How to Keep Your Home Address Private as a California Notary

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Key Takeaways

• Your notary application requires a physical business address and a residence address, and both become public information posted on the Secretary of State’s website
• Self-employed notaries can use their residence as both the business and residence address, but this means your home address is public
• Once your commission is active, you can request a change of business address to a different location, but the original address may remain in public records
• There is no statutory mechanism to keep your residence address completely private if you list it on your application

What the Application Asks For

The notary public application requires two addresses: a business address (the location where you perform 50% or more of your notarial duties) and a residence address. Both are public information. The Secretary of State posts them on its website and provides them to anyone who requests them.

The instructions on the application are explicit: “Do not list a P.O. Box or commercial mailbox” for either address. Physical addresses only. If you work from home as a self-employed notary, the instructions say you may enter your residence address as the business address.

Home-based notaries who value their privacy are stuck. The application does not offer a “keep private” option.

Why This Matters for Home-Based Notaries

Mobile notaries and independent notaries often work from their cars, at coffee shops, or at clients’ locations. They do not have a traditional office. When you list your home as both your business and residence address, anyone who searches the Secretary of State’s notary database can find where you live.

For some notaries, this is a safety concern. You may not want strangers showing up at your door for notarizations. You may not want your home address associated with your professional identity online. The posting rule was not written with mobile notaries in mind.

Options for Protecting Your Privacy

Notaries work around this in a few ways:

List a business address that is not your home. If you have access to a physical office through another job, a co-working space, or a family member’s business, you can list that address as your principal place of business. The address must be a real location where you can conduct notarial business, not a mailbox service. The residence address field still requires your actual home address.

Use your residence, then change it. Some notaries list their home address on the initial application to get commissioned, then file a change of address with the Secretary of State once they have access to a business location. Government Code § 8213.5 requires you to notify the Secretary of State within 30 days of any address change. The new address updates the public database, though there is no guarantee the old address is scrubbed from cached records.

Accept the exposure and set boundaries. Many home-based notaries simply list their home address and handle it. They do not accept walk-in clients. They meet signers at neutral locations. Their website and business cards show only a phone number and email, not their address. The Secretary of State’s listing is the only place the address appears.

What You Cannot Do

• Use a P.O. Box or commercial mailbox as your address on the application
• Leave the address fields blank
• Provide a fake address
• Refuse to update your address when it changes (30-day requirement under GC § 8213.5)

Misrepresenting your address on the application is grounds for denial or revocation under Government Code § 8214.1. The Secretary of State cross-references your address with other records.

The Mailing Address Field

The application has a separate mailing address field that can be a P.O. Box. Your commission packet, renewal notices, and other official correspondence go to this address. If privacy is a concern, use a P.O. Box for your mailing address so your commission materials do not arrive at your home mailbox where others might see them.

The mailing address is also public information, but a P.O. Box does not reveal your physical location.

Change of Address Requirements

If your business address or residence address changes during your commission, you must notify the Secretary of State within 30 days (Government Code § 8213.5). There is no fee for filing a change of address. You can submit it online through the Secretary of State’s website or by mail.

If you move to a different county and want your seal to reflect the new county, you will need to file a new oath and bond in the new county and obtain a new seal under Government Code § 8213(b).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a virtual office address on my application?

A virtual office that provides a real physical street address (not a P.O. Box) and where you can actually meet clients may qualify as a business address. A mailbox-only service or a virtual address with no physical presence does not. The Secretary of State requires the address to be a place where you perform notarial duties.

Does the public really search for notary addresses?

Yes. The Secretary of State’s notary search tool lets anyone look up a notary by name and see their business and residence addresses, commission number, and expiration date. People use it to verify that a notary is legitimate, but the information is available to everyone.

Can I remove my address from the Secretary of State’s website?

You can update your address by filing a change of address, which updates the current listing. But the Secretary of State does not remove addresses entirely from its records. Previous addresses may be retained in historical data.

What if I do not want clients coming to my home?

List your home address on the application as required, but conduct all notarizations at clients’ locations, coffee shops, libraries, or other public places. Your website, business cards, and advertising should direct clients to contact you by phone or email, not by showing up at your listed address.