California Notary Commissioning Class
State Required 6 Hour Course
CA Secretary of State Approved Vendor #607572
Looking for the 3 Hour Renewal Course? Click Here!
You already have what it takes to become a California Notary Public.
This is the course that makes sure you are ready when you get there.
California requires 6 hours of instruction from a state-approved vendor before you sit for your exam.
Every vendor must teach the same curriculum. What is not standardized is who teaches it, how deeply it is delivered, and whether you leave that classroom understanding the law or just familiar with it.
There is a difference between passing the exam and being prepared to operate correctly the moment you are commissioned.
This course is built for both.
Most approved vendors will get you through the material.
Not all of them will get you through it with instructors who have pursued advanced professional credentialing beyond the requirements of their California notary commissions.
At Notary Academy, your 6-hour commissioning course is taught by:
Kimberly Sennett — Master Notary, American Guild of Notaries Public
The Master credential recognizes notaries who demonstrate long-term commitment to elevating the profession through leadership, education, and stewardship. Founder of Notary Academy. Founder of Notary Advocates of California. Creator of the National Signing Agent Course and Certification. Owner of Seal the Deal National Signing Service. Pioneer in educating notaries to diversify their skill sets, notably through Permit Running and ancillary services, empowering notaries to expand beyond traditional pathways while remaining compliant and ethically grounded.
Audra Murray-Siu — Master Notary Public, American Guild of Notaries Public
Awarded by the Board of Directors in recognition of advanced knowledge, ethical practice, and leadership within the notarial profession. An active California Notary Public. Creator of The Visible Notary: Visibility by Design. Advisor Leadership Team Lead, Executive Assistant and Lifeline Servicer at Notary Academy.
The American Guild of Notaries Public operates a voluntary national credentialing program for commissioned notaries. Its credentialing framework evaluates professional knowledge and experience and emphasizes ethical conduct, professional responsibility, and ongoing development.
Both instructors bring AGNP professional credentialing, extensive practical experience, and a shared commitment to law-based notary education into the classroom.
Passing the exam is not the standard. Understanding and correctly applying the law is. That is the standard we hold in this classroom.
Here is what nobody tells you when you are shopping for a 6-hour course.
The exam tests whether you can identify the right answer from four options. The commission tests whether you can execute correctly in real time, in front of a real signer, with real documents, and real consequences.
Those are not the same thing.
A notary who memorized for the exam and a notary who was taught to understand the law will both pass. They will not both operate the same way when a signer presents an unfamiliar form of identification, when a document raises a question about the signer's awareness, or when someone asks them to do something that feels slightly off but they cannot name exactly why.
Understanding the law is what protects you, your signers, and your commission. That understanding starts here.
You are not completing a formality.
You are beginning a commission as a California Notary Public — a public official, appointed by the Secretary of State, authorized to perform acts that carry legal weight for the people who trust you with them.
That commission is worth starting correctly.
The notaries who operate with the most confidence, the most clarity, and the fewest complications are not the ones who got through their 6-hour course. They are the ones who were taught by instructors who hold the law to a higher standard than the exam requires.
That is what this classroom is for.
This course follows the official California Secretary of State required format and includes the state-approved commissioning workbook.
It covers every topic required for your exam and your commission.
Inside the 6-hour course:
The legal definition and role of a California Notary Public — not just what you are called, but what your commission actually means and what authority it carries.
The specific notarial acts you are authorized to perform — and the ones you are not, with clear explanation of why the boundary exists.
Identification requirements and credible witness rules — taught with the depth and scenario application that the exam expects and the field demands.
Journal requirements and recordkeeping standards — the documentation that protects you if your work is ever questioned.
Fees allowed under California law — what you may charge, what you may not, and why that line matters.
Prohibited acts and associated penalties — taught with clarity and emphasis, not as a footnote.
The required steps of the application and commissioning process — so you know exactly what happens after you pass and how to move efficiently through it.
