HI Notary Hawaii Notary Journal and Record Keeping 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Hawaii law, is maintaining a notary journal mandatory for all notaries public?
- Optional — only recommended for high-volume notaries
- Mandatory — all Hawaii notaries must keep a sequential journal of notarial acts (Correct answer)
- Only required for notaries who charge a fee
- Only required for notaries commissioned for more than 2 years
Correct answer: Mandatory — all Hawaii notaries must keep a sequential journal of notarial acts
HRS §456-15 requires all Hawaii notaries to maintain a sequential journal of all notarial acts performed.
Under HRS §456-15, every notary public in Hawaii is required to keep a chronological official journal (also called a notary record book) of all official acts performed. This is a mandatory statutory requirement, not optional. The journal must be kept in a secure location and must be available for inspection by the Attorney General. Failure to maintain the journal is a violation of notary law and can result in disciplinary action.
Question 2: Which of the following is required to be recorded in a Hawaii notary journal entry for each act?
- The full text of the document being notarized
- The method used to identify the signer (Correct answer)
- The names of all parties to the transaction
- The notary's commission number
Correct answer: The method used to identify the signer
The method of identification (e.g., driver's license, personal knowledge, credible witness) must be recorded for each notarial act.
Hawaii notary law requires that each journal entry document the basis for identity verification — specifically, what type of ID was presented (including ID type, issuing agency, ID number, and expiration date) or whether personal knowledge or a credible witness was used. Recording the identification method is essential for accountability and allows for verification of proper identity procedures if the notarization is ever challenged.
Question 3: A Hawaii notary performs 10 notarial acts in one day for the same client on multiple documents. How should the journal entries be made?
- One combined entry for all acts performed the same day for the same client
- A separate sequential entry for each individual notarial act (Correct answer)
- Entries can be batched weekly
- Only the first and last acts need to be recorded
Correct answer: A separate sequential entry for each individual notarial act
Each notarial act requires its own separate, sequential journal entry regardless of whether multiple acts are performed for the same client on the same day.
Hawaii notary law requires a separate journal entry for each notarial act. Even if the same person appears before the notary multiple times on the same day for different documents, each notarization is a distinct official act and must have its own complete journal entry. Combining acts into a single entry or batching them would be insufficient and could compromise the integrity of the record if any single act is later challenged.
Question 4: After completing a notarial act, when must a Hawaii notary make the journal entry?
- Within 24 hours of the act
- As soon as practicable, and at the time of the act is preferred (Correct answer)
- At the end of each business day
- At the end of the week
Correct answer: As soon as practicable, and at the time of the act is preferred
Journal entries should be made at the time of the notarial act or as soon as possible afterward — delay increases the risk of error.
Best practice and the spirit of Hawaii notary law require that journal entries be made at the time of the notarial act, or as soon as practicable thereafter. Delaying journal entries creates the risk of mistakes, omissions, or questions about the accuracy of the record. Making entries promptly — ideally before the signer leaves — is the recommended approach and best protects the notary if the notarization is ever questioned.
Question 5: A Hawaii notary's journal is completely full. What should they do?
- Use the inside covers to continue recording acts
- Begin a new journal and label it with the continuation number and date (Correct answer)
- Stop performing acts until the old journal is submitted to the state
- Use a spiral notebook as a substitute
Correct answer: Begin a new journal and label it with the continuation number and date
When a journal is full, the notary should obtain a new journal, label it as a continuation, and continue recording acts — retaining both journals for the required period.
When a Hawaii notary fills their journal, they must begin a new journal volume. The new journal should be labeled clearly to indicate it is a continuation (e.g., 'Volume 2' or similar notation) and should note the start date. Both the completed and the new journal must be retained for at least 3 years after the commission ends. The notary should never use substitute notebooks that do not meet the required sequential journal format.
Question 6: A Hawaii notary performs a notarial act but the signer refuses to sign the notary journal. What should the notary do?
- Proceed with the notarization — the journal signature is optional
- Refuse to complete the notarization since the signer's journal signature is required (Correct answer)
- Ask a witness to sign the journal on behalf of the signer
- Note the refusal in the journal and use their own discretion on proceeding
Correct answer: Refuse to complete the notarization since the signer's journal signature is required
Under Hawaii law, the signer's signature in the notary journal is a required element of each entry. Refusal to sign the journal is grounds to decline the notarization.
HRS §456-15 requires the signer's signature in the notary journal as part of each entry. This signature is one of the most important safeguards against fraud, as it makes the signer personally accountable for their appearance before the notary. If a signer refuses to sign the journal, the notary should refuse to complete the notarization. A notary who proceeds without the journal signature is not in compliance with Hawaii law and could be subject to disciplinary action.
HI Notary Hawaii Notary Journal and Record Keeping 1
Under Hawaii law, is maintaining a notary journal mandatory for all notaries public?