Which states require a notary exam
Last verified August 16, 2026 · free to cite with attribution
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Half the advice online tells you to prepare for a notary exam your state does not give. We checked all 51 U.S. jurisdictions against the commissioning authority's own page or the state's statute: 25 require a written exam, 18 require neither an exam nor a course, and 5 require mandatory education with no test at the end.
That last group is the trap. Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and the District of Columbia — roughly 62 million people between them — all added required notary training recently, and none of them added an examination. In any keyword tool they look identical to exam states, which is why 'Texas notary exam' practice tests exist for an exam that has never been given.
Four more states technically require an exam that nobody studies for: Connecticut, Wyoming, Maine and Missouri each staple an open-book instrument to the application form itself. They are counted as exam states here because the statute says so, but the row explains what the instrument actually is.
Mandatory education is not an exam
Texas is the clearest example of how the two get confused. SB 693 of the 89th Legislature, effective 1 September 2025, amended the qualification statute to require applicants to complete the education requirements established under Section 406.023. Read quickly, that sounds like a test. Section 406.023 speaks only to education, caps it at two hours, and contains no examination provision at all.
Florida, Georgia, Alabama and the District of Columbia are the same shape: a course requirement, no assessment. If you are in one of those five, the useful preparation is completing the approved course, not drilling practice questions.
The exam states differ enormously in what they ask
Among the 25 that do require a test, the range runs from a genuinely difficult professional examination to a form you cannot submit until every answer is right.
At the demanding end, Louisiana runs what is widely regarded as the hardest notary examination in the country — offered twice a year, with a mandatory pre-assessment and an official study guide. North Carolina requires a six-hour approved course plus a written exam at 80 percent, and requires the exam again at recommissioning. Wisconsin sets the highest published passing score we found anywhere, at 90 percent.
At the other end sit Connecticut, Wyoming, Maine and Missouri, where the 'exam' is an open-book instrument attached to the application: Connecticut's is answer-until-correct inside the online form, Maine's blocks you from advancing until the answer is right, Wyoming's is a take-home page mailed with a paper application, and Missouri's is a signed worksheet.
What most exam states do not publish
Ten of the 25 exam states — Ohio, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, Indiana, New Mexico, Hawaii, Utah, New York and Maryland — confirm that an exam exists without publishing a question count or a passing score. Where those figures circulate, they come from the exam vendor rather than the state, and should be attributed that way.
The full census
| Jurisdiction | Exam required? | What the authority requires | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Education only, no exam | No exam found. Notaries are appointed by county probate judges, not the Secretary of State. | sos.alabama.gov |
| Alaska | No exam | ltgov.alaska.gov | |
| Arizona | Exam required | Notary competency examination under A.R.S. § 41-270, mandatory for all new AND renewing notaries since July 1, 2025. 45 questions drawn from the 2025 Notary Public Reference Manual, 60-minute limit, 80% passing, open-book (manual embedded in the test; no physical copy allowed). | azsos.gov |
| Arkansas | Exam required | "A multiple choice exam is required for all notary applicants" (initial and 10-year renewal). Minimum passing score 80%. Taken online via a link inside the online application (hosted on ClassMarker); the Notary Exam Certificate must be uploaded with the application. | sos.arkansas.gov |
| California | Exam required | Gov. Code § 8201 requires the applicant to "satisfactorily complete and pass a written examination prescribed by the Secretary of State." The SOS checklist is: Complete Approved Education → Register for the Exam → Take the Exam → Live Scan fingerprints → commission packet. | sos.ca.gov |
| Colorado | Exam required | The SOS's own "Become a notary" steps are: meet qualifications → "Attend the state-approved notary training" → "Complete online notary testing" → apply. | coloradosos.gov |
| Connecticut | Exam required | Weak form — there is no separate proctored test. "The application contains an examination that tests your understanding of the material contained in the manual. You must answer each question correctly before you will be provided a notary commission." Taken under oath inside the eLicense.ct.gov online application. | portal.ct.gov |
| Delaware | No exam | notary.delaware.gov | |
| District of Columbia | Education only, no exam | No exam. The DC Notary Public Handbook contains no examination requirement. | os.dc.gov |
| Florida | Education only, no exam | No exam. | notaries.dos.fl.gov |
| Georgia | Education only, no exam | No exam. The GSCCCA educational rules and application page describe only a training course and a Certificate of Completion. | gsccca.org |
| Hawaii | Exam required | After the Attorney General approves the application, "the applicant must pass a written, closed-book examination" covering HRS ch. 456, ch. 502 sections, 603-1, 621-12/621-13 and practical notary duties. | ag.hawaii.gov |
