Pennsylvania Notary Practice Exam

Answer: A
Section 167.11(b)(1) requires an applicant for initial appointment to be at least 18 years of age, a citizen or permanent legal resident, a resident of or employed in Pennsylvania, and able to read and write English; a 17-year-old fails the age element regardless of the others. B is wrong because § 167.11(b)(1) states the age floor with no exception for permanent residents. C is wrong because the regulation names no co-signature option that lowers the age requirement. D is wrong because § 167.11(b) governs initial appointment specifically, and the same floor carries into renewal under § 167.12.

Answer: B
Section 167.11(b)(6) requires the three-hour basic education course to be completed within the six months immediately preceding the application; a course finished eight months earlier is stale and does not satisfy the requirement, so she must retake it before applying. B is wrong because the regulation sets a six-month window, not two years. C is wrong because no quiz retake revives an expired completion date; the course itself must be retaken. D is wrong because the regulation measures from six months, not 30 days, and describes no provider re-certification procedure.

Answer: C
The Department's vendor, Pearson VUE, charges $65 per test, and an applicant may test once from home or office before any later attempts must occur at an approved testing center. B is wrong because the recorder of deeds records bonds, oaths and commissions but never administers the exam. C is wrong because the Department contracts examination out to Pearson VUE rather than administering it directly, and no flat unlimited-attempt fee exists. D is wrong because the $42 filing fee in § 161.1 is a separate application charge; each $65 exam attempt is billed independently.

Answer: D
Section 167.15(c) authorizes an applicant to retake the examination within the six-month period following authorization, but no more than once in any 24-hour period, so a same-afternoon retake after a morning attempt is not allowed. B is wrong because the same subsection caps retakes at one per 24 hours. C is wrong because the waiting period is 24 hours, not 30 days. D is wrong because the regulation describes no expedited-retake surcharge; the ordinary exam fee applies to each attempt after the required wait.

Answer: A
Section 167.15(c) authorizes testing for six months from the date of authorization; an applicant who has not passed by then must retake the basic education course and reapply for appointment and commission from the start. B is wrong because no rule converts repeated failing attempts into an appointment. C is wrong because the six-month window is an outer limit, not an open-ended allowance. D is wrong because the regulation provides no extension-fee mechanism; the remedy is retaking the course and filing a new application.

Answer: B
Section 167.15 requires a scaled score of 75 or higher to pass the notary examination, so a 70 is a failing score regardless of how the applicant later performs. B is wrong because no 65-point threshold exists for first attempts; 75 applies uniformly. C is wrong because the regulation sets one passing score for every attempt, not a lower bar on the first try. D is wrong because no near-miss or remedial-training exception appears anywhere in § 167.15.

Answer: C
Examination results are valid for one year from the date of the exam under § 167.15(d)(2); a result that is 14 months old has lapsed, and she must retake and pass the examination again before the Department will appoint her. B is wrong because the one-year figure is a stated limit, not a permanent credential. C is wrong because the validity period is fixed at one year regardless of how long she happens to wait. D is wrong because 90 days understates the actual one-year validity period.

Answer: D
Section 161.1 sets the notary application fee at $42, payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and this is distinct from the $65 Pearson VUE examination fee described on the Department's examination page. B is wrong because it conflates the application fee with the unrelated exam fee. C is wrong because the recorder of deeds records the bond and oath but collects no such combined fee. D is wrong because the $42 application fee is charged in addition to, not instead of, the bond obtained from a private surety.

Answer: A
Section 167.86 requires remote-notarization technology to include at least two identity-proofing processes drawn from methods such as credential analysis, dynamic knowledge-based authentication or biometrics, layering multiple checks on the remotely located individual. B is wrong because a single method, however sophisticated, does not satisfy the two-process requirement. C is wrong because § 167.86 concerns technology-based identity proofing, not a mailed paper affidavit. D is wrong because a credible witness is a separate identification route under § 307(b)(2) for in-person acts, not a substitute for the technology standard governing remote sessions.

Answer: B
A Pennsylvania notary commission runs for four years under 57 Pa.C.S. § 321, and a notary may renew for successive four-year terms indefinitely as long as she continues to meet the qualification and education requirements at each renewal. B is wrong because the term is four years, not two, and no three-renewal cap exists. C is wrong because renewals are not capped in number; a notary may keep renewing every four years. D is wrong because the initial term is the same four years as every subsequent term.

Answer: C
Section 167.12 lets a notary submit a renewal application up to 90 days before the commission's expiration date, giving the Department time to process it before the current term ends. B is wrong because the window is 90 days, not the shorter 30-day period. C is wrong because an early-filing ceiling does exist, even though renewal remains open throughout most of the term. D is wrong because renewal is meant to be filed before expiration; waiting until after expiration converts the case into a lapsed-commission application under § 167.13.

Answer: D
Section 167.12 requires a renewing notary who has had no lapse in commission to complete at least three hours of Department-approved continuing education within the six months before submitting the renewal, paralleling the basic course required of first-time applicants. B is wrong because renewal always carries its own education requirement; the original course does not last a career. C is wrong because the continuing-education course is three hours, not six, and applies at every renewal, not only the second. D is wrong because no one-hour online option appears in the regulation; the requirement is the same three hours as initial education.

Answer: A
Section 167.13 requires an applicant whose commission has already expired by the time the Department receives the paperwork to comply with § 167.11, the initial-appointment requirements, which include passing the examination again rather than following the simplified no-lapse renewal path. B is wrong because § 167.12 applies only when the commission has not yet expired at submission; two months past expiration is a lapse. C is wrong because no automatic reinstatement track exists for any gap length. D is wrong because exam results are valid for one year under § 167.15(d)(2), not for the whole four-year commission term, and a lapsed applicant must retest under § 167.11 regardless.

Answer: B
The Department advises filing a renewal about two to three months before the commission expires so there is time to process it and avoid an unintended lapse, even though § 167.12 technically permits filing up to 90 days ahead. B is wrong because the one-year figure describes exam-result validity under § 167.15(d)(2), not renewal timing. C is wrong because no rule rejects a renewal for being filed earlier than 30 days out; the guidance recommends filing earlier, not later. D is wrong because renewal is meant to be completed before the term ends, not after it lapses into a § 167.13 reapplication.

Answer: C
Section 167.14(b) provides that a notary's name may not consist of initials alone or of nicknames, so "Vinny" cannot stand in place of her legal first name on the commission regardless of how long or widely it has been used. B is wrong because no driver's-license-duration exception appears in § 167.14. C is wrong because the section requires one of the specific legal-name formats in § 167.14(a), not any name the community uses. D is wrong because § 167.14(b) bars nicknames outright, with no length-based carve-out.

Answer: D
Section 167.14(c) allows generational suffixes such as Junior, Senior, or Roman numerals like II, III or IV, but excludes prefixes or suffixes that denote a professional or occupational title, such as Doctor, Reverend or Esquire, so "II" may appear on the commission while "Esquire" may not. B is wrong because the section names only generational suffixes as permitted, not any suffix used elsewhere. C is wrong because generational suffixes are expressly allowed, not barred outright. D is wrong because it reverses the rule: the occupational title is barred and the generational suffix is allowed.

Answer: A
Section 167.16 sets the surety bond at $25,000 for an applicant obtaining a bond on or after March 28, 2026, which covers an applicant completing appointment paperwork in April 2026. B is wrong because $10,000 was an earlier figure that the regulation has since raised. C is wrong because the current amount is $25,000, not $50,000. D is wrong because bonding remains mandatory; § 167.16 sets an amount rather than eliminating the requirement.

