Louisiana Notary Exam Requirements

The Louisiana state notary exam is the most demanding notary examination in the country, and its administrative requirements are just as strict as its content. Candidates who do not know the registration deadlines, tabbing rules, and exam-day logistics risk losing their $100 fee before they answer a single question.

Here is everything you need to know about the exam itself — registration, format, what you can bring, and what happens if you need to retake it.

Registration Deadlines

You cannot register for the exam until two prerequisites are satisfied:

1. Your Application to Qualify has been approved by the Secretary of State
2. Your LSU pre-assessment score has been graded and transmitted to the Secretary of State (completed at least 37 days before the exam)

Once both are on file, register through the Secretary of State's online portal and pay the $100 registration fee. Registration must be received at least 30 days before the scheduled exam date. There is no late registration option.

The $100 fee is non-refundable, whether you take the exam or not.

Exam Location

All sittings for the state notary exam are held exclusively at the LSU Baton Rouge campus. The exam was historically offered at multiple regional locations, but that is no longer the case. If you live in New Orleans, Shreveport, or Lake Charles, plan for the drive to Baton Rouge on exam day.

Exam Format

The exam is computer-administered and runs up to four hours. It tests your knowledge of Louisiana civil-law notarial practice, covering authentic acts, formal testaments, property transfers, bond and compliance requirements, and notarial formalities.

The passing score is 70 on a scaled basis.

What You Can Bring

The exam is open-book with strict conditions:

Allowed:

• The current edition of Fundamentals of Louisiana Notarial Law and Practice (the "Yellow Book"), purchased from the Secretary of State for $100
• Highlighting and handwritten annotations within the study guide
• Clear, permanent, self-adhesive plastic tabs attached to page edges, each under two inches long

Prohibited — grounds for immediate dismissal:

• Removable or repositionable tabs (Post-it notes, "gummy" tabs, or anything that can be peeled and moved)
• Loose inserts, papers, or notes inside the study guide
• Mobile phones, smartwatches, or any electronic devices — accessing one at any point during the exam, including breaks, results in automatic disqualification and forfeiture of your $100 fee

The tabbing rules are enforced with zero tolerance. If a proctor determines your tabs are removable rather than permanently adhered, you will be removed from the exam. Use clear, self-adhesive plastic tabs that cannot be repositioned once placed.

Exam Accommodations

Candidates who need testing accommodations (extended time, separate testing room, assistive technology) should contact the Secretary of State's Notary Division and LSU's Office of Testing and Evaluation Services well in advance of the exam date. Accommodation requests typically require documentation and advance approval — do not assume they can be arranged on exam day.

Retake Policies

If you do not pass, you can retake the exam at the next scheduled sitting. There is no limit on the number of retake attempts. Each attempt requires:

• A new $100 registration fee
• Registration at least 30 days before the exam date

Your pre-assessment score does not expire, so you do not need to retake the pre-assessment before a second (or third, or fourth) exam attempt. However, you must use the current edition of the Yellow Book — if a new edition has been released since your last attempt, you need to purchase it.

Given historical pass rates of 10–25%, retaking the exam is common, not exceptional. Many successful Louisiana notaries passed on their second or third attempt.

The Exam in Context

Passing the exam is the hardest single step in the commissioning process, but it is not the last. After receiving a passing score, you still need to secure a $50,000 surety bond, execute dual oaths of office, and file with both the Secretary of State and your parish clerk before you can practice.

The Louisiana Notary Commission Guide maps every pre-exam deadline backward from your target exam date and walks through the complete post-exam filing sequence, so the administrative steps don't slow you down after the exam is behind you.

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