A first-time applicant for appointment as a California notary public has completed the required education and passed the written examination. Before the Secretary of State grants the appointment, which additional step is required as part of the background review process?
A jurat form is not required; a background check and fingerprinting are necessary steps.
This is correct because Government Code § 8201.1 requires applicants to be fingerprinted before appointment. The applicant submits fingerprint images and related information to the Department of Justice, which obtains information on state and federal convictions and arrests, forwards the prints to the FBI, and sends a response to the Secretary of State for the background review.
Application contents are confidential and not available to the public during the review process.
No refresher course is required before the initial appointment; only the education and exam must be completed.
Explanation
Before granting a notary public appointment, the Secretary of State must determine that the applicant has the honesty, credibility, truthfulness, and integrity required for the position, and must require the applicant to be fingerprinted. Under Government Code § 8201.1, the applicant submits fingerprint images and related information to the Department of Justice, which obtains state and federal criminal history information, forwards prints to the FBI, and provides a response to the Secretary of State. This fingerprinting step is required prior to appointment.
— Government Code §§ 8201(a)-(b), 8201.1(a)-(f), 8201.5
Memory Aid
Fingerprints before final approval: "Prints, then appointment."