Answer: B
Section 167.16 includes a transitional provision letting a notary who held a commission on March 28, 2026 continue using her existing bond until that commission expires, so she need not obtain a new $25,000 bond mid-term. B is wrong because no supplemental-bond filing requirement exists for notaries already commissioned. C is wrong because the transitional rule is tied to holding a commission on the specific date, not a blanket exemption for every prior notary regardless of term. D is wrong because the transitional bond allowance is unconditional and does not depend on a later name or address change.

Answer: C
The Department describes the bond as protection for the customer from financial loss caused by the notary's misconduct, and it must be executed by an insurance company authorized to do business in the Commonwealth, not self-funded or issued by a government office. B is wrong because the bond runs in favor of the injured public, and the notary remains personally liable to reimburse the surety for any claim paid. C is wrong because the recorder of deeds records the bond but never issues it, and it has nothing to do with an employer's wage obligations. D is wrong because the bond protects transacting members of the public, not the Department's own budget, and it need not come from a federally chartered bank.

Answer: D
Section 167.17(c) requires a newly appointed notary, within 45 days, to obtain the bond, take the oath, appear before the recorder of deeds to record the bond, oath and commission, and register her official signature; only after this does the recorder deliver the commission certificate. B is wrong because the stamp is never mailed to the Department for approval; it is purchased to conform with § 317's specifications. C is wrong because no county-specific second education course exists within the 45-day window. D is wrong because the $42 fee was already paid with the application; no reactivation fee is described.

Answer: A
Section 167.18 provides that a commission is null and void if the notary fails to record the bond, oath and commission or register the official signature within 45 days of appointment, and § 167.18(b) directs the appointee back through the § 167.13 lapsed-commission process to reapply. B is wrong because no additional 45-day grace period follows the first one. C is wrong because the commission does not suspend and self-reactivate; it becomes void outright. D is wrong because § 167.18 describes voidance, not a late fee, as the consequence.

Answer: B
Section 167.17(d) provides that after recording the bond, oath and commission, the recorder of deeds delivers the commission certificate to the notary public, completing the appointment process. B is wrong because delivery runs to the notary personally, not to any employer. C is wrong because the recorder keeps the recorded documents on file but delivers the certificate itself rather than retaining it. D is wrong because the certificate goes to the notary, not back to the Department for a further review step.

Answer: C
The Department's fee schedule allows $5 for taking an acknowledgment from the first individual and $2 for each additional name acknowledging the same record, so two signers together cost $7, not a flat per-person or per-document rate. B is wrong because the schedule charges $2, not the full $5, for each name after the first. C is wrong because a second signer's name still adds the $2 additional-name charge. D is wrong because no separate multi-signer processing surcharge appears in the schedule.

Answer: D
The Department's fee schedule expressly bars charging any fee for notarizing an Emergency Absentee Ballot affidavit or an affidavit for a voter who needs assistance, so this notarization must be performed free of charge. B is wrong because the standard $5 fee does not apply to this specific category of affidavit. C is wrong because the rule waives the fee entirely rather than halving it. D is wrong because the waiver turns on the nature of the affidavit, not the voter's age.

Answer: A
Section 167.43(a)(2)(vii) accepts a consular identification document only when it is current, in addition to bearing a photo or signature and being in a language the notary understands, so a document that expired four months ago fails the currency element even though the other conditions are met. B is wrong because currency is a separate express condition alongside the photograph and language requirements, not something the regulation omits. C is wrong because the regulation ties currency to the document's own printed validity period, not a fixed 90-day rule. D is wrong because consular documents are subject to the same currency requirement as every other listed credential; they do not remain valid indefinitely.

Answer: B
Section 308(a)(4) authorizes a notarial officer to refuse an act when not satisfied that the individual's physical appearance is consistent with the photograph on the identification presented, which directly covers a driver's license photo that no longer resembles the person standing before the notary. B is wrong because a facially valid license does not override the notary's independent duty to be satisfied the appearance matches. C is wrong because § 319(c)(5) concerns journal entries about the identification method used, not a refusal ground. D is wrong because § 167.65(4) governs which records a notary may certify as copies, a wholly separate topic from appearance mismatches during identification.

Answer: C
Section 308(a)(3) authorizes refusal when the notary is not satisfied that the signature made on the record substantially conforms to the signature on the identification credential, addressing exactly this kind of dramatic mismatch even where the underlying identity is otherwise established. B is wrong because signature conformity is its own express ground for refusal, separate from and in addition to satisfactory-evidence identity. C is wrong because § 317(2) sets the physical dimensions of the notary's own stamp, unrelated to a signer's handwriting. D is wrong because § 167.32(d) restricts what personal data may appear in the journal; it has nothing to do with comparing a signer's signature to a credential.

Answer: D
Section 307(a) defines personal knowledge as identifying an individual through dealings sufficient to provide reasonable certainty of the individual's claimed identity, and a single brief party conversation where the notary recalls only a first name falls well short of that standard, so the notary must instead rely on satisfactory evidence or a credible witness. B is wrong because the statute requires dealings sufficient for reasonable certainty, not merely any prior meeting regardless of depth. C is wrong because § 307(a) is not a pure time-elapsed test; it turns on the sufficiency of the dealings themselves. D is wrong because the statute does not categorically exclude social relationships, it simply requires that whatever the relationship, it provide reasonable certainty of identity.

Answer: B
Section 167.33 requires a tangible journal to use a permanent binding method, such as Smyth sewing or stitching, glue, staples or grommets, and it specifically bars temporary fasteners such as tape, paperclips or binder clips, so taping extra pages into the notebook fails the requirement even if the notebook's original binding is acceptable. B is wrong because the binding method for every page, including later additions, must meet the permanent-binding standard. C is wrong because it inverts the rule: the problem is the taped pages, not the notebook's spiral binding as such, though a fully spiral-bound book would raise the same concern. D is wrong because initialing a page does not convert a temporary fastener into a permanent binding method.

Answer: C
Section 167.33 requires the journal's pages to carry preprinted consecutive numbers running throughout the book, precisely so that a notary cannot add or number pages after the fact, which hand-numbering as entries accrue would defeat. B is wrong because the regulation calls for preprinted numbering, not numbering added later by the notary herself. C is wrong because § 167.33 places the numbering requirement on the journal's format, not on a Department pre-sale process. D is wrong because every page must be preprinted and numbered regardless of whether it ultimately holds an entry.

Answer: D
Section 319(b) permits a journal in either a tangible or electronic format, but 4 Pa. Code § 167.34 requires an electronic journal to be tamper-evident, and an ordinary word-processing document that anyone with access can silently edit does not meet that standard. B is wrong because a weekly backup does not make a freely editable file tamper-evident. C is wrong because § 319(b) expressly authorizes electronic journals; it does not require a tangible one exclusively. D is wrong because a laptop login password protects the device generally, not the tamper-evidence of the journal file's own entries as § 167.34 requires.

Answer: A
Section 319(g) places the same delivery duty on a personal representative after a notary's death that § 319(e) places on the notary herself upon resignation or expiration, requiring delivery of the journal to the recorder of deeds of the county where she last maintained an office. B is wrong because the journal is handled under this specific notarial-records duty rather than as ordinary probate personal property passing under the will. C is wrong because § 319(g) imposes an affirmative duty on the personal representative rather than leaving the journal's fate unaddressed. D is wrong because the journal is preserved and delivered to the recorder of deeds, not destroyed by an employer.

