Conduct, discipline and special situations
Study notes · 56 practice questions · 33 in the mock pool
Advertising rules, immigration documents, the fee schedule and its no-fee exceptions, and the grounds for discipline. Everything below is drawn from the Notary Public Handbook published by the California Secretary of State — the document the examination is based on.
Advertising
- Advertising in a language other than English, and the notice that must accompany it.
- The bar on 'notario publico' — the term implies a lawyer in much of Latin America and is prohibited here.
- Fees must be listed in the advertisement, and the penalty for illegal advertising.
Immigration documents
- What a notary may and may not do with immigration forms, and who may help complete them.
- The fee cap on immigration forms, and the bar on promoting oneself as an immigration specialist.
Fees
- The maximum for an acknowledgment, for an oath and jurat, and for deposition services.
- The five no-fee situations: voting materials, veterans' benefit claims, and the rest.
- Charging less than the maximum is allowed; charging more is a ground for discipline.
Discipline and special situations
- Grounds for discipline: overcharging, an incomplete acknowledgment, refusing to furnish journal copies, failing to secure the journal and seal.
- Peace officer access to the journal, and court-ordered money judgments.
- Confidential marriage licences: the authorisation, the training, and why issuing one is not performing the marriage.
Independent study aid. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the California Secretary of State. Nothing here is legal advice — verify against the current official Notary Public Handbook before relying on any point for professional purposes.
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