| Idaho | No exam | sos.idaho.gov | |
| Illinois | Unverified | Statute contemplates one but implementation could not be verified. 5 ILCS 312/2-101.5 ("Course of study and examination," P.A. | ilga.gov |
| Indiana | Exam required | "All applicants must take a notary education course and pass an exam. The education course and exam are available after paying the application fee." Delivered online through the SOS/INBiz notary system; once the exam is passed the application goes to the SOS for final review. | in.gov |
| Iowa | No exam | sos.iowa.gov | |
| Kansas | No exam | sos.ks.gov | |
| Kentucky | No exam | web.sos.ky.gov | |
| Louisiana | Exam required | Statewide standardized Louisiana Notary Public Examination administered by the Secretary of State — the hardest notary exam in the country. Non-attorney applicants must first complete the mandatory online Notary Exam Pre-Assessment (one time, no passing score needed) before they may register. | sos.la.gov |
| Maine | Exam required | 4 M.R.S. § 1923: an applicant who does not already hold a Maine commission "must pass an examination administered by the Secretary of State or an entity approved by the Secretary of State"; renewal applicants must also pass an examination. | maine.gov |
| Maryland | Exam required | "A NEW applicant [must] complete a course of study AND pass an examination in order to become a notary public." Both are delivered by SOS-authorized providers from a published list; the applicant receives a certificate of completion for the course and a separate result for the examination. | sos.maryland.gov |
| Massachusetts | Unverified | Could not verify from the state authority. sec.state.ma.us (Secretary of the Commonwealth, Notary/Commissions pages) and malegislature.gov both block automated access (Incapsula), and mass.gov alternatives returned nothing. | sec.state.ma.us |
| Michigan | No exam | michigan.gov | |
| Minnesota | No exam | revisor.mn.gov | |
| Mississippi | No exam | sos.ms.gov | |
| Missouri | Exam required | RSMo § 486.605.2(5) makes passing an examination a qualification for commission. | revisor.mo.gov |
| Montana | Exam required | "To be eligible for a new or renewed commission, an applicant must meet the education requirements and pass an examination as provided in 1-5-620, MCA." Per ARM 44.15.101(4): the exam must be taken no more than six months before the application; "A grade of 80% is considered passing"; after three failed attempts the applicant must wait three months. | sosmt.gov |
| Nebraska | Exam required | Step 1 of the SOS's official process: "Take and pass the Nebraska Notary Exam." 20 questions, 85% passing score, three attempts (failure after three attempts permanently disqualifies the applicant), taken online via ClassMarker through a link on the SOS site. | sos.nebraska.gov |
| Nevada | Exam required | NRS 240.015(1)(d) makes completion of a course of study under NRS 240.018 a general qualification, and NRS 240.018(1)(a)(1) requires that the course "[m]ust include at least 3 hours of instruction and an examination relating to the functions and duties of notaries public." NRS 240.018(3) requires the course of both (a) first-time applicants and (b) applicants renewing a commission. | leg.state.nv.us |
| New Hampshire | Unverified | Could not verify from the state authority. sos.nh.gov returns 403/Access Denied to curl, headless browser and WebFetch alike, and gencourt.state.nh.us (the NH statutes site, RSA ch. 455) does not resolve from this environment. No verdict recorded. Treat as DO NOT BUILD. | sos.nh.gov |
| New Jersey | Exam required | P.L. 2021, c. 179 created an education and testing requirement; the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services "implemented the educational/testing requirements on July 22, 2022," operating under N.J.A.C. 17:50 (adopted January 11, 2022, in force to January 11, 2029). | nj.gov |
| New Mexico | Exam required | The SOS's Become a Notary steps require the applicant to "Successfully complete the Notary Education course and exam" — "Take an online education course and successfully complete the exam" — and to submit the Certificate of Completion of Notary Education Course with the application. | sos.nm.gov |
| New York | Exam required | Written exam administered by the NYS Department of State, Division of Licensing Services, at scheduled exam sites around the state (the DOS publishes a Written Exam Schedule). Fees: $15 written exam, $60 initial application. NYS attorneys and court clerks of the Unified Court System are exempt from the examination. | dos.ny.gov |
| North Carolina | Exam required | G.S. 10B-8(a): every applicant for an initial commission must, within the three months preceding application, take a classroom course of not less than six hours approved by the Secretary AND "take a written examination approved by the Secretary. | ncleg.gov |
| North Dakota | No exam | sos.nd.gov | |
| Ohio | Exam required | ORC 147.021(A)(1): "no person shall be appointed as a notary public unless that person has completed an educational program related to the requirements of this chapter and passed a test demonstrating knowledge of such requirements." The SOS adopts by rule the entities authorized to administer the program and the required test and the test's provisions and content; both are delivered by SOS-authorized third-party providers, not by the SOS directly. | codes.ohio.gov |
| Oklahoma | No exam | sos.ok.gov | |
| Oregon | Exam required | The SOS's List of Qualifications for a commission includes both "Completed a notary training course within the last 6 months" and "Passed the Secretary of State's Notary Public examination." The examination is issued by the Oregon SOS Corporation Division as part of the commission application packet. | sos.oregon.gov |
