Pennsylvania Notary Public Exam Overview
The Pennsylvania notary exam is administered by Pearson VUE on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of State. Pennsylvania modernized its notary laws by adopting the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) in 2017 (effective October 26, 2017), and the examination requirement is part of that framework. Every applicant who does not hold a current, unexpired commission must pass the exam — that includes first-time applicants and anyone whose commission lapsed, even by a single day.
Passing this exam, completing the 3-hour education course, and posting your bond qualifies you to become a Pennsylvania Notary Public serving nearly 13 million residents in one of the nation's most populous states, with strong demand in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the surrounding suburbs.
Exam Format at a Glance
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Administered by | Pearson VUE (computer-based; OnVUE for the first attempt) |
| Total Questions | 30 (25 scored + 5 unscored pretest items) |
| Time Limit | 60 minutes |
| Passing Score | Scaled score of 75 or higher |
| Exam Fee | $65 per attempt |
| Retakes | Unlimited within your 6-month window; first attempt online, retakes in person |
| Education Required | 3-hour approved course (within 6 months before applying) |
| Application Fee | $42 (Pennsylvania Department of State) |
| Commission Term | 4 years |
| Surety Bond | $10,000 (rising to $25,000 for anyone commissioned on or after March 28, 2026) |
A quick note on testing logistics: you may take your first attempt online from home or office through Pearson VUE's OnVUE system, but any retake must be taken in person at a Pearson VUE test center. You have six months from approval to pass; if you do not pass within that window, you must retake the education course and reapply.
Why Become a Pennsylvania Notary?
- Large market — Nearly 13 million potential clients
- Major metros — Philadelphia and Pittsburgh demand
- Modern laws — RULONA provides clear, uniform guidelines
- RON authorized — Electronic and remote online notarization allowed
- Flexible records — Keep a bound paper journal or a tamper-evident electronic one
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Key Topics Covered on the Exam
1. Notary Fundamentals (25%)
Commission Requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
- Reside in Pennsylvania, or work or maintain a place of practice in PA
- Be able to read and write English
- Complete a 3-hour approved education course within 6 months before applying
- Pass the Pearson VUE notary examination (if you do not hold a current commission)
- Obtain a surety bond ($10,000 now; $25,000 for commissions issued on or after March 28, 2026)
- Have no disqualifying criminal history (certain felony or notary-related convictions bar appointment)
Appointment Process (in order):
- Take the 3-hour education course, then pass the Pearson VUE exam
- Submit the application to the Department of State and pay the $42 application fee
- After approval, within 45 days: obtain your surety bond, take the oath of office, register your official signature, and record the bond and oath with the recorder of deeds in your county
- Order your official notary seal/stamp and set up your journal before performing any acts
2. Types of Notarial Acts (30%)
Acknowledgments:
- Signer acknowledges signing voluntarily
- Most common notarial act
- Used for deeds, mortgages, powers of attorney
Verifications (Jurats):
- Signer swears or affirms content is true
- Must sign in notary's presence
- Notary administers oath or affirmation
Signature Witnessing:
- Witness signing without oath
- Document requires signature witnessing
- Less common than acknowledgment or jurat
Copy Certifications:
- Certify copies of certain documents
- Cannot certify vital records or public documents
- Limited scope under PA law
3. RULONA and PA Law (20%)
Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts:
- Enacted 2013; full education/exam provisions effective October 26, 2017
- Codified at 57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3
- Modern, uniform framework for notarial practice
- Authorizes electronic and remote notarization
- Updated regulations took effect March 28, 2026 (bond increase, fee additions, RON/EN technology standards)
Prohibited Acts:
- Cannot notarize your own signature
- Cannot notarize with personal interest
- Cannot certify vital records
- Cannot provide legal advice
- Cannot notarize incomplete documents
Penalties:
- Commission revocation
- Civil liability
- Criminal penalties for fraud
4. Identification and Procedures (15%)
Satisfactory Evidence (57 Pa.C.S. 307):
- A passport, driver's license, or government-issued non-driver photo ID
- The credential must be current and unexpired (PA does not accept expired IDs)
- PA driver's license, U.S. passport, and military ID are common examples
- The notary may require additional credentials if still unsure of identity
Personal Knowledge:
- Notary personally knows signer
- Based on familiarity over time
- Must be documented
Credible Witness:
- One witness who knows signer
- Witness presents acceptable ID
- Used when signer lacks ID
5. Journal and Records (10%)
The journal is mandatory, but the format is your choice. Under 57 Pa.C.S. 319, every Pennsylvania notary must record all notarial acts in a journal. It may be kept on a tangible medium (a bound register with consecutively numbered pages) or in a tamper-evident electronic format, and a notary may keep separate journals for paper and electronic records. There is no statewide requirement to use an electronic journal for ordinary, in-person acts.
