Renewing a California notary commission is not a renewal in the usual sense — the state issues an entirely new commission every four years. To stay active without a gap, you need to finish an approved education course, pass the state exam, submit new fingerprints through Live Scan, and file an oath of office with a $15,000 surety bond within 30 days of your new commission’s start date. Every step has to be completed before your current commission expires, or the shortcuts available to reappointing notaries disappear.
When to Start
The Secretary of State will not issue your new commission until 30 days before your current one expires, but every prerequisite has to be finished before that point.1California Secretary of State. California Notary Newsletter – November 2025 The state recommends sitting for the exam at least six weeks before your expiration date so the office has time to process your packet and mail your new commission without a gap in coverage.2California Secretary of State. Await Commission Packet
Working backward from that exam target, you also need time to finish your education course and schedule a Live Scan appointment. Three to four months before expiration is a realistic starting point. Your course completion stays valid for two years from the application date, and an exam score is good for one year, so there is some flexibility if you move faster than expected.1California Secretary of State. California Notary Newsletter – November 2025
Take the Three-Hour Refresher Course
If you already hold a California commission and completed the full six-hour course during a prior term, you only need a three-hour refresher before reapplying. That shorter course is available only if you apply before your current commission expires.3California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 8201 – Notaries Public Once your commission has lapsed, the refresher no longer qualifies and you have to retake the full six-hour course like a first-time applicant.4California Secretary of State. Notary Frequently Asked Questions
Both course lengths are offered online and in a classroom setting through state-approved providers. When you finish, the provider issues a Proof of Completion certificate. Keep it. You need to bring it to the exam and attach it to your application.
Get New Fingerprints Through Live Scan
A fresh fingerprint submission is required for every commission term. Live Scan sends your prints electronically to the California Department of Justice and the FBI for a background review. If the results have not come back by the time your application is otherwise ready, the Secretary of State holds your commission until they do.5California Secretary of State. Current Processing Dates
Visit any certified Live Scan vendor and bring a valid photo ID. The combined DOJ and FBI processing fee is currently around $49, plus a separate rolling fee that varies by vendor. Most people pay roughly $65 to $90 total. Schedule this early so your results are in the system before your exam date.
Pass the State Exam
Every reappointing notary has to pass the Secretary of State’s written exam, no matter how many terms they have served. It is 45 multiple-choice questions, and you need 70 percent — 32 correct answers — to pass.
Register through the Secretary of State’s office. When you show up at the testing site, bring the completed Notary Public Application, a valid government-issued photo ID, your Proof of Completion certificate, and a $40 application fee by check or money order (no cash, no cards).6California Secretary of State. Forms, Services, and Fees Everything is submitted at the exam site after you pass. There is nothing else to mail separately.
Application Details That Trip People Up
A two-inch by two-inch color passport-style photo must be printed or attached to the application. Your business address must be a physical location — P.O. boxes and commercial mailboxes are not accepted.7Secretary of State. Notary Public Application
The commission name section causes more rejections than you would expect. Your legal last name on the application must match the last name on your ID. If your driver’s license includes a suffix like Jr. or III, it needs to be on the application too. Whatever you write here is exactly what appears on your commission certificate and your new seal, so check it carefully before you hand it in.
File Your Oath and $15,000 Bond Within 30 Days
This is where most reappointments quietly fail. Your new commission does not take effect until you file an oath of office and a $15,000 surety bond with the county clerk in the county where your principal place of business is located. You have 30 calendar days from the start date printed on your commission certificate to get this done, and the deadline cannot be extended for any reason.8California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 8213 – Notaries Public Miss the 30-day window and the commission is void. You start the entire process over.
The surety bond protects the public if you make an error in your official duties. Buy it from an insurance company or surety bond provider, not from the county clerk. A standard $15,000 notary bond typically runs $40 to $100 depending on the provider and your credit, and it covers your full four-year term. Have the bond in hand before you visit the clerk so you can file everything in one trip, and bring valid ID to take the oath.9California Secretary of State. File Notary Public Oath and Bond
The classic failure pattern: course completed, exam passed, application approved, packet arrives, and then it sits on a desk for five weeks. Mark the 30-day deadline on your calendar the day the packet comes in.
Order a New Seal, Destroy the Old One, Keep Your Journal
Your seal carries your commission number and expiration date, so you need a new one for every term. Order only from an authorized manufacturer listed by the Secretary of State, and bring the Certificate of Authorization that came in your commission packet.10California Secretary of State. Notary Seal Manufacturer Guidelines Once your new commission takes effect, stop using the old seal — the information on it no longer matches your active commission.
California law requires you to destroy the old seal so it cannot be used for fraudulent notarizations. Cut or deface the rubber stamp face so no legible impression can be made from it.4California Secretary of State. Notary Frequently Asked Questions
Your journal does not reset. You keep one active sequential journal at a time, and it carries forward from one commission to the next.11California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 8206 – Notaries Public The journal is your personal property and should never be surrendered to an employer, even one that paid for it.
What Happens If Your Commission Lapses
Letting your commission expire before you complete reappointment triggers several consequences at once. The three-hour refresher no longer counts, so you have to complete the full six-hour course as if you were a first-time applicant.4California Secretary of State. Notary Frequently Asked Questions That alone adds time and cost.
If more than 30 days pass after your expiration without reappointment, state law requires you to deliver all of your notarial records and papers to the county clerk where your oath of office is filed, and to destroy your seal.4California Secretary of State. Notary Frequently Asked Questions Once your journal is with the county clerk, you no longer have direct access to your own records.
You also cannot perform notarial acts during the gap. Any document you notarize while your commission is expired is invalid, and continuing to act as a notary without an active commission exposes you to liability. A lapsed commission is not just an inconvenience: it creates a legal obligation to surrender your records and sends you back to the start of the process.