A claim is made against a Missouri notary's bond. Who must report it to the secretary of state under 486.615.2?RSMo 486.615.2
A commission was issued but the person never qualified. Within how many days must the county clerk return it to the secretary, marked not qualified, under 486.620.3?RSMo 486.620.3
A former Missouri notary wants a new commission. What does 486.625.2 require?RSMo 486.625.2
A Missouri notary marries and takes a new surname. Until the steps of 486.785 are complete, which name is used in notarial acts?RSMo 486.785.2
A Missouri notary moves to a new home. What fee goes with the signed notice of the change sent to the secretary under 486.780?RSMo 486.780.1
A notary was commissioned in 2019, before the notary law of August 28, 2020 took effect. What does 486.610.2 say about that notary's bond, seal and term?RSMo 486.610.2
A notary's regular place of work moves to a new address. Which of these must happen before the notary performs another act, under 486.780.2?RSMo 486.780.2
A person who lives in Illinois and works in St. Louis applies as a nonresident notary. What must that applicant authorize under 486.605.3?RSMo 486.605.3(2)
Show all 162 questions (154 more)
Commission, bond and exam, continued
An applicant pleaded guilty to a felony. For how long after the plea does 486.605.4 bar the issue of a commission?RSMo 486.605.4(2)
Before a revocation takes effect, what must the secretary tell the notary under 486.810.3?RSMo 486.810.3
Besides passing the examination, what must every applicant for a Missouri commission attest to under 486.630.3?RSMo 486.630.3(1)
Claims paid by the surety have exhausted a notary's bond. What does 486.615.3 require of the secretary of state?RSMo 486.615.3
For which failure does RSMo 486.810.2 say the secretary SHALL revoke a notary's commission?RSMo 486.810.2
How does the secretary immediately suspend a commission when a situation is deemed to have a serious unlawful effect on the general public?RSMo 486.815.1
In the City of St. Louis, which officer is the "county clerk" for the purposes of the notary chapter?RSMo 486.600(6)
In the declaration every applicant signs under 486.630.2, where are the duties of a Missouri notary said to be explained?RSMo 486.630.2
RSMo 28.160 sets a fee for issuing a notary commission and lets the secretary collect an added fee for the technology trust fund. What are the two amounts?RSMo 28.160
RSMo 486.605 sets a minimum age for a Missouri commission. What is it?RSMo 486.605.2(1)
RSMo 486.630.4 names three subjects for the Missouri training and examination. Which set is it?RSMo 486.630.4
The secretary is looking into a Missouri notary's conduct when the notary gives up the commission. Under 486.810.4, what becomes of the inquiry?RSMo 486.810.4
The secretary of state denies a notary application. Within how many days after denial may the applicant file an appeal under 486.605.5?RSMo 486.605.5
Under 486.615.1, payment of the notary bond's funds to any person is conditioned upon what?RSMo 486.615.1
Under RSMo 486.620.5, who keeps a register of each person awarded a notary commission in a county?RSMo 486.620.5
What does RSMo 486.630.5 say about the application fee an applicant pays to the state?RSMo 486.630.5
What must a Missouri notary application disclose about earlier notary bonds, under 486.630.1(9)?RSMo 486.630.1(9)
What must accompany the notice of a name change that a notary sends to the secretary under 486.785.1?RSMo 486.785.1
What must the signed notice of resignation sent to the secretary state, under 486.790.1?RSMo 486.790.1
What score must an applicant receive on the examination the secretary of state administers before a Missouri commission is issued?RSMo 486.630.3(2)
Where may a person commissioned under RSMo 486.610 perform notarial acts?RSMo 486.610.1
Which of these does RSMo 486.630.1 list among the items the application for a commission shall state?RSMo 486.630.1(1)
Which of these events requires a Missouri notary to resign the commission under 486.790.2?RSMo 486.790.2
Which of these is one of the five qualifications RSMo 486.605.2 lists for a notary commission?RSMo 486.605.2
Who must execute the bond that RSMo 486.615 requires of a Missouri notary?RSMo 486.615.1
Who, other than a government agent on official business or the applicant, may receive the record of an applicant's past commissions and licenses under 486.635?RSMo 486.635
Fees 13
A husband, a wife and their son each acknowledge a signature on the same Missouri deed. What is the highest total fee 486.685 allows?RSMo 486.685.2(1)
A Missouri notary certifies a copy that is two pages long. What is the most the notary may charge under 486.685?RSMo 486.685.2(4)
A Missouri notary gives plain copies of journal entries to a law enforcement officer in an official investigation. What is the most the notary may charge?RSMo 486.710.2
