Address Change Notification

Government Code §8213.5 requires written notice to the Secretary of State whenever a notary's business or residence address changes. The notification must be sent within 30 days by certified mail or other trackable physical delivery. It must include the notary's name as it appears on the commission, the commission number, the expiration date, and the new address.

A P.O. Box may not serve as the sole principal business address unless a physical street address is also provided.

Willful failure to notify carries a maximum penalty of $500 as an infraction. This is an important distinction — most notary violations are misdemeanors, but the address change failure is specifically classified as the lesser offense of an infraction.

If the business relocates to a different county, filing a new oath and bond in the new county is optional. The notary retains statewide jurisdiction regardless of which county the oath is on file in.

Exam Tip: Two common errors: (1) calling the penalty a misdemeanor — it is an infraction; (2) stating that a county move requires filing a new oath and bond — it is permissive, not mandatory. Both are favorite wrong-answer traps.