2.2 Application Process

The Hawaii Notary Application Process

The Attorney General (AG) administers the notary program under HRS Chapter 456 and the online portal at notary.ehawaii.gov. The steps must be completed in order, and a recurring exam trap is that you cannot perform notarial acts until the final Circuit Court filing is done — not when you pass the exam, and not when the commission certificate arrives.

Step 1 — Study the Required Materials

The exam is closed-book, so master these before testing:

• Notary Public Manual (AG publication — the primary source)
• HAR Chapter 5-11 (Hawaii Administrative Rules for notaries)
• HRS Chapter 456 (the notary statute)
• HRS §§ 502-41 to 502-84 (acknowledgments and conveyances)
• HRS §§ 621-12 and 621-13 (oaths and affirmations)

Step 2 — Submit the Application

The two required letters. Hawaii is one of the few states that requires the application to be accompanied by two letters, and the exam tests that you know both:

• Letter of justification — states in detail why you are applying, the estimated number of notarial acts, the type of documents you will notarize, and that you will serve the general public. It should be written by an officer or partner of your employer; a self-employed applicant may write it for themselves.
• Letter of character (recommendation) — vouches for your honesty, integrity, and moral character. It must come from a reputable Hawaii resident who is neither your employer nor a relative.

An application missing either letter is incomplete and will not be processed. (On a change of employer, you must submit a fresh letter of justification from the new employer.)

Step 3 — AG Review and Background Check

The AG verifies eligibility, completeness, and background, and checks any prior notary history. Approval triggers an email notification to schedule the exam.

Step 4 — Take and Pass the Exam

A score below 80% means a retake (and a new exam fee). Do not assume 70% passes — that is a frequent distractor.

Step 5 — Pay the Commission Fee

After passing, pay the $100 commission issuance fee to the AG. This is separate from the $20 application and $10 exam fees.

Step 6 — Obtain the Surety Bond

Post a $1,000 surety bond from a surety company authorized in Hawaii (covered in detail in Section 2.3). Government notaries acting only in an official capacity are exempt.

Step 7 — File with the Circuit Court

Before notarizing anything, you must take your materials to the Circuit Court of the judicial circuit where you reside:

Critical rule: Until the judge approves the bond and the clerk records your filing, your commission is not operative. Any "notarization" done before this point is void.

Total Cost Estimate

Seal/stamp and the required record book add cost beyond these state fees.

Why the Sequence Matters

Many applicants assume the commission "activates" the moment they pass the exam or receive the certificate in the mail, and this assumption produces the single most dangerous mistake in the process: notarizing before the Circuit Court filing. A notarization performed before the bond is judge-approved and the filing recorded is legally void, which can invalidate the underlying document, expose the notary to liability, and become grounds for discipline. The exam frequently presents a candidate who has "passed and paid" and asks whether they may notarize a deed; the correct answer is no, not until the Circuit Court step is finished.

Treat the Circuit Court filing as the true on-switch.

Common Application Pitfalls

• Skipping the study sources. Because the exam is closed-book, candidates who rely on memory of a generic mainland course often miss Hawaii-specific rules in the Notary Public Manual and HAR Chapter 5-11.
• Confusing the three fees. The $20 application fee, the $10 exam fee, and the $100 commission fee are distinct and paid at different stages; merging them into one number is a frequent distractor.
• Assuming 70% passes. Hawaii's threshold is 80%; a 75% score is a fail and requires a retake plus a new exam fee.
• Treating the bond as optional. The $1,000 bond is mandatory for private notaries and must be in hand before the Circuit Court step.
• Letting the application stall. The AG verifies residency, eligibility, and background, and incomplete disclosure of criminal history or prior commissions delays or defeats the application.

A Realistic Timeline

From submitting the $20 application, an applicant typically waits for AG review and an exam invitation, schedules and passes the closed-book exam at 80%, pays the $100 commission fee, purchases the $1,000 bond, and then visits the Circuit Court for the judge's bond approval and clerk filing. Only after that final step does the four-year clock of an operative commission practically begin. Budget time for each stage; you cannot lawfully notarize for a client simply because a deadline is looming.

Exam Focus

Memorize the three state fees ($20 / $10 / $100), the 80% pass mark, and the sequencing rule: no notarial authority exists until the Circuit Court filing and judge's bond approval are complete. When a question describes a notary who "just passed" or "just got the certificate," check whether the Circuit Court step has happened before deciding any act is valid.