California Notary Public — 6-Hour Education Course
State-approved continuing education for new California notary applicants. Complete your required 6-hour course fully online, at your own pace, and receive your certificate of completion instantly.
✓ SOS Approved
✓ 100% Online
✓ Self-Paced
✓ Instant Certificate
✓ 100% Online
✓ Self-Paced
✓ Instant Certificate
⚖️ Compliance Notice: This course satisfies the California Secretary of State’s mandatory 6-hour education requirement for all new notary public applicants per Government Code §8201(a)(3). You must complete this course before sitting for the notary exam.
$49
Duration
6 Hours
Format
Online
Modules
6
Certificate
Instant
Valid For
Exam Entry
What You Will Learn
- California notary public laws and statutes
- Duties and functions of a notary public
- Proper notarial procedures and act requirements
- Journal of notarial acts — requirements and best practices
- How to verify signer identity and acceptable ID
- Acknowledgments, jurats, and other notarial acts
- Prohibitions and grounds for commission denial
- Notary fees and charging limits under California law
- Immigration document restrictions
- Fraud prevention and red flags
- Remote online notarization (RON) overview
- How to obtain your notary seal and bond
Course Curriculum
1
Introduction to California Notary Public Law
60 min
- Role and authority of a California notary public
- California Government Code §8200 through §8230 — overview
- Appointment, qualifications, and term of commission
- Geographic jurisdiction and limitations
- Grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of commission
- Module 1 Quiz — 10 questions
2
Notarial Acts and Procedures
60 min
- Types of notarial acts: acknowledgments, jurats, oaths, affirmations, copy certifications
- Step-by-step acknowledgment procedures
- Step-by-step jurat procedures
- Subscribing witness and credible witness rules
- Incomplete documents — what to do and what not to do
- Certificate wording requirements
- Module 2 Quiz — 10 questions
3
Signer Identification Requirements
60 min
- Acceptable forms of identification under California law
- Personal knowledge vs. satisfactory evidence
- Credible identifying witnesses — rules and procedures
- Identifying signers who cannot provide ID
- Spotting fraudulent identification documents
- Common identity fraud schemes targeting notaries
- Module 3 Quiz — 10 questions
4
The Notary Journal
60 min
- Mandatory journal requirements under California law
- What must be recorded for every notarial act
- Thumbprint requirements — when and how
- Correcting journal errors
- Subpoenas, inspections, and surrendering your journal
- Journal storage, retention, and destruction requirements
- Module 4 Quiz — 10 questions
5
Notary Seal, Bond, and Fees
60 min
- Official notary seal requirements — what must appear
- Obtaining your seal from an SOS-authorized vendor
- $15,000 surety bond — filing requirements and deadlines
- Oath of office — where and when to file
- Maximum fees allowed under California Government Code §8211
- When notarization must be free of charge
- Immigration document restrictions — what notaries cannot do
- Module 5 Quiz — 10 questions
6
Ethics, Liability, and Emerging Issues
60 min
- Notary liability — civil and criminal exposure
- Errors and omissions insurance — why it matters
- Conflicts of interest and prohibited acts
- Advertising rules for California notaries
- Electronic notarization overview
- Remote Online Notarization (RON) — California SB 696 update
- Protecting yourself: best practices in the field
- Module 6 Final Exam — 30 questions (must score 70% to pass)
Ready to get started?
Instant access. Complete at your own pace. Certificate emailed on completion.