What is the CA Notary? CA NotaryGlossary & Key Terms
The California Notary Public Exam is a written examination prescribed by the Secretary of State that applicants must pass to be commissioned; a score of 70 percent or more is required to pass. Administered through CPS HR Consulting, it qualifies applicants for a four-year notary public term.
- Acknowledgment
- A notarial act in which the signer declares to the notary that the signature is genuine and was made willingly. The signer does not have to sign in front of the notary and takes no oath.
- Jurat
- A notarial act used for affidavits and sworn statements in which the signer must sign in the notary's presence and take an oath or affirmation that the statements are true.
- Oath / Affirmation
- A sworn promise that the statements in a document are true, which the signer must make during a jurat.
- Satisfactory Evidence of Identity
- The proof a notary relies on to positively identify a signer when personal knowledge is absent, such as a current government-issued identification document.
- Personal Appearance
- The requirement that a signer be physically present before the notary at the moment of notarization; without it, the notary may not proceed.
- Financial or Beneficial Interest
- A direct personal stake in a transaction that disqualifies a notary from acting, since a notary must not notarize a document to which they are a party or in which they have such an interest.
- Unauthorized Practice of Law
- Actions a non-attorney notary is forbidden to take — giving legal advice, charging fees for legal advice, or preparing legal documents for others.
- Duty to Refuse
- A notary's obligation to decline a notarization when the signer appears coerced, does not understand the transaction, or cannot be properly identified.
- Notary Journal
- The record book in which a notary logs each act, including the date and time, type of act, type of document, name and address of each signer, and the identification method used.
- Official Seal (Stamp)
- The notary's official mark, which typically includes the notary's name, the words "Notary Public," the commissioning state, and the commission expiration date, and must be kept under the notary's exclusive control.
- Term of Office / Commission
- The four-year period for which a California notary public is commissioned; passing the state's written exam is a required qualification to earn it.
- Notary Public
- A public officer commissioned by the state to serve as an impartial witness to document signings and to help deter fraud.