A notary is paid a travel fee, drives to the signer and finds the signer cannot be identified, so the act is prohibited. What does 486.690.2 say about the travel fee?RSMo 486.690.2(2)
A notary who charges for notarial services shows a schedule of fees. What is the smallest type RSMo 486.685.6 allows on it?RSMo 486.685.6
A state agency paid its employee's costs of becoming a notary. What must it require of fees for acts done on its time, under 486.695.3?RSMo 486.695.3
For what reason does 486.685.4 let a Missouri notary waive or reduce a fee for one signer and not another?RSMo 486.685.4
In what language must the schedule of fees that 486.685.6 requires be written?RSMo 486.685.6
May a Missouri notary ask to be paid before performing the act?RSMo 486.690.1
The secretary of state asks in writing for certified copies of a notary's journal. What may the notary charge under 486.710.3?RSMo 486.710.3
What does RSMo 486.695.2 forbid a private employer to require of an employee who is a notary?RSMo 486.695.2
What may an employer do about fees for notarial acts an employee notary performs on the employer's time, under 486.695.1?RSMo 486.695.1
Which statement about the fees of RSMo 486.685 is correct?RSMo 486.685.1
Powers, limits and the seal 37
A commission expires and the notary does not plan to use the seal again. What does 486.725.5 require of the seal?RSMo 486.725.5
A Missouri notary's commission is revoked and the notary does not forward the seal to the secretary's office. What fine may follow under 486.725.6?RSMo 486.725.6
A Missouri notary's stepbrother asks the notary to take his acknowledgment on a deed. What does 486.645.3 say?RSMo 486.645.3(3)
A notarized document is going to a nation that has ratified the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961. What evidences the Missouri notary's seal and signature, under 486.770?RSMo 486.770.1(2)
A notary orders a seal by mail. How does the vendor confirm the buyer's standing under 486.735.2?RSMo 486.735.2(2)
A notary reports a stolen seal to the secretary of state. What does the secretary then issue under 486.725.4?RSMo 486.725.4
A notary who is not an attorney is asked which of two power of attorney forms the signer should use. What does 486.675.1 say?RSMo 486.675.1
A notary who is not an attorney promotes notarial services on a sign written in Spanish. Besides the fees, what must the sign carry in Spanish under 486.680.2?RSMo 486.680.2
A person tenders the proper fee and asks for a jurat. Which of these is a lawful reason under 486.650.2 for the notary to decline?RSMo 486.650.2
A signer hands a Missouri notary a signed letter that has no notarial certificate wording on it. What does 486.665.1 say?RSMo 486.665.1
A signer hesitates over a loan document. What does RSMo 486.655.1 say about the notary's part?RSMo 486.655.1
A signer loses money because of a Missouri notary's careless notarization. How far does the notary's own liability reach under RSMo 486.805.1?RSMo 486.805.1
A title company asks a notary to mail it a signed and sealed certificate to attach to a deed later. What does 486.660 say?RSMo 486.660(4)
After providing a seal, a vendor sends the secretary a form bearing its image. For how long must the vendor keep a copy of the form and the commission?RSMo 486.735.4
Does a Missouri commission authorize a notary to attest that the statements in a document are true?RSMo 486.655.2
Five people make claims against one notary bond. What is the limit of the surety's total liability under 486.805.2?RSMo 486.805.2
For each commission, how many seals may a vendor make or sell under 486.735.3?RSMo 486.735.3
May a Missouri notary use an embossed seal impression that cannot be photographically reproduced?RSMo 486.730.3
On which ground does RSMo 486.650.1 forbid a notary to refuse a notarial act?RSMo 486.650.1
Part of a seal impression is illegible. What does RSMo 486.730.2 allow the notary to do?RSMo 486.730.2
RSMo 486.600(14) defines official misconduct in two parts. Which of these falls within it?RSMo 486.600(14)
RSMo 486.660(3) limits the moment for signing and sealing a certificate. Which moment does it allow?RSMo 486.660(3)
RSMo 486.680.1 singles out one false claim of authority by name. Which is it?RSMo 486.680.1
RSMo 486.775.1 names court officers who may perform a notarial act in Missouri without a notary commission. Which?RSMo 486.775.1
To recover damages against a notary under 486.805, how must the notary's misconduct relate to the loss?RSMo 486.805.6
Twenty people ask a notary for acknowledgments five minutes before closing, and the number makes completion impractical then. What does 486.650.2 require?RSMo 486.650.2(3)
What does RSMo 486.730.1 say about the border of the official seal?RSMo 486.730.1(4)
