California Notary Search: Find, Verify, and Check Fees

To run a California notary search, download the active-notary list the Secretary of State publishes on its website and updates each business day. The file contains every currently commissioned notary in the state, with name, business name, mailing address, commission number, filing county, and expiration date, so you can confirm in a few minutes whether the person in front of you actually holds a valid commission.¹

Finding a Notary Near You

California does not publish a map-based “find a notary” tool. To locate one, most people use a general web search or a commercial notary directory filtered by zip code. Notaries work in banks, credit unions, shipping stores, law firms, and real estate offices, and many operate as mobile notaries who will travel to your home or office. The Secretary of State’s downloadable list won’t help you shop by proximity, but it will tell you whether a specific notary you’ve already found is currently commissioned.¹

For a real estate closing, ask your title company or lender about a notary signing agent. Certification isn’t legally required, but most mortgage companies want a certified signing agent because they’re more experienced with loan document packages.

Mobile notaries charge a travel fee on top of the per-signature notarization fee. California does not cap travel fees, but the Secretary of State expects those charges to be itemized separately from the notarial fee. Agree on the travel amount before the notary leaves for your location.

Verifying a Commission

Download the compressed active-notary file from the SOS site, decompress it, and open it in any text editor. Search for the notary’s name or commission number. Every entry lists the commission number, filing county code, and expiration date. A California notary commission runs four years.²

The downloadable file covers active commissions only. For information about notaries whose commissions have expired, been suspended, or been revoked, contact the SOS Notary Public Section directly.¹

Checking the Seal

The notary seal on a document is your on-the-spot verification tool. A valid California notary seal must clearly show the notary’s name, the words “Notary Public,” the State Seal of California, the county where the oath and bond are filed, and the commission expiration date.³ If any element is missing or illegible, treat the notarization with suspicion. Cross-check the name and expiration date against the active-notary file before relying on the document.

If Something Doesn’t Match

When the commission number isn’t in the SOS file, the expiration date has passed, or the seal details don’t match, don’t accept the notarized document. Ask the notary for their commission certificate. If the discrepancy stands, contact the SOS Notary Public Section. If you suspect fraud, file a complaint through the process below and report suspected criminal conduct like forgery or identity theft to local law enforcement or the district attorney in the county where the acts occurred.⁴

Knowing the Legal Fee

California caps what a notary can charge for the notarial act itself, and charging more is grounds for commission revocation.⁵

Acknowledgment: $15 per signature.⁶
Jurat (oath or affirmation): $15 per signature.⁶
Deposition: $30, plus $7 for administering the oath and $7 for the certificate.⁶

Travel fees, convenience fees, and after-hours charges are separate and unregulated. A $50 quote for a single acknowledgment violates the statute. A $15 notarization plus $35 in travel does not. Read invoices with that split in mind.

Searching for a Past Notarization

Every California notary keeps a single sequential journal of all official acts. If you need proof that a specific document was notarized, or you want to verify the details of a past transaction, that journal is the definitive record.⁷

Any member of the public can request a copy of a specific entry by submitting a written request to the notary. Your request must identify the parties, the type of document, and the month and year of the notarization. The notary then has 15 business days to provide the copy or confirm no matching entry exists, and cannot charge more than $0.30 per page.⁷

The copy you receive is not redacted. If your entry shares a journal page with someone else’s, the notary is expected to cover the unrelated entries when photocopying, but the entry you asked for arrives as recorded.

If the notary has left the profession, is unreachable, or refuses to respond, direct your request to the Secretary of State, which acts as custodian of journals for former notaries.⁸ A court can also compel access through a subpoena or court order in litigation where a notarized document’s authenticity is in dispute.

Remote Online Notarizations

Verification works the same way for remote online notarizations authorized under SB 696. Confirm the notary through the SOS active-notary file, and check that the electronic seal contains the same elements a physical one must show. Electronic journal entries created during a remote session carry the same legal weight as paper entries and can be requested through the process above.⁹

Filing a Complaint

If a notary overcharged you, failed to verify identity, refused to provide a journal copy, or engaged in other misconduct, file a formal complaint with the Secretary of State. Complete the Complaint Form on the SOS website, attach certified copies of relevant documentation, and mail it to:⁴

Secretary of State
Notary Compliance
P.O. Box 942877
Sacramento, CA 94277-0001

The SOS investigates complaints and may suspend or revoke a commission. Statutory grounds for discipline include felony convictions, fraud, unauthorized practice of law, charging fees above the maximum, failure to maintain a journal, and false or misleading advertising.⁵

The Secretary of State cannot represent you in court, give legal advice, or recover money for you. If you’ve suffered financial harm from a notary’s mistake or misconduct, a claim against the notary’s $15,000 surety bond is a separate track from the complaint process. Bond information, including the surety company’s name, is available from the SOS or the county clerk where the bond is filed. The notary remains personally liable beyond the bond amount for the full extent of damages.²

1
California Secretary of State. Notary Public Listing
2
California Secretary of State. 2025 California Notary Public Handbook
3
California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 8207
4
California Secretary of State. Submit a Complaint Against a Notary Public
5
California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 8214.1
6
California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 8211
7
California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 8206
8
California Secretary of State. Public Records Act Requests
9
California Legislative Information. Bill Text – SB-696 Notaries Public