Hawaii notary applicants send the Department of the Attorney General the same handful of questions before they sit the exam. The answers below come from Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 456, HRS sections 502-41 to 502-74, and Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 5-11, the three sources the exam is built from.
What is the pass mark for the Hawaii notary exam?
80 percent. Hawaii Administrative Rules section 5-11-32 sets this as the minimum passing score, and it is the only cut score the Department of the Attorney General publishes for the examination.
How many questions are on the Hawaii notary exam?
The Department does not publish an official question count or time limit for the real sitting. Our practice mock uses 50 questions in 60 minutes, and you need 40 of 50 correct to clear the same 80 percent bar, so the rehearsal format matches the published pass standard even where the length is our own.
If I fail the exam once, do I have to reapply from scratch?
Not necessarily. HAR 5-11-32 lets you take a reexamination without filing a new application, as long as you request the reexam, pay the exam fee, and reschedule within 14 calendar days of the failure notice. Miss that window and a fresh application becomes necessary.
What happens if I fail the Hawaii notary exam twice?
A second failure requires a 90-day wait from the date of that exam before you may reapply. There is no cap on total attempts, but the 90-day cooling-off period makes thorough preparation before the first sitting worth the time.
What does it cost to reschedule or miss the exam?
Rescheduling fees scale with how much notice you give:
- $15 to reschedule more than 48 hours before your scheduled exam.
- $20 to reschedule less than 48 hours before it.
- $25 no-show fee, plus a brand-new application, if you miss the exam without any notice at all.
How much is the surety bond, and what else do I pay?
The surety bond is $1,000, required under HRS 456-5 before a commission takes effect. On top of the bond, HAR 5-11-46 sets three more fees: $20 to apply, $10 for each examination sitting, and $100 to have the commission issued.
How long does a commission last, and what does renewal cost?
A Hawaii notary commission runs for four years. Reappointment follows the same application and examination steps as a first-time commission: there is no shortcut or renewal-only waiver that skips the exam.
What if my name, address, or employer changes during my commission?
You must tell the attorney general in writing within 30 days of the change, under HAR 5-11-10. Filing that change of name, employer, address, phone, or circuit costs $10 under HAR 5-11-46.
What happens if my commission is suspended?
Under HAR 5-11-41, a suspended notary can apply for reinstatement once they have strictly complied with every term of the suspension order. If reinstatement is not filed for within 30 days after the suspension period ends, the commission is forfeited outright.
What topics does the Hawaii notary exam cover?
Eleven categories, pulled from all three source laws: Commission and Qualifications, Powers and Authorized Acts, Conduct and Prohibited Acts, Seal and Official Signature, Identifying Signers, Notarial Certificates, Journal and Records, Acknowledgment Law (HRS 502), Fees, Bond and Filing, and Discipline and Penalties. Each practice question in the app cites the exact statute or rule it is drawn from, so you can check every answer against the source.
The official materials, including the current fee schedule and application forms, are published by the Department of the Attorney General at ag.hawaii.gov/notaries-public/notaries-public-documents/.