What fine does RSMo 486.735.6 set for a seal vendor for each violation of the section?RSMo 486.735.6
What must a vendor do before selling notary seals in Missouri, under 486.735.1?RSMo 486.735.1
When is an employer liable for damages caused by an employee notary's misconduct in a notarization, under 486.805.3?RSMo 486.805.3
When may a notary collect a nonnotarial fee for services as a signing agent, under 486.645.4?RSMo 486.645.4
Where must the seal image NOT be placed on a paper certificate, under 486.730.4?RSMo 486.730.4
Which of these does RSMo 486.665 forbid a Missouri notary to certify or authenticate?RSMo 486.665.2
Which of these may perform a notarial act anywhere under the authority of federal law, with the same effect in Missouri, by 486.775.5?RSMo 486.775.5(2)
Which term does RSMo 486.680.3 bar from a Missouri notary's business card?RSMo 486.680.3
Which use of the notary title or seal does RSMo 486.670.2 forbid?RSMo 486.670.2
Who may advise on a document despite the rule of 486.675.1 against nonattorney help?RSMo 486.675.2
Notarial acts and certificates 21
A document carries certificate wording prescribed by the law of another state. When is that form sufficient in Missouri under 486.740.2?RSMo 486.740.2(3)
A loose certificate is smaller than the signature page. Where does 486.745.1(3) say to attach it?RSMo 486.745.1(3)
A notary finds an error in a certificate completed last month. Which of these is a condition for correcting it under 486.745.2?RSMo 486.745.2
A principal signs by mark. Who must be present when the mark is affixed, under 486.645.2?RSMo 486.645.2(1)
A principal signs in a script the notary cannot read. What does 486.645.1(5) require of the signature?RSMo 486.645.1(5)
A signer speaks only Vietnamese and the notary only English. A relative offers to interpret. What does 486.645.1 say?RSMo 486.645.1(6)
By 486.600(9), a jurat needs two steps from the individual beyond appearing and being identified. Which?RSMo 486.600(9)
How does a notary mark a correction made on the face of a certificate, under 486.745.2(3)?RSMo 486.745.2(3)
How does a signature witnessing differ from a jurat under the definitions of 486.600?RSMo 486.600(23)
How must a separate paper certificate be attached to the document, under 486.745.1(1)?RSMo 486.745.1(1)
In an acknowledgment as RSMo 486.600(1) defines it, what does the individual indicate to the notary?RSMo 486.600(1)
In what language may a Missouri notarial certificate be worded and completed, under 486.740.3?RSMo 486.740.3
What do the two witnesses to a signature by mark do under 486.645.2(2)?RSMo 486.645.2(2)
What does the certified copy form of 486.765 state about the copied document?RSMo 486.765
What does the venue on a Missouri notarial certificate name, under 486.740.1(3)?RSMo 486.740.1(3)
What marks an affirmation off from an oath in RSMo 486.600?RSMo 486.600(2)
Which kind of document may NOT be the subject of a copy certification, by the definition in 486.600(4)?RSMo 486.600(4)
Which Missouri certificate form has blanks for a signer acting "as partner", "as attorney in fact" or for a corporation?RSMo 486.750
Which Missouri certificate form says the signer "swore or affirmed to me that the contents of the document are truthful and accurate"?RSMo 486.755
Which person is a "principal" under RSMo 486.600(18)?RSMo 486.600(18)
Whom does RSMo 486.600(20) call a "requester of fact"?RSMo 486.600(20)
Identity and the journal 21
A commission expires and the notary means to apply again. How long may the journal be kept before it must be disposed of, unless the notary is recommissioned?RSMo 486.795.2
A Missouri notary resigns. Within how many days after the effective date must the journal and records be disposed of under 486.795.1?RSMo 486.795.1(2)
A notary corrects a completed certificate. What goes into the journal under 486.705.4?RSMo 486.705.4
A notary dies during the term. Who must notify the secretary in writing and forward the seals and journal under 486.800?RSMo 486.800
A signer is identified by a credible witness. What does the journal carry for that witness under 486.705.1(6)(c)?RSMo 486.705.1(6)(c)
A signer is identified by a driver license. Which of these belongs in the journal entry under 486.705.1(6)(b)?RSMo 486.705.1(6)(b)
Between notarizations, what does RSMo 486.715.2 require of the place where the bound journal sits?RSMo 486.715.2
Beyond personally knowing the signer, what makes a person a credible witness under 486.600(7)?RSMo 486.600(7)
For how long must a Missouri notary keep the permanently bound journal after its last entry?RSMo 486.700.3
How many active permanently bound journals may a Missouri notary maintain at the same time under 486.700.2?RSMo 486.700.2