We teach for understanding. Not memorization. The second half of the 6-hour course is structured specifically to deepen comprehension, strengthen exam readiness, and build the foundation of a notary who operates correctly from day one.
Choose the Format That Fits Your Schedule.
The instruction is the same in both.
6-Hour Live Zoom Session
Live instruction on Zoom with your camera on.
6Hour Session + 30 Min Check-In with ID Prior To Session. This includes a full 1 hour Break
NOTE: Registration for Zoom classes closes at
8:00 PM the night before the scheduled class
to allow us to confirm attendance and schedule the instructor. Seats must be reserved before the cutoff time.
Upcoming 6 Hour Live Zoom Sessions
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Saturday, Oct 24th | 8:30 - 11:30AM, Break, 12:30- 4PM
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Saturday, Nov 14th |
8:30 - 11:30AM, Break, 12:30- 4PM
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Saturday, December 12th |
8:30 - 11:30AM, Break, 12:30- 4PM
6-Hour Self-Paced Online Course
Complete the course on your own timeline. No set schedule.
Review the material as many times as needed before your exam. Includes exam preparation questions built into the course. Access is available for 12 months from purchase.
Select Your Format And / Or Session Now:
Continued Support Beyond Your Commission
The 6-hour course stands alone. It fulfills your state requirement completely.
What it cannot do is follow you into the field.
Many California notaries commission successfully and then meet their first real-world scenario without anyone to call. A form they have never seen. A signer situation they were not trained for. A question about identification that the exam did not cover the way real life presents it.
That is exactly what the Notary Academy Inner Circle was built for.
The Lifeline feature — available inside the California-specific Inner Circle membership — gives you real-time access to experienced notary support during an active signing. Not after. Not the next day. During. When it matters.
Additional Inner Circle benefits for California members:
Practical application discussions and virtual meetups with other California notaries.
Full access training library — review any topic at any time.
Identification and scenario deep-dives that go beyond what the 6-hour course covers.
Ethical boundary clarification — real scenarios, clear answers, no guessing.
Ongoing business education, mentorship, and real-time Lifeline support.
The Inner Circle is optional.
It is available at any time and for as long as it serves you and your business. It exists for the notary who wants more than the minimum — and who wants to operate with the kind of support that makes a real difference in the field.
Any California Secretary of State Approved Vendor can deliver this curriculum.
The curriculum is fixed. The instruction is not.
What you carry out of this classroom — the depth of your understanding, the clarity of your application, the confidence with which you approach your first commission — is determined by who teaches you.
Your Notary Academy instructors hold Master credentials through the American Guild of Notaries Public's national credentialing program in addition to their commissions as California Notaries Public.
These professional credentials are earned through the American Guild of Notaries Public's national credentialing program, which evaluates commissioned notaries according to defined standards of knowledge, experience, ethics, professional responsibility, and continued professional development.
They are what you should expect from the people teaching yours.
Begin your commission with instructors who have chosen to hold themselves to professional standards beyond the minimum requirements of their commissions.
Two instructors. Two AGNP credentials. One classroom that holds the law to a higher standard than the exam requires.
Choose your format and reserve your seat
California Notary Commissioning Class
State Required 6 Hour Course
CA Secretary of State Approved Vendor #607572
Looking for the 3 Hour Renewal Course? Click Here!
*Applicants must be 18 years of age & Must Provide Valid Identification By Submission To Notary Academy to receive proof of completion certificate
Proof of Completion is processed within 72 hours. If your exam is scheduled within three business days of your certificate request, please plan accordingly. We are not responsible for delays resulting from insufficient lead time.
Refund Policy: All sales on the 6-hour commissioning course are final.
Live Zoom attendees who miss a scheduled session have 30 calendar days to register for a future session. Failure to attend two scheduled sessions results in forfeiture of payment.
Self-paced course purchasers receive 12 months of access from the date of purchase.