Answer: D
Section 319(a) requires a journal recording in chronological order all notarial acts the notary performs; § 319(b) requires a tangible journal to be a bound register with numbered pages, and an electronic one to be tamper-evident under 4 Pa. Code § 167.34. Each act is a separate, contemporaneous entry under § 319(c) and § 167.32(b). A is wrong because § 319(a) says all notarial acts, with no carve-out by document type. B is wrong because § 319(c)(6) records the fee within an entry that is required anyway; § 167.32(f) requires waived fees to be shown as n/c or 0. C is wrong because § 167.41(a) simply confirms authority in every county; the recording duty in § 319(a) covers every act wherever performed.

Answer: A
Section 317(1) prescribes, in order, "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," "Notary Seal," the name as it appears on the commission with "Notary Public," the county in which the notary maintains an office and the expiration date; 4 Pa. Code § 167.21(b)(5) adds the seven-digit commission number, and § 317(2) limits the rubber stamp to 1 inch by 3½ inches with a plain border. Words may not be abbreviated except name suffixes. B is wrong because § 317 lists no address or telephone number, and § 317(2) requires a rectangular rubber stamp no taller than 1 inch. C is wrong because recording details stay in the recorder's office; the stamp carries only the § 317 elements. D is wrong because nothing about the bond appears on the stamp; § 321(d.2)(3) concerns filing a copy with the Department.

Answer: D
Section 319(e)(2) requires the journal to be delivered to the recorder of deeds of the county where the notary last maintained an office within 30 days of resignation, and § 318(a)(2) requires the stamping device to be disabled by destroying, defacing, damaging, erasing or securing it against use; 4 Pa. Code § 167.45(a)(7) also requires notifying the Department of the resignation within 30 days. A is wrong because § 167.22(e) is the loss-or-theft notice period; the journal is never destroyed but delivered to the recorder of deeds under § 319(e). B is wrong because § 318(a)(2.1) applies only to suspended or revoked commissions, and the Department tells resigning notaries not to send the stamp or journal to it. C is wrong because § 319(h)(3) forbids any other person to use the journal or the employer to take it; the stamp bears one name and is disabled.

Answer: D
The journal is an evidentiary record: § 319(g.1) requires the notary to give a certified copy to any person who applies, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.36 requires inspection in the notary's presence on request and certified copies within 15 days. A subpoena is simply a compelled form of that access, and § 167.121(a)(6) sanctions altering or deleting entries. A is wrong because exemption from execution protects the journal from seizure for the notary's debts; it creates no privilege against a subpoena. B is wrong because § 167.32(d) bars recording personally identifiable information in the first place; the entries themselves are the record and may be inspected and copied. C is wrong because § 319(e) delivery applies only on expiration, resignation or revocation of the commission, not during litigation.

Answer: D
Section 311 recognizes a notarial act performed under another state's law, and § 315(b)(2) shows that even in Pennsylvania a stamp is optional for notarial officers other than notaries public, so a missing seal is a question for the receiving office under the other state's law. A Pennsylvania notary may not add a stamp to another officer's certificate; 4 Pa. Code § 167.121(a)(14) sanctions using the stamp for anything but the notary's own act. A is wrong because § 317 governs Pennsylvania notaries' stamps only; other states' requirements differ. B is wrong because § 315(b)(1) requires the stamp on the Pennsylvania notary's own certificate; stamping another officer's certificate misuses the stamp (§ 167.121(a)(14)). C is wrong because § 311 gives the out-of-state act the same effect as a Pennsylvania act; no replacement certificate is required.

Answer: D
Section 319(h) makes the journal the notary's exclusive property that no other person may use, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.35(a) requires the notary to keep it in a secure location accessible only to the notary; § 167.35(b) treats unauthorized access as theft that must be reported to the Department within 15 days, and § 167.121(a)(6) sanctions altered or inserted entries. A is wrong because § 167.36(a) requires inspection to occur in the notary's presence; open access to the book is not inspection. B is wrong because binding and numbering deter page substitution, but § 167.35(a) still requires the notary's sole custody. C is wrong because § 167.35(a) applies to both formats, requiring a secure location for the physical book and a password for the electronic one.

Answer: D
Section 319(e)(1) requires a notary whose commission expires without renewal to deliver the journal within 30 days to the recorder of deeds of the county where the notary last maintained an office, and § 319(g) imposes the same duty on a personal representative after death; the recorder keeps the record, so a former notary answers a later inquiry by pointing to that office or to the certified copies available under § 319(g.1). A is wrong because § 319(e) requires delivery to the recorder of deeds, never destruction; the record, not memory, answers the request. B is wrong because § 167.36 and § 319(g.1) allow any person to inspect the journal or request a certified copy. C is wrong because § 318(a)(2) applies to the stamping device only; the journal is delivered under § 319(e) and remains available.

Answer: C
Section 167.111(b) flatly prohibits a notary from notarizing her own signature, a rule that operates independently of the interest-based analysis in § 304(b) and applies even to a document, like a lost-key affidavit, in which she has no financial stake whatsoever. B is wrong because it applies the wrong test; § 167.111(b) is a categorical bar on self-notarization, not limited to situations involving a financial interest. C is wrong because the bar is not limited by document subject matter; it applies to any record bearing the notary's own signature. D is wrong because no co-signing procedure lets a notary certify her own signature; only a different, disinterested notary may perform the act.

Answer: B
Under § 308(a)(2) a notary may refuse when not satisfied that the signature is knowingly and voluntarily made, and by executing a certificate the notary certifies under § 315(d) that the act was properly performed; a relative answering every question for a frightened signer is exactly the situation § 308 addresses. A is wrong because § 308(a) lists four grounds, including doubt that the signature is knowingly and voluntarily made; identification is only one of them. C is wrong because § 319(c)(3) records the person for whom the act is performed, and no journal note cures a signing the notary believes is coerced. D is wrong because removing the relative without confirming voluntariness leaves the § 308(a)(2) doubt unresolved.

Answer: B
A notary public is an individual commissioned by the Department of State (§ 302) whose certificate certifies under § 315(d) that no § 304(b) conflict existed; the office exists to give disinterested assurance of identity and voluntary signing, which is why the Department describes the notary as a commissioned Pennsylvania public official. A is wrong because notaries are appointed by the Department of State, not the courts; the prothonotary or recorder of deeds only registers the signature under § 321(d.1). C is wrong because the bond answers for violations of law under § 321(d)(4); a family relationship alone is no violation, and only a direct or pecuniary interest disqualifies under § 304(b). D is wrong because § 321(a) requires no law license, and § 325(a) bars non-attorney notaries from practicing law at all.

Answer: B
A grantee of a deed has a direct or pecuniary interest in the record, so § 304(b)(1) prohibits the act and § 304(b)(3) makes any such act voidable; 4 Pa. Code § 167.111(b) separately bars notarizing one's own signature, and § 167.121(a)(1)–(2) list these as sanction grounds. A is wrong because identification is not the issue; § 304(b) disqualifies an interested notary however well the signer is known. C is wrong because the fee schedule does not license a conflicted act; the prohibition in § 304(b) is absolute. D is wrong because § 304(b) contains no witness exception; only a different, disinterested notary may act.

Answer: C
Section 306 requires the individual executing the signature to appear personally, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.42 defines that as physical presence. A power of attorney lets the agent sign in a representative capacity and acknowledge that signature (§ 302), but it never lets someone else appear for a signature the principal already made. A is wrong because an agent may acknowledge the agent's own signature made under the power; the agent cannot acknowledge the principal's signature for the principal. B is wrong because § 307 identifies the individual who appears; presenting another person's credential identifies no one. D is wrong because § 167.42(b)(3) applies only to oral oaths in court or administrative proceedings; a telephone call is not personal appearance.

