WI NOTARY Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield WI NOTARY facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Is a Wisconsin notary required to determine why a document is being acknowledged? → No, the notary is not required to understand or investigate the document's purpose
2. What should a Wisconsin notary do if a signer wants an acknowledgment but appears to be signing under duress? → Refuse to perform the notarization
3. Does Wisconsin law require a notary's commission expiration date to appear on the official seal? → No, the expiration date is not required on the seal
4. Can a document signer's sibling serve as a credible witness under Wisconsin notary law? → Yes, provided they meet the other credible witness requirements
5. Which of the following is a notarial act authorized under Wisconsin law? → Taking an acknowledgment
6. Which Wisconsin statute primarily governs notarial acts? → Wis. Stat. Chapter 140
7. When must a Wisconsin notary affix their official seal to a notarial certificate? → Each time a notarial act is performed
8. If a Wisconsin remote notarization session is interrupted by a technical failure, what should the notary do? → Restart the session and re-verify the signer's identity before completing the act
9. A Wisconsin notary is asked to notarize a document that the notary knows contains false information. What should the notary do? → Refuse to notarize the document to avoid participating in fraud.
10. Which notarial act is used when a notary witnesses a person sign a document? → Witnessing or attesting a signature
11. A Wisconsin notary cannot identify the signer through any available means and cannot locate any credible witnesses. What is the correct course of action? → Decline to perform the notarial act
12. What information should a Wisconsin notary's journal entry typically include? → Date, type of act, signer's name, identification used, and document type
13. Which statement about signer identification under Wisconsin notary law is TRUE? → A notary may rely solely on personal knowledge without requiring a photo ID
14. What technology is required for Wisconsin remote online notarizations? → Two-way audio-visual communication technology
15. Must a Wisconsin notary's seal impression be legible and reproducible by photography? → Yes
16. What Wisconsin law authorizes electronic and remote online notarizations? → Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 140, enacted as part of the Uniform Notarial Acts
17. What shape is required for a Wisconsin notary's official seal? → Rectangular or circular
18. In Wisconsin remote online notarization, what must appear on the electronic notarial certificate? → A statement that the notarization was performed remotely and the technology platform used
19. What is the purpose of a Wisconsin notary keeping a detailed journal? → To provide evidence of proper procedures if a notarization is ever challenged
20. Should a Wisconsin notary record the fee charged for a notarial act in their journal? → Yes, recording the fee is recommended practice
21. What Wisconsin certificate wording typically includes the phrase 'subscribed and sworn to before me'? → A jurat certificate
22. What is one of the core duties of a Wisconsin notary public when performing a notarial act? → Witnessing the signature and verifying the identity of the signer.
23. If a Wisconsin notary personally knows the document signer, what additional identification must the signer provide? → No additional identification is required
24. Is it permissible for a Wisconsin notary to allow another person to use their official seal? → No, the seal may only be used by the notary personally
25. If a Wisconsin document says 'sworn to and subscribed' but the notary only had the signer acknowledge the document, is the notarial act proper? → No, the notary must perform the act that matches the certificate language
26. Which of the following would NOT qualify as acceptable identification for a signer under Wisconsin notary law? → Social Security card
27. Which of the following is NOT a type of notarial act in Wisconsin? → Issuing a subpoena
28. Should Wisconsin notaries keep a separate journal for remote online notarizations? → A separate electronic journal is recommended for remote acts
29. What information must appear on a Wisconsin notary's official seal? → Notary's name, the words 'Notary Public,' and 'State of Wisconsin'
30. Can a Wisconsin notary perform an acknowledgment for a person appearing via two-way audio-visual communication without remote notarization authorization? → No, remote appearance requires specific authorization to perform remote notarizations