Legal Question in Administrative Law in California

Sometimes. The California Secretary of State commissions notaries, and the SS Web site would be the place to go for details, but as I understand it, thumbprints are required for powers of attorney and any instrument (such as a deed of trust) dealing with borrowing secured by real property. I know many notaries are asking for thumbprints for everything, partly for extra identification, partly so they don't have to verify what each document is about. I have not researched whether the rules or the underlying law makes any exception for a person without a thumb.