Answer: C
Choosing the instrument that achieves a legal objective is legal advice, which § 325(a)(1) places outside the notary's authority; 4 Pa. Code § 167.121(a)(13) makes unauthorized practice a sanction ground and § 167.124 applies the PBA's Formal Opinion 2006-01 factors in deciding it. A is wrong because § 325(a)(1) separately prohibits giving legal advice and otherwise practicing law. B is wrong because § 325(a) prohibits the advice itself; § 325(a)(4) adds a separate bar on compensation. D is wrong because § 325(a)(1) forbids assisting in drafting legal records whether or not a fee is charged.

Answer: C
Under § 304(b)(1) the test is a direct or pecuniary interest in the record, not whether the notary is named in it; 4 Pa. Code § 167.2 defines the interest as any actual or potential gain other than regular salary, wage or notarial fee, and § 304(b)(2)(iii) excludes only a fee that is not contingent on completion. A is wrong because § 304(b)(1) speaks of an interest in the record; being unnamed does not remove a contingent commission. B is wrong because § 304(b)(2)(iii) excludes only fees not contingent on completion, and this commission is paid only if the contract is signed. D is wrong because § 319(c)(6) records the notarial fee; disclosure does not cure a § 304(b) conflict, and the act would be voidable.

Answer: C
Sections 305 and 307 require personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence for every acknowledgment, verification or witnessed signature, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.121(a)(17) makes acting without it a sanction ground. The only other route, a credible witness under § 307(b)(2), requires someone personally known to the notary, and no such person is present. A is wrong because § 319(c)(5) documents the credential actually used; it does not authorize proceeding without one. B is wrong because a self-serving oath is not satisfactory evidence; § 307(b)(2) accepts a sworn statement only from a credible witness known to the notary. D is wrong because a credible witness must be personally known to the notary and personally know the signer (4 Pa. Code § 167.43(b)); a stranger in the waiting room qualifies on neither count.

Answer: C
Section 325(a)(1) provides that a commission does not authorize assisting persons in drafting legal records, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.121(a)(13) treats unauthorized practice as a sanction ground. The notary may still notarize a lease the customer prepares if § 306 appearance and § 307 identification are satisfied. A is wrong because § 304(b)(2)(iii) concerns conflicts of interest; it does not authorize the legal drafting § 325(a)(1) prohibits. B is wrong because the drafting itself is the violation; § 304(b) is about pecuniary interest, and declining the notarization does not undo unauthorized practice. D is wrong because the § 325(d) statement is a required advertising disclosure, not a waiver that permits drafting.

Answer: C
Section 306 and 4 Pa. Code § 167.42(a) require the signer's physical presence before the notary for any act relating to a signature; only a remote notarization under § 306.1, by a notary who has notified the Department and uses approved communication technology, substitutes for it. A is wrong because § 167.61 still requires the signer to appear and acknowledge the signature; the earlier signing is allowed, the absence is not. B is wrong because personal knowledge under § 307(a) identifies a person who appears; it does not replace appearance under § 306. D is wrong because § 307 identification is separate from appearance, and a photocopied credential is not presented by an individual appearing before the notary.

Answer: B
Section 308(a)(1) lets the notary refuse when not satisfied that the individual is competent or has capacity to execute the record, and § 325(a)(1) forbids curing the confusion by explaining the record's legal effect. The notary may suggest that the signer consult the document's preparer or an attorney. A is wrong because § 325(a)(1) prohibits legal advice regardless of compensation; the fee bar in § 325(a)(4) is additional. C is wrong because § 308(a)(1) and (2) cover capacity and voluntariness as well as the § 307 issues in (a)(3) and (4). D is wrong because valid identification settles identity only; capacity under § 308(a)(1) is a separate question.

Answer: A
Section 304(b)(2)(ii) provides that being an officer, director or employee of a company that is a party is not a direct or pecuniary interest unless the person personally benefits, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.2 excludes regular salary, hourly wage and bonuses not contingent on the notarized transaction; a commission or bonus tied to completion is disqualifying under § 304(b)(1). B is wrong because § 304(b)(2)(ii) says employment alone is not a disqualifying interest, and § 329.1(d) presumes fees belong to the notary. C is wrong because § 304(b)(1) covers the notary's own interest first, and an employee who personally benefits from the transaction is disqualified. D is wrong because the bond amount has nothing to do with conflicts; § 304(b) turns on interest, not dollar value.

Answer: B
Section 325(d)(1)(ii) requires any non-attorney notary who advertises notarial services, in print, broadcast or on the Internet, to include prominently and in each language used the statement that the notary is not an attorney licensed in this Commonwealth and may not draft legal records, give advice on legal matters including immigration, or charge a fee for those activities; § 325(c) also bars the term "notario publico." A is wrong because § 321(d) governs the bond's execution and recording; no advertising disclosure of it exists. C is wrong because § 325(b) merely forbids false or deceptive advertising; the required statement is the § 325(d) non-attorney disclosure. D is wrong because § 325(d)(1)(ii) names the Internet expressly; (iii) covers only media too small to carry the statement.

Answer: A
Section 308(a)(2) authorizes refusal when the notary is not satisfied that the signature is knowingly and voluntarily made, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.42(a)(2) requires the notary to be able to observe and interact with the signer. Speaking with the signer apart from the companion is the practical way to resolve that doubt before certifying the act under § 315(d). B is wrong because § 308(a)(2) expressly covers whether the signature is knowingly and voluntarily made. C is wrong because an optional comment does not resolve doubt about voluntariness; the notary would still be certifying a signing it doubts. D is wrong because § 307(b)(2) uses a credible witness to establish identity, and asking the possible source of the pressure to vouch for free will proves nothing.

Answer: D
Section 308(b) allows a notary to refuse any notarial act unless refusal is prohibited by other law, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.113 limits that only by forbidding refusal based on race, religion, disability and similar protected characteristics. A notary who suspects fraud should decline and note the refusal rather than lend the certificate's assurance under § 315(d) to the record. A is wrong because § 308(a) lists specific grounds, but § 308(b) adds a general right to refuse unless another law prohibits it. B is wrong because § 167.125 lists the notary's own convictions, discipline and bond payments to report; it is not a fraud-reporting channel, and performing the act first still authenticates it. C is wrong because the fee has nothing to do with § 304(b) interest or with the suspected fraud; § 308(b) permits refusal regardless of payment.

Answer: C
Section 318(a)(1) forbids allowing another individual to use the stamping device, § 319(h)(3) forbids anyone else to use the journal, and § 315(a)(3) requires the notary's own signature exactly as commissioned; 4 Pa. Code § 167.121(a)(20) makes permitting another person to use the stamp a sanction ground even under supervision, and § 323(f)(3) treats a non-notary's use as impersonation under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4913. A is wrong because § 318(a)(1) bars any use by another individual; presence is no exception. B is wrong because § 167.121(a)(21) sanctions using another notary's stamping device; each stamp names one notary. D is wrong because § 329.1(d) addresses who owns the fee; delegation of the act itself is the violation.

Answer: A
Section 325(a)(1) excludes assisting in drafting legal records, giving legal advice and otherwise practicing law from the commission; 4 Pa. Code § 167.124 directs the Department to apply the PBA Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee's Formal Opinion 2006-01 factors, and § 167.121(a)(13) makes the violation a sanction ground regardless of whether a fee is charged. B is wrong because choosing which form fits a client's goal and completing its terms are legal judgments that § 325(a)(1) reserves to attorneys. C is wrong because § 325(a)(1) prohibits the drafting itself; (a)(4) is an additional prohibition on compensation. D is wrong because § 325(a)(1) covers all legal records, and § 321(d.2) concerns recording the notary's own bond, not deeds.

