Record-Keeping and Notary Journal Flashcards

Under Alaska law, how long must a notary retain their journal after their commission expires?

Answer: 5 years

Alaska requires notaries to retain their journal for 5 years after the expiration of their commission.

When a notary performs multiple notarizations for the same signer in a single appointment, how should journal entries be recorded?

Answer: A separate entry for each notarial act

Each individual notarial act requires its own separate journal entry, even when performed for the same signer at the same time.

A notary discovers their journal is missing. What is the correct first step?

Answer: Notify the Lieutenant Governor's office promptly

Alaska notaries must promptly notify the Lieutenant Governor's office if their journal is lost, stolen, or destroyed.

Which of the following is NOT a required element of a notary journal entry in Alaska?

Answer: The signer's Social Security Number

A signer's Social Security Number is never required in a notary journal; collecting it would be an inappropriate invasion of privacy.

A signer requests to inspect a notary's journal entries related to a deed they signed. What should the notary do?

Answer: Allow inspection only of that signer's own entries

A notary may allow a signer to inspect only those journal entries that relate to their own notarizations, not other signers' records.

In Alaska, can a notary use a loose-leaf binder as their official notary journal?

Answer: No, the journal must be a permanently bound book with numbered pages

Alaska requires notary journals to be permanently bound books with numbered pages to prevent tampering or insertion of false entries.

What information about the document should be recorded in the journal at the time of notarization?

Answer: The type or title of the document being notarized

The notary records the type or title (e.g., deed, affidavit, power of attorney) of the document, not its full text or all parties named within it.