Purpose

Notaries exist to verify that certain legal documents have been signed and are sworn to be true. Some documents that require notarization include affidavits, real estate documents and powers of attorney.

Qualifications

To become a notary in California you must be 18 years or older, legally reside in California, pass a background check, and complete a course and written examination approved by the California secretary of state. If you have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, or if you failed to disclose any arrests on your application, you may not serve as a notary.

Procedure

When you bring a document to a notary public, the notary will ask to see identification such as a driver's license or passport to verify your identity. After asking you to attest to the truth of your document, the notary will sign and stamp it with an official notary seal.

Identification

Find a notary public in your California town by looking in a phone book or using the Notary Rotary online search.

Courses

If you are interested in becoming a notary public in California, you can find an approved education course on the California Business Portal (see Resources). Courses are sorted by county.

Source:

National Notary Association

Notary Rotary

Resource:

California Notary Public

California Business Portal: Notary Education