AK Notary Record-Keeping and Notary Journal 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An Alaska notary relocates to another state mid-commission. What must happen to their journal?
- Mail it to the Lieutenant Governor's office immediately
- Keep it for the remainder of the 5-year retention period (Correct answer)
- Destroy it to protect signer privacy
- Transfer it to the new state's notary office
Correct answer: Keep it for the remainder of the 5-year retention period
The notary retains responsibility for the journal and must keep it for the full 5-year retention period regardless of relocation.
Question 2: Which notation should a notary make if a signer refuses to provide their thumbprint for a high-value transaction?
- Record 'refused thumbprint' in the journal entry and proceed if other ID is satisfactory (Correct answer)
- Refuse to complete the notarization
- Substitute a photocopy of the signer's ID for the thumbprint
- Leave the thumbprint field blank without notation
Correct answer: Record 'refused thumbprint' in the journal entry and proceed if other ID is satisfactory
If a signer refuses to provide a thumbprint, the notary notes the refusal in the journal and may still complete the notarization if identity is otherwise established.
Question 3: How should a notary correct an error discovered in a completed journal entry?
- Use correction fluid (white-out) to cover the mistake
- Draw a single line through the error, write the correction, and initial it (Correct answer)
- Tear out the page and redo the entry on a new page
- Leave the error as-is to preserve the original record
Correct answer: Draw a single line through the error, write the correction, and initial it
Errors in journal entries should be corrected by drawing a single line through the mistake, writing the correct information, and initialing the correction.
Question 4: A notary performs a jurat for a document in Spanish. What language must the journal entry be written in?
- Spanish, matching the document language
- English, regardless of document language (Correct answer)
- Either language at the notary's discretion
- Bilingual, with both English and Spanish
Correct answer: English, regardless of document language
Alaska notary journal entries must be written in English regardless of the language of the document being notarized.
Question 5: When recording the method of identity verification in the journal, which entry is appropriate when a credible witness vouches for the signer?
- 'Personal knowledge' of the signer
- 'Credible witness' along with the witness's name and ID details (Correct answer)
- 'Government-issued ID' because the witness showed their own ID
- No entry needed because witnesses are informally trusted
Correct answer: 'Credible witness' along with the witness's name and ID details
When a credible witness is used, the journal should note 'credible witness' and include the witness's name and the identification the witness presented.
Question 6: A notary is presented with a subpoena for their journal. What is the correct response?
- Ignore the subpoena; journals are protected notarial records
- Comply with the subpoena and produce the journal as ordered by the court (Correct answer)
- Destroy the journal to protect signer confidentiality
- Contact the Lieutenant Governor's office before complying
Correct answer: Comply with the subpoena and produce the journal as ordered by the court
A valid court subpoena compels the notary to produce their journal; failure to comply could result in contempt of court.
Question 7: What is the purpose of recording the time of day in a notary journal entry?
- To calculate overtime fees for evening notarizations
- To establish a precise chronological record and help resolve disputes about when acts occurred (Correct answer)
- It is optional and serves no legal purpose
- To confirm the signer arrived during business hours
Correct answer: To establish a precise chronological record and help resolve disputes about when acts occurred
Recording the time creates a precise chronological record that can be critical evidence if the timing of a notarial act is ever contested.
AK Notary Record-Keeping and Notary Journal 3
An Alaska notary relocates to another state mid-commission.
What must happen to their journal?