The Hawaii notary public exam is a 50-question, 60-minute closed-book written test covering three legal sources: Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 456, HRS sections 502-41 to 502-74, and Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 5-11. The pass mark is 80 percent. Most candidates who fall short do so on a handful of specific points rather than a broad gap in preparation.
Is the Hawaii notary exam hard?
The exam is challenging but passable. 50 questions in 60 minutes gives you about 72 seconds per item, and the pass mark is 80 percent (40 correct). Difficulty comes from precision: the law rewards specific numbers, specific conditions, and specific procedures. The five issues below account for most first-attempt failures.
Mistake 1: studying only HRS Chapter 456
HRS Chapter 456 covers the core notary law, but the Hawaii exam draws from two additional sources: HRS sections 502-41 to 502-74 (acknowledgment law) and HAR Chapter 5-11 (the administrative rules). The acknowledgment-law chapter sits in a separate part of the statutes and is easy to skip.
The Acknowledgment Law category carries roughly 5 of the 50 questions. It covers when an acknowledgment must be attached before a conveyance can be recorded in Hawaii, the statutory certificate forms, and how out-of-state or international acknowledgments are handled. Candidates who study only Chapter 456 leave those five questions unanswered before the sitting begins.
Mistake 2: getting the surety bond amount wrong
Hawaii requires a $1,000 surety bond under HRS 456-5. Candidates who have prepared for exams in other states sometimes carry over a higher bond figure. California’s bond is $15,000; Hawaii’s is $1,000. These are different laws and the Hawaii exam tests the Hawaii figure.
The exam also tests where the commission and bond must be filed: with the circuit court of the circuit where the notary resides or the Bureau of Conveyances. That filing requirement is a distinct rule from the bond amount and appears as a separate question type.
Mistake 3: confusing the fee schedule
The Hawaii fee schedule is precise and tested directly. Under HRS 456-17, the maximum fee for taking an acknowledgment is $5 per party. Other notarial acts carry separate fee caps under the same section.
Candidates sometimes arrive at the exam with a figure from another jurisdiction or from an outdated reference. The exam uses the statutory figure. When a question presents a higher dollar amount as a choice for an acknowledgment fee, it is wrong.
Mistake 4: overlooking the journal rules
The Journal and Records category carries roughly 5 of the 50 questions and covers several rules that appear as standalone exam items:
- The journal must follow the format specified in HAR Chapter 5-11.
- Records must be retained for 10 years after the last notarial act entered in them (HAR 5-11-9).
- When a notary leaves office, the journal goes to the Department of the Attorney General.
Candidates who treat the journal section as secondary detail often lose multiple points here. The 10-year retention figure in particular must be memorized: it is the kind of specific number the exam tests directly, and estimating it is not reliable.
Mistake 5: misremembering the seal requirements
The Seal and Official Signature category carries roughly 5 of the 50 questions, and the required elements are exact. Under HRS 456-3, the seal must include:
- The notary’s name
- The notary’s commission number
- The words “Notary Public”
- The words “State of Hawaii”
Nothing else is required on the seal, and nothing else may appear. A frequent wrong answer adds the county name or the commission expiration date. The statute specifies those four elements and only those four.
How to avoid these mistakes
The exam rewards candidates who work through the actual statutory text rather than relying on summaries. A few focused habits close most of the gap:
- Read HRS 502-41 to 502-74 as a separate study block, not as a footnote to Chapter 456.
- Memorize the specific numbers: $1,000 bond, $5 acknowledgment fee per party, 10-year journal retention.
- Drill all 11 categories in timed practice so the lower-weight sections do not become blind spots.
- After each mock, return to any category below 80 percent and work those questions again before the next full sitting.
The official source materials are available through the Department of the Attorney General at ag.hawaii.gov/notaries-public/notaries-public-documents/. Each retake costs $10. Knowing the five areas above before your first sitting is the most direct way to avoid needing one.