be ✔✔circular or rectangular
A notary public must surrender their official journal ___ to a peace officer acting in his or her official capacity who has reasonable suspicion the journal contains evidence of a criminal offense and who is investigating that criminal offense. ✔✔immediately, or as soon as possible if the journal is not present
True or False - Every notary public is permitted to issue confidential marriage licenses. ✔✔False
You have just received your commission. How many days after the commencement date do you have to file you oath and bond with the county clerk? ✔✔30 days
When notarizing a signature by mark, how many witnesses must write the name of the signer making the mark next to the signer's mark? ✔✔ 1
The certificate of authorization allows ✔✔a notary public to purchase a seal from an authorized vendor
Amongst other items, what must always be put in the journal? ✔✔date, time, type of act, character of every instrument, signature, fee charged
The maximum fee for all services in connection with the taking of any deposition is ___, and an additional ___ for administering the oath to the witness and ___ for the certificate to the deposition. ✔✔$30, $7, $
Criminal misconduct may be a(n) ✔✔felony
misdemeanor
infraction
True or False - A notary may notarize documents signed by relatives. ✔✔True
True or False - A Notary Public with a felony may not be appointed. ✔✔True
You may only notarize a document if you are listed as the ✔✔Agent
True or False - A notary public can charge whatever feels he or she feels appropriate for all services. ✔✔False
If a thumbprint is required, but the signer has no right thumb, the notary public must ✔✔use the left thumbprint, or any available finger
In the case of two credible witnesses ✔✔The notary public does not need to know either credible witness
True or False - By law, a notary public is not required to charge a fee. ✔✔True
True or False - The notary public does not personally verify the identity of the principal signer in a proof of execution by a subscribing witness. ✔✔True
The penalty for failing to administer the oath or affirmation is ✔✔$
True or False - Under California law, thumbprints of signers in the journal are never required. ✔✔False
True or False - When notarizing a signature by mark, two witnesses must observe the signer making their mark and must sign their names next to the signer's mark on the document. ✔✔True
What happens if you fail to file your oath and bond within 30 days after the commencement date stated in the commission? ✔✔- your commission is invalid
- you must reapply
- you must pay any associated application fees again
True or False - If the document with the notarized signature is a deed, quitclaim deed, deed of trust, other document affecting real property, or a power of attorney, the notary public must require the party signing the document to place his or her right thumbprint in the journal as part of the line item entry for the transaction. ✔✔True
True or False - The signer must raise his or her right hand when taking an oath. ✔✔False
True or False - The law requires that the notary public records the character of every instrument in the journal ✔✔True
True or False - Willful failure to deliver the notarial journal and other notarial records to the county clerk within the appropriate time is a(n) ___. ✔✔misdemeanor
Paper identification documents must be current, or have been issued within the previous ___ years. ✔✔ 5
True or False - You must file an insurance bond of at least $15,000 with the County Clerk after your commission is approved, but before you notarize anything. ✔✔True
The penalty for negligently failing to discharge fully and faithfully any of the duties or responsibilities required of a notary public is ✔✔$
True or False - The identity of a subscribing witness must be established by the oath or affirmation of a credible witness whom the notary public personally knows and who personally knows the subscribing witness. ✔✔True
The notary seal may not be ✔✔- over two inches in diameter, if circular
- more than one inch in width by two and one-half inches in length if rectangular
