CA Notary Prep / California notary exam results
California notary exam results
Updated October 2026 · Based on the 2026 California Notary Public Handbook
After the exam, the wait is about three to four weeks. Here is how results arrive, what your score means, and the deadlines that start the day you pass.
How results are delivered
- By email if you put an email address on your application, otherwise by USPS mail.
- In your CPS HR My Account, under "View Notifications".
- Never by phone. CPS does not discuss results over the phone.
Contact CPS HR if more than 25 business days have passed. If you pass, CPS forwards your application to the Secretary of State automatically.
What the scaled score means
The exam has 45 questions, but only 40 count: the other 5 are unscored test items, and you cannot tell which ones. The 40 scored answers are converted to a scaled score from 0 to 100, and 70 is the pass mark. The conversion is not published, so a scaled 70 is not the same as getting 70% right. The practical rule: if you score 80% or more on realistic practice exams, you have a safe margin.
If you passed
- Get your Live Scan fingerprints: instructions come with your results, and they must be done within 1 year of the exam.
- Wait for your commission packet from the Secretary of State.
- Buy your $15,000 bond, seal and journal, then file your oath and bond with the county clerk within 30 calendar days of your commission start date. See all the steps.
If you failed
- Your fail notice comes with a retake voucher. The retake costs $20: bring the printed fail letter.
- You can retest, but not more than once in the same calendar month. A second test in the same month is invalid and the fee is lost.
- Your course Proof of Completion is valid for 2 years: if it expires before you pass, you need a new 6-hour course.
- Misconduct and fees are 15 of the 40 scored questions. If you were unsure on penalties and fee amounts, start there. Test yourself for free.
Rescoring
You can ask CPS HR to rescore your exam in writing, with a $30 money order payable to CPS HR, received within 45 days of the test date.