Individuals who wish to obtain a commission must complete the tasks outlined in the California Secretary of State's Notary Public Checklist. This includes passing an exam administered by CPS HR Consulting (that's us).

The Notary Handbook is available either online or by mail. To receive a handbook by mail, please click here.

The application is only available online and must be printed from the Secretary of State's Website. Please carefully review the application instructions prior to completion; errors on the application will result in a delay to your commission. Only your official signature should be written, all other information should be typed (preferred) or printed legibly in blue or black ink.

Result Notification: Results from your Notary Public Examination will be emailed (if you provided an email address on the upper right corner of your application) or mailed via USPS approximately 15-20 business days  following the examination. Result information will not be discussed over the phone. Current processing timelines can be found at the top of the homepage.

If you do not have an existing online account and have listed an email address on your application, a message containing your username and password will be sent to you from CPScontact@cpshr.us. Receipt of this message indicates we have processed your application and created your online account. This message is automatically generated and may not clear any “spam” filters. In this case, the message is likely to be in your “junk” mailbox.

Once exam results are available, you can access them via your online account. To view your results notification online, select the “My Account” link located in the toolbar. Once logged in, select “View Notifications” to see a copy of your exam results letter. Exam results are available approximately 15-20 business days after the exam date.

The following items are required. Please see What to Bring (cpshr.us) for additional information.
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1. Valid, government-issued photo identification
    Name on identification must match Section 1 d. (full legal name) completed on application.
2. Correctly completed Notary Public Application
    Attach to this application a 2x2 color passport photo, and proof of completion certificate.
3. Payment of fee: $40 for new/reappointments and $20 for applicants who failed their last exam.
      For candidates who failed their last exam, please bring a copy of your printed results letter to       accompany the reduced fee. Fees are made payable to Secretary of State.
4. Sharpened No. 2 lead pencils

The Notary Public exam is 45 items and candidates are permitted 60 minutes to complete the exam.
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All of the material in the California Notary Public Handbook (including updates, if any) is subject to examination. The exam will test your knowledge on the following content areas; 1) Administrative Procedures, 2) Notarial Acts/Documentation, 3) Identification/Subscribing Witness Notarizations, 4) Immigration/Foreign Language and 5) Misconduct/Fees.

A scaled score of at least 70 is required to pass the exam. Candidates who take the California Notary Public Examination receive a scaled score that ranges from 0 to 100. A scaled score is a conversion of a candidate’s raw score on one examination form to a common scale used for all the examination forms.

To check current processing times, please visit the Secretary of State’s website. Notary Public commissions are issued from the Secretary of State’s office, Notary Public Section.

Once candidates pass the exam, their application is forwarded to the Secretary of State's office for processing. All persons appointed as a Notary Public are required to complete the items on the  Notary Public Checklist.