Answer: A
Section 304(b)(1) prohibits a notarial act with respect to a record in which the notary has a direct or pecuniary interest, and a party to the transaction has that interest in every signature on the record, not only their own; § 304(b)(3) makes the act voidable and 4 Pa. Code § 167.121(a)(1)–(2) list such acts as sanction grounds. By signing the certificate the notary would falsely certify compliance with § 304 under § 315(d). B is wrong because § 167.111(b) is one specific bar; § 304(b)(1) disqualifies the notary from any act on a record in which the notary is interested. C is wrong because § 167.32(e) permits optional recall notes; disclosure does not cure a § 304(b) conflict. D is wrong because § 304(b)(2)(iii) excludes only a fee not contingent on completion; consent of a party is not an exception.

Answer: A
Under § 315(d) a certificate certifies only that the notary complied with §§ 304–306: authority, identity, signature and personal appearance. Describing what a notarial act does is permitted, while opining on the document's enforceability is legal advice barred by § 325(a)(1); § 326(b) confirms that a valid notarization does not stop anyone from challenging the underlying record. B is wrong because § 326(a) concerns the validity of the notarial act despite technical failures; § 326(b) preserves every challenge to the record itself. C is wrong because § 325(a) bars legal advice, not an explanation of what the notary's own act certifies. D is wrong because § 325(a)(1) prohibits legal advice regardless of fee; (a)(4) adds a separate bar on compensation.

Answer: D
Section 167.111(c) permits a notary to perform a notarial act for her spouse's signature specifically when neither the notary nor the spouse has a direct or pecuniary interest in the record, and a transcript copy carries no such interest for either of them. B is wrong because § 304(b) disqualifies on the basis of interest, not spousal status alone, and § 167.111(c) confirms that an interest-free spousal act is permitted. C is wrong because no additional credible-witness requirement attaches specifically to spousal notarizations under § 167.111(c). D is wrong because the permitted-spousal-act rule turns on the presence or absence of interest, not on the type of document being notarized.

Answer: B
Section 306 requires the individual executing the signature to appear personally before the notary, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.42 defines that as physical presence in which the two can see, hear and exchange identification without telephones, computers or fax machines; § 167.121(a)(15) makes skipping personal appearance a ground for sanction. A is wrong because § 167.61 allows the signature to predate the appearance, but the signer must still appear personally and acknowledge it; a mailed document with no appearance fails § 306. C is wrong because § 167.42(b)(3) covers only oral oaths in judicial or administrative proceedings, never a signature on a record. D is wrong because appearance is personal to the signer; an agent's delivery and a photocopied credential satisfy neither § 306 nor § 307.

Answer: C
Section 317(1) requires a rubber stamp showing, in order, "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," "Notary Seal," the name exactly as commissioned with "Notary Public," the county in which the notary maintains an office and the commission expiration date, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.21(b)(5) adds the seven-digit commission number; § 317(2) limits it to 1 inch by 3½ inches with a plain border. A is wrong because § 317 names the county of the notary's office and never a street address or telephone number. B is wrong because those are journal entries under § 319(c); the stamp identifies the notary, not the transaction. D is wrong because the bond is recorded with the recorder of deeds under § 321(d.2); nothing about it appears on the stamp.

Answer: B
An acknowledgment is a declaration before the notary that the individual signed the record for the purpose stated in it (§ 302), and 4 Pa. Code § 167.61 permits the record to have been signed before the appearance, provided the signer acknowledges the signature as their own and the record is not a photocopy. A is wrong because § 167.63 requires the record to be signed in the notary's presence under an oath that its statements are true, and no oath was taken here. C is wrong because § 167.64 requires the signature to be made in the notary's presence, and this signer did not sign again. D is wrong because a protest is a certificate of dishonor of a negotiable instrument under 13 Pa.C.S. § 3505(b), unrelated to a deed.

Answer: B
Pennsylvania's jurat is the verification on oath or affirmation (§ 302); 4 Pa. Code § 167.63 requires the record to be signed in the notary's presence, never before or after, and requires the notary to administer an oath or affirmation that the statements are true. An acknowledgment needs neither (§ 167.61). A is wrong because § 307(b)(2) requires a single credible witness and applies equally to every notarial act. C is wrong because that describes an acknowledgment under § 167.61, not a verification. D is wrong because § 305(b) allows identification by personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence for verifications exactly as for acknowledgments.

Answer: C
Section 307(b)(1) defines satisfactory evidence as a passport, driver's license or government-issued nondriver ID that is current and unexpired, or another current government ID bearing a signature or photograph; § 307(b)(2) adds a credible witness personally known to the notary. Without personal knowledge under § 307(a), one of these is required. A is wrong because Pennsylvania did not adopt the three-year grace period; § 307(b)(1)(i) requires the credential to be current and unexpired. B is wrong because a credible witness must personally appear, be personally known to the notary and give a verification on oath (4 Pa. Code § 167.43(b)). D is wrong because § 319(c)(5) records the method of identification actually used; it does not excuse identification, and § 167.121(a)(17) sanctions acting without it.

Answer: C
Section 304(b)(1) bars a notarial act on a record in which the notary or the notary's spouse has a direct or pecuniary interest, defined in 4 Pa. Code § 167.2 as any actual or potential gain other than regular salary, hourly wage or the notarial fee; an act performed in violation is voidable under § 304(b)(3). A is wrong because § 304(b)(2)(iii) excludes only a fee that is not contingent on completion; a share of the proceeds depends on the closing. B is wrong because § 315 contains no co-signing procedure; a conflicted notary simply may not act. D is wrong because disclosure is not a cure under § 304(b), and § 319(c)(2) describes the record and act, not conflicts.

Answer: C
Section 325(a) provides that a commission does not authorize a notary to assist in drafting legal records, give legal advice or otherwise practice law, or to receive compensation for those activities; 4 Pa. Code § 167.121(a)(13) makes unauthorized practice a ground for sanction, judged under the PBA's Formal Opinion 2006-01 factors (§ 167.124). A is wrong because the § 325(d) statement discloses that the notary cannot give legal advice; it does not license the notary to give it. B is wrong because § 325(a)(4) bars any compensation for the prohibited activities, and § 167.3 sets fees for notarial acts alone. D is wrong because § 325(a)(1) prohibits legal advice whether or not a fee is charged; compensation is a separate prohibition in § 325(a)(4).

Answer: B
Section 308(a)(1) and (a)(2) authorize refusal when the notary is not satisfied that the individual is competent or has capacity, or that the signature is knowingly and voluntarily made. Confusion about the record's effect and visible pressure from a companion raise both doubts, and executing a certificate anyway would misstate the act under § 315(d). A is wrong because appearance satisfies § 306 only; § 308(a) still lets the notary refuse for lack of capacity or duress. C is wrong because a credible witness establishes identity, not free will, and must be personally known to the notary. D is wrong because 4 Pa. Code § 167.32(e) permits optional comments, but a note does not cure a signing the notary doubts is voluntary.

Answer: B
Section 319(c) requires each entry to record the date and time, a description of the record and the type of act, the full name and address of each individual, either a statement of personal knowledge or a description of the credential with its issue and expiration dates, and the fee charged; entries must be made contemporaneously with the act. A is wrong because 4 Pa. Code § 167.32(d) prohibits recording any part of a Social Security number, a full license number or a date of birth. C is wrong because the signer's signature is optional under § 167.32(e); the mandatory items are those listed in § 319(c). D is wrong because the notary's commission details appear once at the front of the journal (§ 167.31); § 319(c)(3) requires each signer's full address.

