IL Notary Electronic & Remote Notarization 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: For how long must an Illinois electronic notary retain the video recording of each RON session?
- 3 years
- 5 years
- 7 years (Correct answer)
- 10 years
Correct answer: 7 years
Illinois requires electronic notaries to retain RON session recordings for a minimum of 7 years from the date of the notarial act.
Question 2: Which of the following must be recorded in an Illinois electronic notary's journal for each RON session?
- The principal's Social Security number
- The type of document and the means of identity verification used (Correct answer)
- The names of all attorneys involved in the transaction
- The notary's home address at the time of notarization
Correct answer: The type of document and the means of identity verification used
The journal must record the document type, its description, and the identity verification method employed to authenticate the principal.
Question 3: What must an Illinois electronic notary do with their RON records after their notary commission expires and is not renewed?
- Delete all records immediately to protect principal privacy
- Transfer all records to the Illinois Secretary of State
- Continue to retain the records for the remainder of the required retention period (Correct answer)
- Transfer records to the county recorder's office
Correct answer: Continue to retain the records for the remainder of the required retention period
Expiration of the notary commission does not end the record-keeping obligation; the notary must retain records for the full required period.
Question 4: In what format must an Illinois electronic notary maintain their journal?
- A format accessible only to the Secretary of State
- A format that allows entries to be edited or corrected after entry
- A tamper-evident format that prevents unauthorized alterations (Correct answer)
- Any commercially available spreadsheet or word-processing format
Correct answer: A tamper-evident format that prevents unauthorized alterations
The electronic journal must be maintained in a tamper-evident format so that unauthorized changes to entries are detectable.
Question 5: May an Illinois electronic notary share their journal access credentials with a colleague or supervisor?
- Yes, if both individuals are commissioned notaries in Illinois
- Yes, with prior written approval from the Secretary of State
- No, the journal is the individual notary's sole responsibility (Correct answer)
- Yes, but only for backup and disaster-recovery purposes
Correct answer: No, the journal is the individual notary's sole responsibility
The electronic journal is a personal professional record; its credentials must never be shared with any other person.
Question 6: What fee information must an Illinois electronic notary record in the RON journal for each notarial act?
- No fee information is required in the journal
- The total fees charged for the notarial act (Correct answer)
- The principal's payment method and account number
- The hourly consulting rate negotiated with the principal
Correct answer: The total fees charged for the notarial act
The journal must document the fees charged for each notarial act performed during the session as part of the complete record.
Question 7: If an Illinois electronic notary's system is compromised in a data breach affecting RON records, the notary should:
- Immediately delete remaining records to prevent further unauthorized access
- Notify affected principals and take steps to secure the remaining records (Correct answer)
- Continue normal operations and restore records from backup without reporting
- Only report to the Secretary of State if directly asked by that office
Correct answer: Notify affected principals and take steps to secure the remaining records
A data breach requires notifying the affected principals and immediately taking corrective action to secure any remaining records.
IL Notary Electronic & Remote Notarization 3
For how long must an Illinois electronic notary retain the video recording of each RON session?