CT Notary Notary Journal and Record Keeping 3

Question 1

A document notarized two years ago is now the subject of a lawsuit alleging forgery. How does the notary's journal help?

Accepted Answer

It provides evidence of what occurred, including how the signer was identified

Answer

It automatically proves the document is genuine

Answer

It transfers all liability to the signer

Answer

It allows the notary to refuse to testify

Question 2

When recording how a signer was identified, the best journal practice is to note:

Accepted Answer

The type of ID presented, such as a driver's license, and its issuing authority

Answer

Nothing, since identification is confidential

Answer

A photocopy of the signer's entire wallet

Answer

Only the signer's word that he is who he claims

Question 3

A notary performs five separate notarizations for one signer in a single visit. How should this appear in the journal?

Accepted Answer

Each notarial act should have its own entry or line

Answer

One combined entry with no details is sufficient

Answer

Only the first act needs to be recorded

Answer

Only the most expensive act needs to be recorded

Question 4

A notary's journal is stolen from her car. What is the most prudent first step?

Accepted Answer

Report the theft and notify the appropriate authorities, including the Secretary of the State

Answer

Do nothing since Connecticut does not require a journal

Answer

Buy a new journal and recreate old entries from memory

Answer

Publish the loss in a newspaper before doing anything else

Question 5

Which fee-related detail is a best practice to include in each journal entry?

Accepted Answer

The fee charged for the notarial act, if any

Answer

The signer's annual income

Answer

The notary's personal bank routing number

Answer

The employer's quarterly revenue

Question 6

A title company asks a notary to hand over her journal permanently because the notarizations involved its closings. The notary should:

Accepted Answer

Decline, but she may provide copies of relevant entries upon a proper request

Answer

Hand over the original journal since the company was the client

Answer

Sell the journal to the company at market price

Answer

Destroy the journal to end the dispute

Question 7

Why is it a poor practice to record a signer's full driver's license number in the journal?

Accepted Answer

It creates an identity theft risk if the journal is lost or viewed by others

Answer

License numbers change every month

Answer

Connecticut requires journals to contain no writing at all

Answer

Numbers are harder to write than words