The New York notary public exam,
written from the state’s own booklet.
The New York notary public exam is a one-hour, multiple-choice test that costs $15 and is graded pass or fail, with a pass valid for two years. It covers the license law, general terms, and a notary’s duties as set out in the Department of State’s booklet Notary Public License Law. We have written three full practice exams from that booklet, and 5 credits unlocks all three.
What the Department of State settles, and what it leaves open.
From the Department of State’s walk-in exam information for July to December 2026 and its Notary Public License Law booklet.
| What is published | |
|---|---|
| Format | Multiple choice |
| Time | 1 hour, starting when the instructions end |
| Fee | $15, by check, money order, Visa or MasterCard; no cash; not refunded |
| Where | Walk-in sittings at sites across the state, first come, first served; New York City has its own scheduling instructions |
| Languages | English, plus Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Italian, Korean, Russian and Chinese |
| Bring | Government-issued photo ID with your signature, and two #2 pencils |
| Results | Passed or failed only, by mail, with no numerical score; a pass is valid for two years |
| Topics | License law, general terms, and duties and functions, as in the booklet |
| Commission | $60 application fee; a four-year term; attorneys admitted in New York are appointed without the exam |
| Number of questions | Not published |
| Passing score | Not published |
Prep sites commonly say the exam has 40 questions and takes 70% to pass. Those figures come from prep sites, not from the Department of State, and we do not present them as the state’s. Our report gives your score out of 40 and by topic. It does not say whether that would pass.
Three full practice exams, every wrong answer explained.
Forms A, B and C, 40 questions each in one hour. The 40 is our choice, because the state does not publish a count. Every question was written from the booklet, and every wrong answer says why it is wrong.
License law
Appointment, residency, the four-year term, fees, advertising rules and the penalties for misconduct.
General terms
The booklet’s glossary: affidavit, deposition, jurat, venue, lien, laches and the rest.
Duties and functions
Giving an oath or affirmation, taking an acknowledgment, and what goes beneath your signature.
When to refuse
Personal appearance, conflicts of interest, and the line between notarizing and practicing law.
What people ask before they sit it.
How long is the New York notary exam, and what does it cost?
One hour, multiple choice, and the fee is $15. The hour begins when the instructions end. The fee is paid by check, money order, Visa or MasterCard; cash is not accepted and the fee is not refunded.
How many questions are on the notary exam, and what score passes?
The Department of State does not publish either. Prep sites commonly quote 40 questions and 70%, but those figures come from prep sites, not the state. Results are reported only as passed or failed, with no numerical score.
How long is a passing result good for?
Two years. You apply for the commission through NY Business Express within that time, with a $60 fee, and the commission runs for four years.
Do lawyers have to take the notary exam?
No. An attorney admitted to practice in New York may be appointed a notary without the exam, according to the Department of State booklet.
Is the notary exam offered in other languages?
Yes. Besides English, it is given in Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Italian, Korean, Russian and Chinese.
How much do the practice exams cost?
One purchase of 5 credits unlocks all three practice exams. Ten questions are free to try first, with no account and no card.
On sale now.
Three full practice exams, Forms A, B and C, 40 questions and one hour each. One purchase of 5 credits unlocks all three. Every one has been sat end to end to check that a correct paper scores full marks. Ten questions are free, with every answer explained.
Read before the New York notary public
- What is on the New York notary public exam
- How to become a notary public in New York
- Acknowledgments, jurats and oaths, explained for New York notaries
- What a New York notary may not do, and what it costs
Free practice questions, answers explained: NY Notary Public.