1.2 Application Process
Key Takeaways
- The Utah notary exam is administered online by the Lieutenant Governor's Office: 35 questions, 65 total points, and a passing score of 61 points
- The exam is weighted — 10 heavily weighted questions are worth 4 points each (40 points) and 25 standard questions are worth 1 point each (25 points)
- The testing/administration fee is $95; a failed first attempt may be retaken for $40 if done within 30 days, after which a full $95 application is required
- Before the commission issues you must obtain a $5,000 surety bond for the 4-year term and complete an oath of office that is itself notarized
- Felonies and crimes involving fraud or dishonesty surfaced by the criminal background check can disqualify an applicant
The Utah Application, Step by Step
Utah runs the entire process online through the Lieutenant Governor's Office notary portal (notary.utah.gov). You must pass the exam before the system unlocks the application, so the test comes first, not last.
| # | Step | Key detail to memorize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Take the online exam | 35 questions, 61 of 65 points to pass |
| 2 | Pay the fee | $95 testing/administration fee |
| 3 | Criminal background check | Submitted automatically with the application |
| 4 | Obtain surety bond | $5,000 bond covering the 4-year term |
| 5 | Complete oath of office | Sworn and notarized by another notary |
| 6 | Receive commission, buy supplies | Official seal/stamp (journal for RON) |
How the Exam Is Scored
The scoring is weighted, and the exam loves to test the arithmetic itself.
| Item type | Count | Points each | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavily weighted | 10 | 4 | 40 |
| Standard | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| Total | 35 | — | 65 |
You need 61 of 65 points (about 94%) to pass. Because the 10 weighted questions hold 40 of the 65 points, missing even two or three weighted items can sink you while several standard misses might still leave you above 61. Prioritize the high-value concepts — qualifications, the bond, prohibited acts, and certificate wording — which is exactly where those 4-point questions concentrate.
Worked example: Suppose you miss one weighted question (-4) and one standard question (-1). Your score is 65 − 5 = 60, which is below 61 — you fail by a single point. This shows why the weighted items are so unforgiving.
Fee Structure and Retakes
| Fee | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Testing & administration | $95 | After you pass the exam |
| Retake (within 30 days of failing) | $40 | Discounted second attempt |
| New attempt after 30 days | $95 | A full new application is required |
The $40 retake is a time-limited courtesy. Let the 30-day window lapse and you pay the full $95 again. Note this 30-day retake window is a different number from the 30-day employment-eligibility rule in Section 1.1 — keep them separate.
Background Check and Disqualifiers
After you pass and pay, the portal submits a criminal background check automatically; you do not file it separately. The Lieutenant Governor may deny a commission for:
- A felony conviction.
- A crime involving fraud, dishonesty, or deceit (directly relevant to a notary's trust role).
- Prior revocation of a notary commission for misconduct.
The Surety Bond — Not Insurance
| Feature | Rule |
|---|---|
| Amount | $5,000 |
| Term | 4 years (matches the commission) |
| Typical premium | roughly $35–$55 for the full term |
| Who it protects | the public, not the notary |
| Timing | must be in place before the commission issues |
The single most-missed bond concept: the bond protects members of the public who are harmed by your error or misconduct, up to $5,000. It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, it can seek reimbursement from you. (A separate, optional Errors & Omissions policy protects the notary; do not confuse the two.) Performing remote online notarization requires an additional $5,000 RON bond.
Oath of Office
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who administers | another commissioned notary public |
| When | after the bond is obtained |
| Form | sworn statement that is itself notarized |
| Purpose | promise to perform notarial duties faithfully and lawfully |
The oath of office is notarized by another notary — a frequent exam answer. From passing the exam to holding the commission typically takes about two to three weeks, with the background check being the longest stage.
Putting the Order in Context
The exam frequently scrambles the sequence and asks what comes next, so internalize the dependencies. The exam is the gate: you cannot even open the application until you pass, so studying first is mandatory, not optional. Payment of the $95 fee triggers the automatic background check — you never mail fingerprint cards or file a separate request. Only after the check is clear do you secure the $5,000 bond, and the bond must be in place before the commission can issue. The oath of office comes after the bond and must be sworn before another notary who notarizes it.
A common trap reverses two of these — for example, claiming you take the oath before obtaining the bond, or that the background check happens before the exam. If you can recite the chain "exam → fee → background check → bond → oath → commission → seal" cold, the logistics questions become straightforward.
Finally, distinguish required from optional supplies. The official seal/stamp is required to authenticate your acts; a paper journal is recommended but not mandated for in-person paper notarizations; and Errors & Omissions insurance is entirely optional protection for the notary. The mandatory $5,000 surety bond is separate from all of these and exists to protect the public, not the notary.
On the Utah notary exam, a candidate misses one heavily weighted question and one standard question. What is their final score, and do they pass?
Who or what does the Utah $5,000 notary surety bond protect?
A candidate fails the Utah notary exam on the first try. Forty days later they want to test again. What applies?