Missouri's 486.600(21) asks for a physical description on an identification document, with one exception. Which document is the exception?RSMo 486.600(21)(a)
On whose direction, other than a court's, may a notary surrender or destroy the journal under 486.715.1?RSMo 486.715.1
RSMo 486.600(17) says personal knowledge of identity results from what?RSMo 486.600(17)
RSMo 486.705.1 fixes the moment for writing up each act in the bound journal. When is it?RSMo 486.705.1
RSMo 486.705.3 speaks to an act that was requested and not performed. What may the bound journal show?RSMo 486.705.3
Thieves take a Missouri notary's bound journal. What does 486.715.3 have the notary give the secretary along with the notice?RSMo 486.715.3
To whom are the journal and notarial records delivered when a commission ends, under 486.715.4?RSMo 486.715.4
Two credible witnesses, neither known to the notary, vouch for a signer. What must each of them show under 486.600(21)?RSMo 486.600(21)(b)
Under 486.600(21), a lone credible witness can establish a signer's identity only if the witness is what?RSMo 486.600(21)(b)
Which of these shall a Missouri notary NOT record in the journal, under 486.705.2?RSMo 486.705.2
Who may examine and copy a Missouri notary's journal without restriction under 486.710.1?RSMo 486.710.1
Electronic and remote online acts 24
A notary decides to end registration as an electronic notary. What happens to the underlying commission under 486.990.2?RSMo 486.990
A notary has no other registered means after a compromise and the electronic status is suspended. Within how many days must a means be registered before the status is terminated?RSMo 486.985.2
A registered electronic notary keeps an electronic journal. Where else must a record of electronic acts be kept under 486.945.2?RSMo 486.945.2(2)
An electronic notary's commission is revoked. Within what time must the software used only to produce the registered seal be erased or expunged?RSMo 486.995.1
An electronic notary's e-mail address changes. Within what time must the secretary be notified under 486.980.1?RSMo 486.980.1
An employer paid for an employee's electronic notary software. May the employer control the means of producing the registered electronic signature?RSMo 486.940.4
By the definition in 486.1100(2), what must a device or process allow in order to count as communication technology?RSMo 486.1100(2)
For how long must the audio and video recording of a remote online notarial act be maintained under 486.1195?RSMo 486.1195.2
How many kinds of notarial act does RSMo 486.925 list as ones that may be performed electronically?RSMo 486.925
May an electronic notary use the registered electronic signature for lawful purposes other than notarizing?RSMo 486.940.5
The means an electronic notary uses to produce the registered signature is compromised. What is the first duty listed in 486.985.1?RSMo 486.985.1
On what conditions may a remote online notary charge a remote online transaction fee under 486.1160?RSMo 486.1160
The principal in a remote online notarization is outside the United States. When may the Missouri notary proceed under 486.1155.2?RSMo 486.1155.2(3)
RSMo 486.1155.1 ties remote online notarization to the notary's own location. Where must that be?RSMo 486.1155.1
RSMo 486.1195.4 lets the recording and electronic journal of remote online acts be placed with a custodian. Who qualifies?RSMo 486.1195.4
RSMo 486.915 gives the registration of an electronic notary no fixed number of years. How long does it run?RSMo 486.915
RSMo 486.975 caps the secretary's charge for an electronic certificate of authority. At what amount?RSMo 486.975
What does RSMo 486.910 require before a notary first registers as an electronic notary?RSMo 486.910.1
What kind of access procedure must protect an electronic journal of electronic notarial acts under 486.950.1?RSMo 486.950.1(1)
What must a commissioned Missouri notary do before notarizing electronically, under 486.905.2?RSMo 486.905.2
What title must appear in a registered electronic notary seal under 486.935?RSMo 486.935.2(3)(c)
Which two acts may be performed as remote online notarial acts under RSMo 486.1140?RSMo 486.1140
Which words set the remote online certificate forms of 486.1175 apart from the paper forms?RSMo 486.1175
Who pays for the testing of remote online notarization software before it is certified for use in Missouri?RSMo 486.1115.4
Prohibited acts and penalties 12
A notary believes a statement in the notarial certificate is false but completes it anyway. Which rule of 486.660 is broken?RSMo 486.660(1)
A notary knowingly fails to perform an act that chapter 486 requires, other than those named in 578.700.2. What is the offense under 578.700.3?RSMo 578.700.3
A notary knowingly fails to require the principal's presence at a notarial act. What is the highest fine RSMo 578.700.2 sets on conviction?RSMo 578.700.2