Answer: C
Section 318(a)(1) makes the notary responsible for the stamping device and forbids letting another individual use it; § 319(h) makes the journal the notary's exclusive property that no one else may use. Permitting another person to use the stamp is a sanction ground under 4 Pa. Code § 167.121(a)(20), and a non-notary's use is impersonation under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4913 (§ 323(f)(3)). A is wrong because § 304(a) concerns which acts are authorized; a commission is personal, and § 167.121(a)(21) sanctions using another notary's stamping device. B is wrong because § 319(h)(3)(i) says the journal may not be used by any person other than the notary; § 318 covers the device. D is wrong because acts performed by someone else under the notary's name are false certificates (§ 167.121(a)(18)) and impersonation, regardless of who keeps the fee.

Answer: A
Section 302 defines an acknowledgment as a declaration that the individual signed the record for the purpose stated in it, and a verification on oath or affirmation as a declaration on oath that a statement in a record is true; 4 Pa. Code § 167.61 lets an acknowledged record be signed beforehand, while § 167.63 requires signing in the notary's presence under oath. B is wrong because it inverts the definitions in § 302; the oath belongs to the verification, and the acknowledgment is unsworn. C is wrong because § 316 provides different short forms because the acts differ; certifying an oath that was never administered is a false certificate under § 167.121(a)(18). D is wrong because deeds and mortgages take acknowledgments, and affidavits are verifications by definition (§ 302).

Answer: D
Section 305(d) lets a notary certify a copy after determining it is a complete and accurate reproduction, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.65(5)(ii) lists passports among the records a notary may certify. Section 167.65(4)(i) excludes vital records such as birth and death certificates, which only the Division of Vital Records may certify; § 167.65(4)(ii) likewise excludes naturalization certificates. A is wrong because § 167.65(4)(i) expressly excludes vital records, and (4)(iii) excludes any government record marked do not copy. B is wrong because § 305(d) applies to any record the notary can compare to a copy, and § 167.65(5)(ii) names passports specifically. C is wrong because § 167.65 reverses this: passports may be certified and vital records may not.

Answer: A
Section 302 lists six notarial acts: taking an acknowledgment, administering an oath or affirmation, taking a verification on oath or affirmation, witnessing or attesting a signature, certifying or attesting a copy or deposition, and noting a protest of a negotiable instrument; § 305(c) sets the requirements for witnessing a signature, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.3 allows a $5 fee per signature for it. B is wrong because § 167.65(4)(i) places vital records on the list a notary may not certify. C is wrong because the Department states that notaries may not take marriage license applications, issue licenses or perform ceremonies; § 304(a) authorizes only acts permitted by statute. D is wrong because § 305(a) requires only identity and signature determinations; judging legal sufficiency would be practicing law under § 325(a).

Answer: D
Section 307(b)(2) accepts a verification on oath or affirmation of a credible witness who personally appears and is personally known to the notary; 4 Pa. Code § 167.43(b) adds that the witness must personally know the signer, have no direct or pecuniary interest in the record and swear to those facts. The neighbor here satisfies each element. A is wrong because § 307(b)(1)(ii) also accepts other current government ID, and § 307(b)(2) accepts a credible witness. B is wrong because Act 97 added § 306.1 without touching § 307(b)(2), which still applies to every in-person act. C is wrong because § 307(b)(2) and § 167.43(b) require one credible witness personally known to the notary; no photo ID or second witness is required.

Answer: A
An acknowledgment is a declaration before the notary that the individual signed the record for the stated purpose (§ 302), and 4 Pa. Code § 167.61(1)–(2) expressly permits a record signed before the appearance so long as the signer acknowledges the signature as their own and the record is not a photocopy. B is wrong because § 167.63(1)–(2) requires the record to be signed in the notary's presence and never before or after. C is wrong because § 305(d) concerns comparing a copy to its original; certifying a copy says nothing about who signed or why. D is wrong because § 167.64(1) requires the signature to be made in the notary's presence.

Answer: D
Section 315(a)(2) requires the certificate to be executed contemporaneously, signed and dated by the notary, identify the county and State, and state the title of office; § 315(a)(3) adds the name exactly as commissioned and the commission expiration date, and § 315(b)(1) requires the official stamp near the signature. The § 316 short forms supply the wording for each act; identification details and fees belong in the journal, not the certificate. A is wrong because § 315 lists no credential details; identification is recorded in the journal under § 319(c)(5), and § 167.32(d) even bars full license numbers there. B is wrong because § 315(c)(4) makes a certificate sufficient if it sets forth the notary's actions under §§ 305–307; reading the record or counting pages is not among them. C is wrong because the fee is a journal entry under § 319(c)(6); the commission number appears on the stamp under § 167.21(b)(5), and § 315(a)(3) requires the expiration date, not the fee.

Answer: A
A certificate must be executed contemporaneously with the act (§ 315(a)(2)(i)) and certifies under § 315(d) what the notary actually did; 4 Pa. Code § 167.121(a)(5) treats altering a certificate for anything other than a ministerial error as a sanction ground, and stating that an oath was taken when it was not is a substantive false statement under § 167.121(a)(18). The cure is a new appearance and a correct certificate. B is wrong because § 167.121(a)(5) allows correction only of a ministerial error, such as a misspelled county; changing the act certified is substantive. C is wrong because the recorder registers the signature and records the bond; it has no authority to alter a notary's certificate. D is wrong because § 167.71(3) defines how a certificate is securely attached; a letter is not a certificate executed contemporaneously with an act.

Answer: A
Section 305(e) directs the notary to determine the matters in 13 Pa.C.S. § 3505(b), and 4 Pa. Code § 167.66 describes the protest as a certificate of dishonor that identifies the instrument, certifies presentment or the reason it was not made, and states dishonor by nonacceptance or nonpayment; § 167.3 allows $3 per page for it, and § 167.121(a)(24) sanctions a protest of a non-negotiable record. B is wrong because § 167.66(e) identifies the requester as the holder of the dishonored instrument; a protest transfers nothing. C is wrong because the bond covers the notary's own violations of law; it never guarantees a third party's debt. D is wrong because § 167.66(d) lets the protest certify that notice of dishonor was given; it preserves rights against secondary parties rather than extinguishing the debt.

Answer: D
Section 305 requires the notary to determine that the individual appearing has the identity claimed, § 307(c) lets the notary demand additional information or credentials, and § 308(a)(3) authorizes refusal when the signature does not substantially conform to the identification. The notary never alters the record (§ 325(a)(1)); the signer may produce another credential or the preparer may correct the document. A is wrong because § 167.14 governs the form of the notary's own name on the application; it says nothing about signers' names. B is wrong because § 167.121(a)(5) concerns the notary's certificate; changing a party's record is drafting under § 325(a)(1) and alteration of a notarized record under § 167.121(a)(5). C is wrong because § 315(c)(4) requires that the actions described satisfy §§ 305–307; a certificate admitting unresolved identity satisfies neither.

Answer: A
Section 306 requires the individual executing the signature to appear personally, § 315(a)(2)(i) requires the certificate to be executed contemporaneously with the act, and § 315(e) forbids signing a certificate until the act has been performed; 4 Pa. Code § 167.121(a)(3)–(4) list pre-signing and postdating as sanction grounds. B is wrong because § 315(a)(2)(ii) requires the certificate to be dated by the notary as of the act; postdating is sanctionable under § 167.121(a)(4). C is wrong because § 167.42(b)(3) applies only to oral oaths in judicial or administrative proceedings, not to signatures on records. D is wrong because § 167.121(a)(7) forbids retaining a customer's identification credential, and a credential cannot substitute for appearance.