Required entry information (made contemporaneously with the act):
- Date and time of the notarial act
- Type of act and a description of the record
- Full name and address of each person for whom the act is performed
- How the signer was identified (personal knowledge, or the credential and its issuance/expiration dates)
- The fee charged, if any
Privacy rule (2026): a journal entry must NOT contain any part of a Social Security number, a full driver's license number, or a full government-issued non-driver ID number.
Inspection and end-of-commission:
- The journal is the exclusive property of the notary; an employer may not take it
- On a written request, provide a certified copy of an entry within 15 days
- Within 30 days after the commission ends (expiration, resignation, revocation, death, or incapacity), the journal must be delivered to the recorder of deeds in the county of appointment
- Note: the 10-year retention rule applies to the audio-video recording of a remote notarization, not to the ordinary paper journal
Maximum fee schedule (per the PA Department of State):
| Notarial act | Maximum fee |
|---|---|
| Taking an acknowledgment (first name) | $5 |
| Each additional name on an acknowledgment | $2 |
| Administering an oath or affirmation | $5 |
| Taking a verification on oath or affirmation (jurat) | $5 |
| Witnessing or attesting a signature | $5 |
| Certifying or attesting a copy | $5 |
| Noting a protest of a negotiable instrument | $3 per page |
| Electronic/remote surcharge (EN or RON acts) | up to $20 extra per act |
| Travel / clerical (copying, postage) | reasonable actual cost, disclosed in advance |
Notary fees are optional and capped; you may charge less or nothing. Any separate travel or business fee must be agreed and disclosed before the notarization.
Study Timeline for Success
| Week | Focus Area | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Complete 3-hour education course | 3 |
| Week 1-2 | Notary fundamentals and appointment | 3-4 |
| Week 2 | Types of notarial acts | 4-5 |
| Week 2-3 | RULONA and PA law specifics | 4-5 |
| Week 3 | Identification and procedures | 3-4 |
| Week 3-4 | Electronic journal and records | 2-3 |
| Week 4 | Practice exams and review | 4-5 |
Total recommended study time: 25-30 hours (including required course)
🎯 Free Practice Questions Available
Test your knowledge with free, scenario-based practice questions written specifically for the Pennsylvania notary exam, with explanations for every answer.
