A notary public completes a certificate of acknowledgment and willfully states a material fact as true that the notary knows to be false. What is the maximum civil penalty under Civil Code section 1189(a)(4)?

Detailed Explanation

$10,000 civil penalty for false acknowledgment certificate. Civil Code section 1189(a)(4) specifically provides that a notary who willfully states as true any material fact known to be false in a certificate of acknowledgment is subject to a civil penalty not exceeding $10,000. This is separate from and in addition to any criminal penalty under Government Code section 6203. Note: the $75,000 fine applies to false notarization of a real property document under Government Code section 8214.2.