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Becoming a California Notary Public is a great way to help people and businesses with their legal needs.
As a notary public appointed by the Secretary of State, you can serve the public as an unbiased witness. You can certify legal documents, such as various contracts and mortgages.
Being a Notary Public helps deter fraud by ensuring signers are who they say they are.
California Notary Public
You might wonder if you have what it takes to become a notary or if you have no clue how to get a notary.
Then there is my question: how do you become a notary in California?
When I decided to become a notary, I realized I live in one of the states with many different steps you must complete to become a notary public.
There are many steps to complete before becoming a notary public in my state. Before you get your notary commission, you must complete a few of these steps.
- Taking a six-hour class
- Filling out the state application
- Taking an in-person exam
- Pass the exam
- Completing a background check
- File for a bond
- Decide if you want to get errors and omissions insurance (if you asked me, the only answer here is yes)
And after those steps, you also need to take more paperwork, original bond, and take your oath of office. Then, don’t forget there are some additional supplies every notary needs.
It’s then that you can continue on your notary path.
The whole process took me just under three months to complete. That includes passing the training class exam and state exam the first time.
Time Investment
I mention this because getting your notary commission in California takes more than just filling out an application.
As you can imagine, each step in the process also costs money.
If you want to know how I did all of this and avoid a few of my timing issues, I invite you to read this blog to learn more.
And if you happen to be in California, you should read the following posts if you have any questions or concerns about what to do.
The following posts will be what I did to receive my notary commission.
My Decision
I decided to create this website section because I was unclear on what I needed to do to receive my notary commission.
Doing a Google search bombarded me with tons of sites, blogs, and articles, that I became overwhelmed.
I almost decided to forget it. But, as you will soon discover, it’s not that difficult, and you can make a decent living. For me, becoming a notary will become my side hustle.
If you have any questions that I haven’t addressed or covered yet, please leave a comment or email me.
