REQUIREMENTS
Government Code (Section 8201) states that the notary or applicant meet the following requirements¹:

1. Must be, at the time of appointment, a legal RESIDENT of the State of California (except as otherwise provided in (Section 8203.1); (KS3-GC8201)

2. Must be at least 18 years of age;

3. After July 1, 2005, applicant must have satisfactorily completed a six-hour course of study which has been approved by the Secretary of State (Section 8201.2) for appointments made on or after July 1, 2005. (KS3-GC8201)

4. Must pass a written examination which is prescribed by the Secretary of State².

5. Must be able to do the following: Read, write and understand English.

6. Must pass a background check³.

 FOOTNOTES:
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[1]To determine if you meet the requirements, you will need to bring a completed application along with you to the test site.  The       application will be forwarded to the Secretary of State.  The Secretary of State will review your application for qualifying information.

 [2]As of July 1, 2005, each applicant will need to provide satisfactory proof that (s)he has completed the required six-hour course  of study.  In order to avoid application-processing delays, an ORIGINAL Proof of Completion MUST be attached to the notary public application when submitted to the Secretary of State.

[3] Pursuant to (Section 8201.1), the applicant must pass a background check PRIOR to being granted an appointment as a     notary public.  The background check will determine the integrity to fulfil the responsibilities of the notary public position.  For identification purposes and to check to see if the applicant has been convicted of a disqualifying crime, the applicant will be   required to have his/her fingerprints taken.

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