A person who holds no commission signs documents as a Missouri notary. How does 578.700.4 class knowingly impersonating a notary?RSMo 578.700.4
An employer pressures a notary to notarize without the signer present. What does 578.700.6 say of a person who knowingly coerces a notary to commit official misconduct?RSMo 578.700.6
For which of these shall the secretary terminate an electronic notary's registration under 486.1005.1?RSMo 486.1005.1
How does the liability for improper electronic notarial acts compare with that for acts on paper, under 486.1000?RSMo 486.1000
What does RSMo 486.670.1 forbid in the performance of any notarial act?RSMo 486.670.1
What is the longest imprisonment RSMo 578.700.2 allows for knowingly executing a false notarial certificate?RSMo 578.700.2
What may the secretary of state regularly publish under RSMo 486.820?RSMo 486.820
Which act by someone other than the notary does RSMo 578.700.5 make a misdemeanor?RSMo 578.700.5
Which definitions apply to the notary offenses of RSMo 578.700?RSMo 578.700.1
How this list was compiled: Written from the Revised Statutes of Missouri, chapter 486, sections 486.600 to 486.1205 (notaries public, electronic notaries and remote online notaries), with section 578.700 (offenses) and section 28.160 (the state's fees), as the Missouri Revisor of Statutes publishes them at https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneChapter.aspx?chapter=486, every section read 2026-10-15; the sections of chapter 486 and section 578.700 were shown as effective August 28, 2020. Each question links to its section page in the form https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=486.605. Exam facts are from section 486.630 and from the Missouri Secretary of State's notary pages, https://www.sos.mo.gov/business/notary, read 2026-10-15. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the statute text; nothing is copied from another practice test, from the state's examination, from the Secretary of State's written training course (Form Comm. 59) or from its handbook. Short quotations from the statute are marked.
How it works
This unofficial Missouri notary test holds 162 practice questions written from RSMo chapter 486, the notary law in force since August 28, 2020, and from the offenses of section 578.700. Checked October 15, 2026.
Read the full guide
What the Missouri notary exam is based on
RSMo 486.630 bases the training and the examination on notarial laws, procedures and ethics. The Secretary of State's steps, read October 15, 2026: read the Missouri Notary Public Handbook, then take the online or the written training course. These questions follow the statutes, not the handbook.
A Missouri notary practice test by topic
Seven topics follow chapter 486. Rules worth knowing cold: one permanently bound journal with numbered pages (486.700), a seal that carries the commission number (486.730), no notarizing for a spouse, sibling or in-law (486.645), and no certifying a photograph (486.665).
A $10,000 bond from a licensed Missouri surety and an oath before the county clerk, within 60 days of the issue date (RSMo 486.615, 486.620).
Ten days to report a lost or stolen seal or journal, or a change of name or address (486.715, 486.725, 486.780, 486.785).
Keep the bound journal at least ten years after its last entry. No Social Security number goes in it (486.700, 486.705).
Questions and answers
Is there a test to become a notary in Missouri?
Yes. RSMo 486.605 requires passing the examination of 486.630: a score of 80% or better on an examination administered by the Secretary of State. The office's FAQ lists the online or written training course for new applicants and again at each renewal.
Are these the real Missouri notary test questions?
No. This site is not affiliated with the Missouri Secretary of State. The office prints its written training course as Form Comm. 59; none of it is copied here. Every question was written from the statutes. No commissioned Missouri notary has reviewed the answers yet.
How many questions are on the Missouri notary test?
The Secretary of State's written training course, Form Comm. 59 (01/2025), has 30 questions. The statute sets a pass mark and no count. An exam set here draws 30 questions at that mark, with no clock.
How much can a Missouri notary charge?
Up to $5 per signature for an acknowledgment, a jurat or a signature witnessing, and $1 per page for a certified copy, with a $3 minimum. Nothing may be charged for notarizing an absentee ballot (RSMo 486.685).
How long does a Missouri notary commission last?
Four years (RSMo 486.610). To continue, a notary files a new application and complies anew with the chapter, examination and bond included (486.625). The application fee is $25 (section 28.160).