Notary Practice Test

Notary Journal, Seal & Records Practice Questions

Journal, Seal & Records makes up 10 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest Notary practice test. Here are 10 of the 40 questions on it, each with the answer and the reason.

Updated 2026-11-10 by the Tigertest team. Practice draws on model notary concepts. Model laws are not a substitute for your state’s enacted rules, official handbook or exam requirements.

1. 1. A notary's employer paid for her seal. When she resigns to take another job, the office manager asks her to leave the seal behind. The notary should:

   • A.Leave it locked in the office supply cabinet
   • B.Keep it; the seal is the notary's property
   • C.Leave it, because the employer paid for it
   • D.Hand it to the next notary the office hires

   Answer: B. The seal is the notary's personal property and is tied to the notary's own commission, even when an employer paid for it. Leaving it with the employer invites misuse by someone who is not the commissioned notary.

2. 2. A coworker who is also a commissioned notary misplaced her stamp and asks to borrow yours for one afternoon. You should:

   • A.Lend it only for documents you reviewed
   • B.Lend it if her commission is current and in good standing
   • C.Lend it if she signs her own name
   • D.Refuse, because a seal is never lent to anyone

   Answer: D. A seal identifies one specific notary, so any impression made by someone else falsely names you as the officer. Her own valid commission does not change that; she must obtain her own replacement seal.

3. 3. A notary works in a busy shared office and steps away from her desk for lunch. What should she do with her seal?

   • A.Lock it away while it is not in use
   • B.Put it in an unlocked desk drawer
   • C.Leave it out, since coworkers are trusted
   • D.Ask the receptionist to hold it

   Answer: A. The seal should be kept secure under the notary's exclusive control, typically locked up when not in use. Trusting coworkers or handing it to a receptionist still gives others access to it.

4. 4. A notary's inked stamp has become worn and now leaves faint, blurry impressions on certificates. The notary should:

   • A.Trace over each faint impression with a pen
   • B.Press harder and stamp over the old impression
   • C.Replace it so impressions are legible
   • D.Keep using it until the commission ends

   Answer: C. Seal impressions must be clear, legible and photographically reproducible so recorders and courts can read them. Touching up an impression by hand or stamping over it alters the seal and can make the document unrecordable.

5. 5. Where should a notary generally place the seal impression when completing a notarial certificate on a document?

   • A.On the back of the document's last page
   • B.Across the printed body of the document
   • C.Near the notary's signature without covering any text
   • D.Over the signer's signature so it cannot be altered later

   Answer: C. The seal belongs on the certificate near the notary's signature, placed so it does not obscure text or signatures. Stamping over the signer's signature makes both unreadable and can cause the document to be rejected.

6. 6. Seal requirements vary by state, but which item does a notary seal generally contain?

   • A.The notary's name as commissioned
   • B.The type of document notarized
   • C.The fee charged for each act
   • D.The signer's name and address

   Answer: A. A seal generally shows the notary's commissioned name and the jurisdiction, and often the commission number and expiration date; exact contents vary by state. Signer details, document type and fee go in the journal, not on the seal.

7. 7. A notary discovers that her seal was stolen from her car overnight. What should she do first?

   • A.Notify only her employer's legal and compliance department
   • B.Order a new seal and tell no one
   • C.Wait a few weeks to see if it turns up
   • D.Promptly notify the commissioning authority and police

   Answer: D. A stolen seal can be used to forge notarizations, so the notary should promptly report the loss or theft to the commissioning authority (and police), within the time the state sets. Quietly replacing it leaves the public unprotected.

8. 8. A notary decides not to renew, and her commission expires next week. What should she do with her seal afterward?

   • A.Donate it to the county clerk's office
   • B.Destroy or deface it so no one can use it
   • C.Keep it ready in case she renews later
   • D.Give it to a coworker who holds a commission

   Answer: B. When the commission ends, the seal should be destroyed or defaced so it cannot be misused; some states specify the method or require a return, so this varies by state. Keeping it intact or passing it on creates a fraud risk.

9. 9. A notary authorized for electronic notarization wants to seal electronic documents. Which approach is proper?

   • A.Share one electronic seal among all of the office's notaries
   • B.Use an approved electronic seal under her sole control
   • C.Paste a scanned image of her ink stamp
   • D.Let the company IT staff apply it for her

   Answer: B. Electronic notarization requires an approved electronic seal and signature kept under the notary's exclusive control, with details that vary by state. A scanned stamp image is easily copied and is not a secure electronic seal.

10. 10. While a notary is on vacation, her manager tells a non-notary assistant to stamp waiting documents with the notary's seal. This is:

    • A.Allowed for documents the notary already reviewed before leaving
    • B.Allowed because the company bought the seal
    • C.Allowed if the manager approves it in writing
    • D.Improper, because only the notary may use the seal

    Answer: D. Only the commissioned notary may affix her seal, and only while personally performing a notarial act. Who paid for the seal or approved its use is irrelevant; the assistant's stamping would create false certificates.