Answer: D
Section 308(a)(1) lets the notary refuse only when not satisfied that the signer is competent or has capacity, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.113 forbids refusing service because of disability; § 167.42(a)(3) expressly permits adaptive technology and reasonable accommodations. Reading the record aloud, or confirming it was read, is how the notary satisfies itself that the signing is knowing under § 308(a)(2). A is wrong because blindness is not incapacity; § 167.113 makes refusal on the basis of disability itself a violation. B is wrong because a signature by another person is not the signer's act; § 319(c)(2) describes the record and act, not a signer's health, which § 167.32(d) bars from the journal. C is wrong because § 167.113 forbids refusing service on the basis of disability; it does not forbid confirming that the signer knows the record's contents.

Answer: C
Section 306 requires personal appearance for any act relating to a signature on a record, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.42(a) requires physical presence in which notary and signer can see, hear and give identification to each other without electronic devices; the only substitute is a remote notarization under § 306.1 by a notary who has notified the Department and uses approved communication technology. A is wrong because § 326(a) protects relying parties after the fact; it does not authorize skipping § 306, and § 167.121(a)(15) sanctions the omission. B is wrong because identification under § 307 is a separate requirement; an enclosed credential cannot supply the appearance § 306 demands. D is wrong because § 167.42(b)(3) covers only oral oaths in court or administrative proceedings, not signatures on records.

Answer: C
Section 308(a) authorizes refusal when the notary is not satisfied that the signer is competent or has capacity to execute the record (§ 308(a)(1)) or that the signature is knowingly and voluntarily made (§ 308(a)(2)). A frightened signer who cannot say what the record does and is being pushed by a companion raises both doubts, so refusal is the proper course. A is wrong because § 308(a)(1) and (2) turn on capacity and voluntariness, not identity. B is wrong because appearance under § 306 is necessary but does not settle the § 308(a) doubts about capacity and free will. D is wrong because a credible witness under § 307(b)(2) establishes identity; the companion here is the source of the pressure and adds nothing to voluntariness.

Answer: B
Section 304(b)(1) bars an act on a record in which the notary or the notary's spouse has a direct or pecuniary interest; 4 Pa. Code § 167.111(c) allows notarizing for a spouse only when neither has such an interest, and § 167.121(a)(2) lists a spouse's record with an interest as a sanction ground. Any act performed anyway is voidable under § 304(b)(3). A is wrong because § 167.111(c) permits a spouse's record only when neither spouse has a direct or pecuniary interest; money on closing is such an interest. C is wrong because § 167.3 sets one maximum per act; no fee schedule provision converts a conflicted act into a permitted one. D is wrong because an optional journal comment does not lift the § 304(b) prohibition, and the act remains voidable.

Answer: B
Under 4 Pa. Code § 167.61 an acknowledged record may be signed before the appearance, and the signer simply declares the signature is their own, made for the purpose stated in the record (§ 302); under § 167.63 a verification on oath or affirmation, Pennsylvania's jurat, must be signed in the notary's presence after an oath that the statements are true. A is wrong because it reverses the two acts; the oath and in-presence signing belong to the verification (§ 167.63), not the acknowledgment. C is wrong because an acknowledgment involves no oath and may be signed beforehand (§ 167.61); the acts differ in substance, not just in the documents they usually accompany. D is wrong because affidavits take verifications (§ 302), deeds take acknowledgments, and § 307 requires the same identification for both, with a single credible witness at most.

Answer: B
Section 325(a)(1) excludes legal advice and the practice of law from the commission and § 325(a)(4) bars compensation for it; 4 Pa. Code § 167.121(a)(13) makes unauthorized practice a sanction ground. Telling the client what the notary cannot do, and referring them to an attorney, is permitted and appropriate. A is wrong because § 325(a)(1) prohibits giving legal advice outright; drafting and immigration are additional prohibitions in (a)(1)–(3). C is wrong because § 167.3 lists fees for the six notarial acts only, and § 325(a)(4) forbids compensation for legal advice. D is wrong because § 325(a)(1) forbids assisting in drafting legal records regardless of fee.

Answer: B
Section 307(b)(1) accepts a passport, driver's license or government-issued nondriver ID that is current and unexpired, or another current government ID with a signature or photograph that satisfies the notary; § 307(b)(2) accepts a credible witness personally known to the notary. 4 Pa. Code § 167.43 lists the specific credentials. A is wrong because Pennsylvania's § 307(b)(1)(i) requires the credential to be current and unexpired; the three-year allowance is a uniform-act option the Commonwealth did not adopt. C is wrong because a credible witness must be personally known to the notary and personally know the signer (§ 167.43(b)); a companion the notary has never met qualifies on neither. D is wrong because § 308(a)(3) compares the signature to a credential already used for identification; comparing a signature to itself proves nothing.

Answer: B
Section 319(c) lists the required entries: date and time, a description of the record and the type of act, the full name and address of each individual, a statement of personal knowledge or a description of the credential with its issue and expiration dates, and the fee charged. 4 Pa. Code § 167.32(d) forbids adding Social Security numbers, license numbers or birth dates. A is wrong because § 167.32(d) prohibits exactly those items as personally identifiable information. C is wrong because Pennsylvania requires no thumbprint for any record; § 167.32(d) bars biometric records in the journal, and § 319(c) requires far more than the document type and fee. D is wrong because the notary's details appear once under § 167.31; § 319(c)(3) requires the full name and address of each individual.

Answer: B
Section 318(a)(1) makes the notary responsible for the security of the stamping device and prohibits allowing another individual to use it; 4 Pa. Code § 167.22(c) requires sole custody at all times, § 167.121(a)(20) makes lending it a sanction ground, and use by a non-notary is impersonation under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4913. A is wrong because § 167.121(a)(21) sanctions using another notary's stamping device; each stamp carries one name and commission number. C is wrong because § 319(c) requires contemporaneous entries by the notary; recording another person's acts would create false certificates under § 167.121(a)(18). D is wrong because § 329.1(d) presumes fees belong to the notary, and § 167.22(c) makes the device the notary's exclusive property.

Answer: B
Section 317(1) prescribes a rubber stamp reading, in order, "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," "Notary Seal," the name exactly as commissioned with "Notary Public," the county of the office and the expiration date, plus the seven-digit commission number under 4 Pa. Code § 167.21(b)(5); § 317(2) caps it at 1 inch by 3½ inches with a plain border. A is wrong because § 317 names the county, never a street address or telephone number. C is wrong because § 315(a)(2) governs the certificate's wording; the stamp identifies the notary, not the signer or record. D is wrong because the number on the stamp is the Department's commission number (§ 167.21(b)(5)); the bond amount never appears.

Answer: A
The Department's vendor Pearson VUE charges $65 per attempt, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.15(c) authorizes the applicant for six months after the Department approves the application, with retakes no more than once per 24 hours; a scaled score of 75 passes (§ 167.15(d)), and an applicant who does not pass within six months must retake the basic course and reapply. B is wrong because $42 is the nonrefundable application fee under § 321(b)(2); the exam fee is $65 and the window closes six months after authorization. C is wrong because the one-year validity in § 167.15(d)(2) applies to a passing result; the exam itself costs $65 and must be passed within six months. D is wrong because § 167.15(c) gives six months, not 90 days, and allows unlimited retakes at one per 24 hours.

