The Ohio notary test is a 30-question multiple-choice exam on Ohio notary law, and you need to answer at least 24 questions correctly — an 80% score — to pass.1Ohio Secretary of State. Education and Testing Before you can sit for it, you must complete a mandatory three-hour education course from a provider authorized by the Secretary of State. The combined fee for the course and the exam is $130.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code 111:6-1-03 – Fee for Application, Education and Testing
What the Exam Covers
Questions are drawn directly from the required course material and test whether you understand Ohio notary law well enough to avoid the mistakes that get notaries in trouble. A few topics come up repeatedly and deserve extra study time.
Identifying Signers
A large share of questions focuses on how you verify a signer’s identity. Ohio law requires the signer to personally appear before you, and you confirm who they are either through personal knowledge or by examining a reliable identification credential such as a government-issued ID.3Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code Chapter 147 – Notaries Public and Commissioners Expect scenario questions asking which forms of ID are acceptable and what to do when someone presents an expired license or no photo ID.
Acknowledgments Versus Jurats
The exam distinguishes between these two notarial acts, and confusing them is one of the most common mistakes new notaries make. An acknowledgment confirms that the signer willingly signed the document. A jurat requires you to administer an oath or affirmation, meaning the signer swears that the contents of the document are true. The certificate language differs: acknowledgments use wording like “acknowledged before me,” while jurats use “sworn to and subscribed before me.” Knowing which act a document calls for and which certificate language to use is heavily tested.
When to Refuse a Notarization
Expect questions presenting scenarios and asking what you should do. Performing a notarial act without the signer physically present is grounds for commission revocation, and notarizing a document when you have reason to believe the signer is being coerced or doesn’t understand what they’re signing is similarly prohibited.4Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 147.032 – Investigations, Penalties
Misconduct and Penalties
You’ll need to know what happens when a notary gets things wrong. The Secretary of State can revoke or suspend a commission for failing to administer an oath when performing a jurat, notarizing without requiring personal appearance, and making fraudulent statements on a certificate. A notary whose commission is revoked can never apply for a new one.4Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 147.032 – Investigations, Penalties More serious fraud cases can bring criminal charges with fines and imprisonment.
Exam Format and Logistics
The exam has 30 multiple-choice questions, and the passing score is 80%.1Ohio Secretary of State. Education and Testing Most candidates take it online in a proctored environment. You schedule through the authorized provider’s portal after finishing your education course and receiving the certificate of completion. Proctoring software watches you through your webcam during the session, so confirm that your computer meets the technical requirements before test day. You’ll get an email with login instructions after you confirm your appointment. In-person testing centers are available if you prefer.
Results appear immediately after you submit. If you pass, the provider issues a certificate of completion you’ll later upload to the Secretary of State’s commission application portal, so save it.
If You Fail
Failing isn’t the end of the road, but Ohio imposes real constraints on retakes. You must wait at least 30 days before taking the exam again.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code 111:6-1-03 – Fee for Application, Education and Testing The retake also has to happen within six months of your BCI background check, because the Secretary of State won’t accept an application built on a report older than that.
Fail a second time and you start over: new application, new $130 fee for education and testing, new course.2Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Administrative Code 111:6-1-03 – Fee for Application, Education and Testing That makes the first attempt worth taking seriously. Put real time into the course materials before scheduling, especially the acknowledgment-versus-jurat distinction and the signer identification rules.
Who Qualifies to Take It
You must be at least 18 years old and a legal resident of Ohio. The one exception to residency: attorneys admitted by the Ohio Supreme Court whose principal place of business or primary practice is in Ohio.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 147.01 – Appointment and Commission of Notaries Public
Every applicant other than licensed Ohio attorneys and peace officers must complete a criminal records check through the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The BCI check involves fingerprinting, and the Secretary of State will reject any application where the background report is more than six months old. Don’t schedule it too far in advance of your exam.6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 147.022 – Criminal Records Check
Certain convictions disqualify you entirely. Ohio bars anyone convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor involving a dishonest act such as fraud, deceit, or theft.7Ohio Secretary of State. Disqualifying Offenses
The Required Education Course
Non-attorney applicants must complete the three-hour course from a Secretary of State-authorized provider. One such provider is Ohio Notary Services, LLC, a joint venture of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Columbus Bar Association.1Ohio Secretary of State. Education and Testing You register through the provider’s portal, work through the modules, and receive a certificate of completion.
The course covers the powers a notary holds, the different types of notarial acts, proper journal-keeping, and the legal liabilities that come with the position. Because the exam questions pull directly from this material, pay particular attention to how the course draws the lines between different notarial acts. You’ll need the certificate of completion to schedule the exam.
Attorneys Skip the Test Entirely
If you’re an attorney admitted to practice law in Ohio, you’re exempt from both the three-hour course and the exam.1Ohio Secretary of State. Education and Testing You still file a commission application and pay the $15 filing fee, but there’s no test to prepare for. Licensed attorneys are also exempt from the BCI background check.6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 147.022 – Criminal Records Check