| Pennsylvania | Exam required | "All first-time notaries must pass a notary examination administered by the Department's examination vendor Pearson VUE" — also required if a previous commission has expired. Proctored at Pearson VUE test centers. $42 application fee; exam fee set by Pearson VUE. | dos.pa.gov |
| Rhode Island | No exam | sos.ri.gov | |
| South Carolina | No exam | No exam for a traditional commission. Note: electronic notary registration does require watching an educational video and completing online testing through the SOS eNotary portal — that is an endorsement for existing notaries, not the base commission. | sos.sc.gov |
| South Dakota | No exam | sdsos.gov | |
| Tennessee | No exam | sos.tn.gov | |
| Texas | Education only, no exam | No exam. SB 693 (89th Legislature, effective Sept 1, 2025) added Tex. | sos.state.tx.us |
| Utah | Exam required | The Lieutenant Governor's notary office lists "Pay for and pass the online exam" as a required step: "Take, Pay for, & Pass the Test… be ready to pay the $95 administration fee immediately. Results are provided instantly upon payment. | notary.utah.gov |
| Vermont | Exam required | "For applications received prior to February 1, 2021, no examination is required. | sos.vermont.gov |
| Virginia | No exam | commonwealth.virginia.gov | |
| Washington | No exam | Explicitly ruled out by the authority: "At this time there is no education requirement or examination as part of the notary public commission application." | dol.wa.gov |
| West Virginia | No exam | sos.wv.gov | |
| Wisconsin | Exam required | A commission requires that the applicant "[h]ave passed the notary exam (must print certificate) with 90% or better within one year of applying" — the highest published passing score of any state notary exam. | dfi.wi.gov |
| Wyoming | Exam required | Weak form. The SOS application instructions state: "You must review the Notary Education Presentation found at sos.wyo.gov/Services/Notaries.aspx and complete the attached examination required by W.S. § 32-3-121(a). | sos.wyo.gov |
Verdicts as of 2026-08-16, taken from each state's commissioning authority (Secretary of State, Department of State, Attorney General, DFI or DOL), from the state's own statute site where the agency site blocked automated access, or from a state-published PDF. Illinois, Massachusetts and New Hampshire are marked unverified on access, not on evidence.
Method
- — Every verdict came from the jurisdiction's own commissioning authority, its statute, or a PDF that authority publishes. No third-party notary-training site was accepted as evidence in either direction.
- — 'Exam required' means the authority requires an applicant to pass a written instrument. It does not distinguish difficulty, and four jurisdictions in this group use an open-book instrument attached to the application — the detail column says so where that is the case.
- — 'Education only, no exam' is a separate verdict rather than a form of 'exam required'. Conflating the two is the single most common error in published notary guidance and the main reason this census exists.
- — Illinois is the highest-value open question: 5 ILCS 312/2-101.5 requires first-time and renewing applicants to complete a course and pass an examination at its completion, but the requirement is contingent on Secretary of State rulemaking and the state site was unreachable from our environment. It is counted as unverified rather than assumed either way.
- — Massachusetts and New Hampshire are unverified purely on access — the state sites returned bot-protection responses. Neither is counted as an exam state.
Questions
- Does my state require a notary exam?
- 25 of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions require a written notary exam. 18 require neither an exam nor a course, 5 require mandatory training with no test, and 3 could not be verified. The table above gives the verdict for every jurisdiction with a link to the authority it was checked against.
- Is there a Texas notary exam?
- No. Texas requires notary education — two hours, under Section 406.023 of the Government Code — but no examination. The 2025 amendment that introduced the training requirement is worded in a way that reads like an exam requirement, which is why practice tests for a non-existent Texas notary exam are sold online.
- Which state has the hardest notary exam?
- Louisiana, by a wide margin: it is offered only twice a year, requires a mandatory pre-assessment, and has an official state study guide and a commercial prep industry built around it. On passing score alone, Wisconsin is the strictest we found at 90 percent, with North Carolina and Arkansas at 80 percent.
- Why do some states require an exam at renewal too?
- Because the commission is time-limited and the state treats recommissioning as a fresh qualification rather than a renewal of an existing one. North Carolina requires the exam again at recommissioning, and Nevada requires an exam at every renewal, so demand for preparation recurs on the commission cycle rather than happening once.
- Can I cite this census?
- Yes. Every row links to the authority or statute it was verified against, so any individual verdict can be checked. Please cite the date with the figure — notary law has changed in several states in the last three years, and this is a snapshot as of 16 August 2026.
Citing this page? Link to https://www.everyexamprep.com/reports/notary-exam-requirement-census and include the verification date — a census is a snapshot, and these publishers change what they release without notice.