Answer: D
Pennsylvania enacted RULONA as Act 73 of 2013, codified at 57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3 and fully effective October 26, 2017, replacing the Notary Public Law of 1953; it defines the six notarial acts (§ 302), prescribes certificates (§§ 315–316), the stamp (§ 317) and the journal (§ 319), and the Department implements it through 4 Pa. Code Chapters 161, 163 and 167. A is wrong because the 1953 law was repealed when RULONA took effect on October 26, 2017; Chapter 3 governs tangible and electronic records alike. B is wrong because 13 Pa.C.S. § 3505(b) supplies only the standard for protests referenced in § 305(e); the other five acts are governed by Chapter 3. C is wrong because Chapter 167 implements the RULONA statute (§ 167.1); the Model Notary Act is a private association model that Pennsylvania never enacted.

Answer: C
Section 322(b) requires at least three hours of Department-approved basic education within the six months before applying, § 322(a) requires passing the examination, and § 321(d) and (d.2) require a surety bond, now $25,000 under 4 Pa. Code § 167.16, recorded with the oath and commission at the recorder of deeds within 45 days of appointment. The application fee is $42 (§ 321(b)(2)). A is wrong because § 322(a)–(b) require the exam and the three-hour course, and § 321(d.2) gives 45 days, not 90, to record the bond. B is wrong because § 321(a) requires only that the applicant be 18, a citizen or permanent resident, able to read and write English and a Pennsylvania resident or worker; there is no education or exam waiver. D is wrong because no sponsor is required, the course is three hours (§ 322(b)), and every first-time applicant must pass the exam (§ 322(a)).

Answer: A
Section 321(d.2)(1) requires the bond, oath of office and commission to be recorded with the recorder of deeds of the county where the notary maintains an office within 45 days after appointment and before entering into the duties; § 321(d.1) requires registering the official signature in the same 45 days; under § 321(f)(1) failure makes the commission null and void and the applicant starts over. B is wrong because the 90 days in § 321(d.2)(3) is for filing a copy of the recorded bond and oath with the Department; the recording itself must precede any act and occur within 45 days. C is wrong because the stamp is never registered; it is the official signature that is registered under § 321(d.1), and the 30-day period applies only to moving counties. D is wrong because § 321(e) issues the commission on compliance with the whole section, including the oath, bond and recording steps.

Answer: D
Section 329.1(b) forbids charging more than the fees fixed in 4 Pa. Code § 167.3 ($5 per act, $2 for each additional acknowledging name, $3 per page for a protest, up to $20 more for electronic or remote acts), and § 323(a)(7) and (a.1) allow discipline and an administrative penalty of up to $1,000 per violation. Clerical or travel fees are permitted only if reasonable, disclosed before the act, and itemized on the required receipt (§ 167.3(c)) and in the journal. A is wrong because § 329.1(c)(2) lets the notary waive a fee; § 329.1(b) forbids exceeding the maximum however clearly it is stated. B is wrong because § 326(a) concerns the validity of the notarial act, not the notary's liability; § 323(a) still allows sanctions. C is wrong because § 167.3(b) allows up to $20 only for electronic or remote acts; travel charges are not set by the Department, and the maximums apply everywhere.

Answer: D
Section 320(b)(1) requires the notary, before the first act on an electronic record, to notify the Department and identify each tamper-evident technology to be used, and § 320(b)(2) requires that technology to conform to the Department's standards in 4 Pa. Code § 167.84; § 167.45(a)(5) requires reporting any change of provider within 30 days. Personal appearance under § 306 still applies unless the act is remote under § 306.1. A is wrong because § 320(a) gives the notary the choice of technology, but § 320(b)(1) still requires notice to the Department before the first electronic act. B is wrong because no separate commission or bond exists; § 320 requires notification and approved technology under the notary's existing commission. C is wrong because electronic notarization has been available since 2006, and the standards now appear in § 167.84; § 302 defines notarial acts to include electronic records.

Answer: A
Section 306.1(b) allows a notary public located in this Commonwealth to perform a notarial act by communication technology for a remotely located individual, who may be anywhere, subject to identity proofing, a record match and an audio-visual recording kept for 10 years under § 306.1(e); § 306.1(f) requires notifying the Department and identifying the technology before the first remote act, and 4 Pa. Code § 167.86 sets the approval standards. B is wrong because § 306.1(b) fixes the notary's location in the Commonwealth, and § 306.1(b)(4) merely adds conditions for signers outside the United States. C is wrong because § 167.42(b)(1) itself excepts remote acts performed under § 306.1. D is wrong because the Pennsylvania commission is the authority for a § 306.1 act; no out-of-state commission or recording is involved.

Answer: D
Section 311(a) provides that a notarial act performed in another state by a notary public, a judge or clerk of a court, or another individual authorized by that state's law has the same effect under Pennsylvania law as if performed by a Pennsylvania notarial officer; § 311(b) makes the officer's signature and title prima facie evidence of genuineness and authority, and §§ 312–314 extend recognition to tribal, federal and foreign acts. A is wrong because § 320(c) concerns tangible copies of electronic records; § 311 recognizes the out-of-state act without any repeat. B is wrong because § 314 covers foreign notarial acts and recognizes them without a court order; acts from other states need nothing beyond § 311. C is wrong because § 311 recognizes the act by operation of law; no Pennsylvania registration exists for out-of-state notaries.

Answer: A
4 Pa. Code § 167.45(a) requires notice to the Department within 30 days of any change of name, office or home address, phone or email, and § 167.45(c) requires a name change on the prescribed form with evidence such as a marriage certificate; the notary may keep acting in the commissioned name until the term ends, but before using the new name must register the new signature with the prothonotary or recorder of deeds and buy a new stamp, and must renew in the new name. Pennsylvania issues no amended commission. B is wrong because § 167.45(a)(1) requires notice within 30 days, although renewal in the new name is also required. C is wrong because the 45 days in § 321(d.1) applies to the initial registration; a change of information goes to the Department within 30 days, and a county move requires re-registration within 30 days. D is wrong because § 321(d)(5) governs cancellation notice by the surety; the notary's own duty to report changes runs to the Department under § 167.45.

Answer: C
Section 321(d)(4) makes the surety liable under the bond when the notary violates the law, and the Department's bonding guidance explains that the bond protects the customer, that the notary must repay the surety any amount paid, and that errors and omissions insurance is the notary's own optional protection. The surety must notify the Department within 30 days of paying a claim (§ 321(d)(6)), and the notary must report it under 4 Pa. Code § 167.125(5). A is wrong because the bond sets the surety's limit, not the notary's; the surety has a right of reimbursement and the injured party may sue for the excess. B is wrong because the bond protects the public, not the notary; § 321(d)(7) exists so that a bond is always available to customers. D is wrong because recording gives public notice of the bond; the county never pays claims on it.

Answer: A
4 Pa. Code § 167.41(a) authorizes a notary to act in any county of the Commonwealth, § 167.41(b) forbids acting outside its borders, and nothing in Chapter 3 restricts the day or hour. At a bedside the real questions are §§ 306–308: personal appearance, identification, and the notary's satisfaction that the signer is competent and signing voluntarily. B is wrong because § 315(a)(2)(ii) requires only that the certificate be signed and dated; no day is excluded. C is wrong because § 167.45(a)(2) concerns reporting an address change within 30 days; § 167.41(a) authorizes acts anywhere in the Commonwealth. D is wrong because § 321(d.1) concerns registering the notary's signature after appointment; no approval is needed for any location.