Pennsylvania-Specific Exam Tips
1. Master RULONA Requirements
Pennsylvania adopted modern notary standards:
- Know the full title and citation (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3)
- Understand how RULONA modernized PA notary practice
- RON provisions are key exam topics
2. Know the Journal Requirements
Pennsylvania requires a journal of all acts, with flexibility on format:
- Mandatory for all notaries, but it can be paper (bound, numbered pages) or a tamper-evident electronic format
- Entries are made at the time of the act and include date/time, act type, record description, signer name and address, ID method, and fee
- No SSN, full driver's license number, or full ID number in entries
- Deliver the journal to the county recorder of deeds within 30 days after the commission ends
3. Understand Remote Online Notarization
Pennsylvania authorizes RON:
- Technology requirements
- Identity verification standards
- Audio-visual requirements
- Record keeping for RON acts
4. Key Numbers to Remember
| Topic | Pennsylvania Requirement |
|---|---|
| Exam questions | 30 (25 scored + 5 pretest) |
| Passing score | Scaled score of 75+ |
| Time limit | 60 minutes |
| Exam fee | $65 per attempt |
| Education | 3 hours (within 6 months of applying) |
| Application fee | $42 |
| Commission term | 4 years |
| Bond amount | $10,000 ($25,000 from Mar 28, 2026) |
| Max common fee per act | $5 |
| Oath / bond / signature filing | within 45 days of appointment |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping the required course — the 3-hour approved course is mandatory and must be within 6 months before you apply
- Assuming no exam is needed — anyone without a current commission must pass the Pearson VUE exam, including lapsed notaries
- Ignoring RULONA — it is the core of PA notary law (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3)
- Confusing the journal rule — a journal is required, but paper OR electronic is fine; it is not electronic-only
- Using the old bond amount — commissions issued on or after March 28, 2026 need a $25,000 bond, not $10,000
- Mixing up acknowledgments and jurats — a jurat requires an oath and signing in your presence; an acknowledgment does not
- Missing the 45-day window — bond, oath, signature, and recording must be completed within 45 days of appointment
After Passing Your Exam
- Submit your application to the Department of State and pay the $42 application fee (most applicants apply, take the course, and test through the same portal)
- Wait for approval/appointment — your 45-day clock starts on the appointment date
- Obtain your surety bond from an approved provider ($10,000, or $25,000 if appointed on or after March 28, 2026)
- Take your oath of office and register your official signature
- Record the bond and oath with the recorder of deeds in your county
- Order your seal/stamp and set up your journal (paper or electronic) before performing any acts
- Begin your notary practice — your commission is valid for 4 years
2026 Pennsylvania Updates
Final RULONA regulations were published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and took effect March 28, 2026. The key changes:
- Bond increase: new and reappointed notaries must post a $25,000 bond (current notaries keep their existing bond until their term ends)
- Fee additions: an explicit $5 fee for witnessing or attesting a signature, plus up to $20 extra per electronic or remote act
- Journal privacy: entries may not contain a Social Security number, full driver's license number, or full ID number
- Technology standards: updated approval standards for electronic-notarization and remote-notarization technology providers, and provider-cessation procedures
Start Your Pennsylvania Notary Career Today
The Pennsylvania Notary Public commission opens doors to serving one of the nation's largest states with modern notary laws. With proper preparation, you can pass the exam on your first attempt.
Our free study materials include:
- ✅ Complete topic coverage
- ✅ Practice questions with explanations
- ✅ RULONA specifics (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3)
- ✅ Study guides and summaries
- ✅ AI-powered study assistance
Don't pay for expensive prep courses when everything you need is available FREE.
How to Turn This Pennsylvania Notary Guide Into a Passing Study Plan
A notary exam or appointment review is not just a vocabulary test. It measures whether you can protect the signer, the document, the public record, and your own commission when the facts are messy. Read the rules above once for orientation, then convert them into a procedure checklist you can apply to acknowledgments, jurats, oaths or affirmations, copy certifications if allowed, and any remote or electronic notarization rules that apply in Pennsylvania.
Your first checklist should follow the order of a real appointment. Confirm that the requested act is one you are authorized to perform. Confirm personal appearance under the rules that apply to the act. Identify the signer using the acceptable evidence described in your Pennsylvania materials. Screen for willingness, awareness, and basic communication. Complete the notarial certificate with the correct venue, date, signer name, notarial wording, signature, seal, and commission information. Record the act in your journal if required, or keep a careful voluntary record when allowed and appropriate.
That sequence is important because many exam questions describe a signer who appears at the wrong time, presents weak identification, asks for legal advice, wants a blank document notarized, or asks the notary to choose the certificate. In those scenarios, memorizing definitions is not enough. You need to know the next lawful step. Usually the safest exam answer is the one that preserves impartiality, requires proper identification and personal appearance, refuses unauthorized practice of law, and follows the certificate requirements exactly.
