Colorado Notary Exam CO Notary Powers and Limitations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which item is NOT required to appear on a Colorado notary's official stamp or seal?
- The notary's full name
- The notary's home address (Correct answer)
- The notary's commission expiration date
- The words 'Notary Public' and 'State of Colorado'
Correct answer: The notary's home address
A Colorado notary seal must show the notary's name, commission number, expiration date, and 'Notary Public, State of Colorado,' but does not include a home address.
Question 2: How long must a Colorado notary retain their official notary journal after the last entry?
- 2 years
- 5 years
- 7 years
- 10 years (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 10 years
Colorado law requires a notary to retain their journal for 10 years after the date of the last entry in that journal.
Question 3: What must a Colorado notary do immediately if their official seal is lost or stolen?
- Purchase a replacement seal and resume work without delay
- Notify the Colorado Secretary of State (Correct answer)
- File a police report and wait 30 days before replacing the seal
- Notify their employer and suspend all notarial acts for 90 days
Correct answer: Notify the Colorado Secretary of State
Colorado requires a notary to notify the Secretary of State promptly whenever the official seal is lost, stolen, or destroyed.
Question 4: Which element must appear in every Colorado notarial certificate?
- The signer's Social Security number
- The venue — the state and county where the notarization occurred (Correct answer)
- The document's intended filing date
- The notary's personal telephone number
Correct answer: The venue — the state and county where the notarization occurred
A Colorado notarial certificate must include the venue (state and county) to establish where, legally, the notarial act took place.
Question 5: A Colorado notary is presented with a document containing large unfilled blank spaces. What is the correct action?
- Draw lines through the blank spaces and then notarize
- Refuse to notarize until the blanks are properly completed or crossed out by the signer (Correct answer)
- Write 'N/A' in all blanks on the signer's behalf before notarizing
- Proceed, since responsibility for blank spaces belongs to the signer
Correct answer: Refuse to notarize until the blanks are properly completed or crossed out by the signer
A notary should refuse to notarize a document with material blank spaces because they could be filled in fraudulently after the fact.
Question 6: When is a Colorado notary required to create an entry in their official journal?
- Only for real estate-related transactions
- For every notarial act performed (Correct answer)
- Only when the notary charges a fee for the act
- Only for acknowledgments, not for jurats or oaths
Correct answer: For every notarial act performed
Colorado law requires a journal entry for every notarial act, regardless of document type or whether a fee is charged.
Question 7: May a Colorado notary use a physical rubber-stamp seal when notarizing an electronic document?
- Yes, by scanning the stamped paper copy into the electronic file
- No, electronic documents require an electronic seal that meets Colorado's state standards (Correct answer)
- Yes, provided the electronic document is also printed and retained
- No, because Colorado does not permit notarization of electronic documents
Correct answer: No, electronic documents require an electronic seal that meets Colorado's state standards
Electronic notarizations require a compliant electronic signature and seal — a physical rubber stamp does not satisfy Colorado's electronic notarization standards.
Colorado Notary Exam CO Notary Powers and Limitations 3
Which item is NOT required to appear on a Colorado notary's official stamp or seal?