California notary education, built for SOS vendor approval
Every California notary applicant takes a six-hour course from a Secretary of State approved vendor, and renewing notaries take a three-hour refresher. The SOS approves each course of study separately, and the lesson plan has to show how you confirm who is attending and that they stay for the required time. We build the platform on your site so those procedures are real behavior, not a paragraph in the binder.
What SOS requires of an online course
California Secretary of State (SOS). Summarized from the rule text, with the citation for each so you can check it yourself.
- 01
A certificate of approval for each course
2 CCR 20800(a) and (b); form NP40 (03/05)
Before offering a six-hour or three-hour course, a vendor obtains a certificate of approval from the Secretary of State for each course of study, using form NP40 and a lesson plan. A separate NP40 is needed for each type of course.
- 02
Identity and presence procedures in the lesson plan
2 CCR 20800.1(d) and (e)
The lesson plan must contain procedures to establish the identity of each attendee who receives proof of completion, and procedures to ensure every attendee is present for the required time.
- 03
A timed schedule and every material submitted
2 CCR 20800.1(f) through (i)
The plan schedules time for breaks, each major subject area, audio visual aids, participation activities and tests, gives a synopsis of any video, and includes copies of all handouts, workbooks and tests. A student evaluation may not take more than ten minutes of class time.
- 04
No credit for partial attendance
2 CCR 20800.5(b)
Only a person who completed the approved course receives proof of completion. An applicant who is not present for any portion of the course gets no certificate and no credit for the time they were there.
- 05
Proof of completion with ID details, private
2 CCR 20800.5(c) and 20800.1(d)
The signed certificate lists the vendor, the attendee, the type, number, expiration and issuing state of their photo ID, the completion date, whether the course was three or six hours, and that it is valid for two years. Only the vendor, its staff and the named person may see it.
- 06
Two years of secured attendee lists
2 CCR 20800.6
Vendors keep a secured list for each session with the instructor, date, time and location, each attendee in alphabetical order with their ID details and whether proof of completion was issued. Vendors may not collect Social Security numbers.
- 07
Changes approved before they go live
2 CCR 20800(e), 20800.3 and 20800.4
The approved lesson plan may not be altered or substituted. Revisions that keep the course current with California law are approved by the SOS before you use them, and changes to vendor information are filed within 30 business days.
Would your course pass SOS today?
7 questions, one per rule above, about how you deliver the course now. You see the result right away.
2 CCR 20800(a) and (b); form NP40 (03/05)
A certificate of approval for each course
Before offering a six-hour or three-hour course, a vendor obtains a certificate of approval from the Secretary of State for each course of study, using form NP40 and a lesson plan. A separate NP40 is needed for each type of course.
Does your current setup do this?
How the platform is built to it
Your course, on your site, under your name. Every requirement above is a feature, not a promise in the application.
Identity check against the photo ID
Students capture the ID type, number, expiration and issuing state at enrollment and verify again during the course, so the 20800.5(c) fields fill themselves and match the attendee list.
Presence tracked across the whole course
Attendance is logged per segment and a missed portion blocks the certificate, which is the rule in 20800.5(b). The log is the evidence behind the presence procedure in your lesson plan.
Lesson plan exported from the course
The schedule of subject areas, breaks, activities and tests is built into the course and exports with a table of contents and numbered pages, the format 20800.1(b) and (f) call for.
Certificates only the student can open
Proof of completion is issued as a signed record behind the student login, so the ID details on it stay limited to your staff and the named notary applicant.
Secured rosters with no SSN field
Attendee lists are kept at least two years with access logged, and the platform has no field for a Social Security number, so it cannot collect one.
The path to SOS approval
- 1
Build the lesson plan from your own material or from the SOS sample workbook, whose content is pre-approved.
- 2
Mail form NP40 with the lesson plan, handouts, workbooks and tests to the Notary Public Section, Education Unit. File a separate NP40 for the six-hour and the three-hour course.
- 3
The SOS issues a certificate of approval or a deficiency notice within 90 business days of receipt.
- 4
Cure any deficiency within 30 business days of the notice date, or the application is disapproved after the right to a hearing.
- 5
Once the certificate arrives, teach only the approved lesson plan and get any revision approved before using it.
The terms
We are building one right now for a state-approved online school in Virginia, in English and Spanish, on the same terms.
- One flat fee
- Quoted per course before any work starts. No hourly billing and no surprise line items.
- Final payment on approval
- The last payment is due when the regulator approves the course, so the platform has to pass review before it is paid for in full.
- No per-student fees
- You keep what every enrollment pays. Nothing is skimmed per seat, per certificate or per month of traffic.
- You own it
- The platform, the code and the student records are yours outright, on your site and under your brand.
Questions schools ask
Who needs the six-hour course and who takes the three-hour one?
Per the SOS, everyone being appointed takes the six-hour course, however many terms they have held. A current notary who already completed the six-hour course may take the three-hour refresher, but only when applying for reappointment before the commission expires.
How long is a proof of completion good for?
Two years from the date of issuance under 2 CCR 20800.5(d), for both the six-hour and the three-hour course. Past that, the SOS tells the applicant to take an approved course again.
Can I use the SOS sample workbook?
Yes. The SOS says vendors can use the sample workbook or design their own, and its content is pre-approved. You still submit the declaration, a cover page and the other items in the regulations, and changes beyond the cover page get a full review.
Can the SOS show up to a course?
Yes. Under 2 CCR 20800.7, the SOS may attend any approved course without notice and at no charge to observe, monitor, audit or investigate. The platform gives a reviewer a seat in the course without touching your attendee records.
What does the build cost and who owns it?
One flat fee per course, final payment when the SOS approves it, no per-student fees, and you own the platform and the code. Monthly upkeep for hosting and rule changes is optional. We are building one right now for a state-approved online school in Virginia, in English and Spanish, on the same terms.
Price your SOS course
Tell us the course and how you teach it now. You get a flat price back by email, and a list of what the application will ask about the platform.
Or email [email protected]
Sources
- California Notary Public Education Regulations, 2 CCR 20800 et seq.
- SOS form NP40, Notary Public Education Vendor Application or Amendment
- SOS, become a notary public education vendor
- SOS, complete approved education
Read from the sources above on October 17, 2026. Rules change, so confirm the current text with SOS before you apply. This page is not legal advice.