Pennsylvania Commission Workflow and Documents to Verify
Before relying on any checklist, verify the current Pennsylvania commissioning process with the Secretary of State, commissioning authority, approved education provider, or official handbook named in your materials. Administrative steps can change even when the core notary duties stay the same. Confirm the current application form, training or exam requirement, bond requirement if any, oath filing, seal requirements, commission term, renewal timing, and whether remote online notarization has separate registration rules.
Keep a small commissioning file with your application confirmation, education certificate, exam result if applicable, bond or insurance documents, oath filing receipt, commission certificate, stamp order, and journal purchase record. If you plan to offer loan signing or mobile notary services, keep those business records separate from your official notary records. Your commission duties come first; marketing, travel fees, and signing-agent assignments never expand what state law allows you to notarize.
When you review fees, separate maximum notarial fees from optional charges such as travel or business service fees. If the article above lists a fee cap, treat it as a rule to verify and apply carefully. Fee questions often test whether the candidate can distinguish a notarization fee from a separate travel agreement, whether the fee must be disclosed in advance, and whether remote online notarization has a different fee structure.
Procedure Drills That Build Exam Readiness
The fastest way to improve is to practice short appointment scenarios. Write five columns on a page: requested act, signer identity evidence, document condition, certificate wording, and notary action. Then create examples. A signer wants an acknowledgment but has not signed yet. A signer wants a jurat but refuses an oath. A signer brings an expired ID. A spouse asks you to notarize for an absent signer. A customer asks whether a power of attorney is legally sufficient. A remote signer passes credential analysis but cannot communicate clearly. For each scenario, write what you would do and why.
Focus especially on the difference between acknowledgments and jurats. In an acknowledgment, the signer acknowledges signing willingly; the document may have been signed before appearing if state law and the certificate allow it. In a jurat, the signer swears or affirms the truth of the document and usually signs in the notary's presence. Exam questions often hide the correct answer in those verbs. If the certificate says subscribed and sworn, think oath or affirmation. If it says acknowledged before me, think acknowledgment and voluntary execution.
Also drill refusal rules. A notary should refuse when the signer is not properly identified, does not personally appear as required, appears unwilling or unaware, asks the notary to perform an unauthorized act, presents a document with blanks that cannot be completed, or asks for legal advice. A refusal should be calm, specific, and tied to the rule. On the exam, avoid answers that make the notary a document adviser, immigration consultant, attorney, or party to the transaction.
Recordkeeping, Seal, and Certificate Traps
Recordkeeping questions are easy points if you learn the pattern. The journal entry, when required or recommended, should document the date and time, type of act, document description, signer identity method, fee, and any signature or thumbprint requirement that applies. Do not invent information after the fact. Do not share journal details casually. Do not let an employer take control of official records unless your state rules clearly allow a specific arrangement.
Seal questions usually test completeness and control. Keep your stamp secure, use the exact name and commission information required, and never let another person use your seal. If a stamp is lost, stolen, damaged, or replaced after a name or commission change, follow the reporting and replacement process in your Pennsylvania rules. If a certificate has an error, correct it only in the manner allowed by your commissioning authority; do not backdate or attach a loose certificate unless the facts and state rules support that action.
Certificate wording is another common trap. A notary may identify the type of notarial act requested, but should not choose the legal effect of a certificate for a signer. If the document lacks a certificate, the signer or document recipient may need to choose or provide the wording. Your role is to complete the notarial act correctly, not to decide which form gives the document legal effect.
If You Miss Questions in Practice
Use missed questions as a routing tool. If you miss identification questions, reread acceptable ID, credible witness, and personal knowledge rules. If you miss jurat questions, drill oath language and signature timing. If you miss fee questions, build a small chart of allowed fees and when they apply. If you miss remote notarization questions, separate traditional personal appearance from remote appearance, credential analysis, audio-video session rules, electronic journal requirements, and technology-provider rules.
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