KY Notary Journal and Record Keeping 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Kentucky law, are notaries required to maintain a notarial journal for traditional in-person notarizations?
- Yes, it is mandatory for all notarial acts
- No, it is optional but strongly recommended (Correct answer)
- Yes, but only for acknowledgments and jurats
- No, and the Secretary of State discourages it
Correct answer: No, it is optional but strongly recommended
Kentucky law makes journal keeping optional for traditional in-person notarial acts, though maintaining one is strongly recommended for liability protection.
Question 2: For remote online notarizations in Kentucky, what must a notary maintain as a record?
- A paper journal co-signed by the signer
- An audio-visual recording of the notarial act (Correct answer)
- A sworn affidavit from the signer confirming identity
- A certified copy of every notarized document
Correct answer: An audio-visual recording of the notarial act
Kentucky law requires notaries performing remote online notarizations to maintain audio-visual recordings of each notarial act.
Question 3: How long must audio-visual recordings from remote online notarizations be retained in Kentucky?
- 5 years
- 7 years
- 10 years (Correct answer)
- 15 years
Correct answer: 10 years
Kentucky requires that audio-visual recordings of remote online notarizations be retained for at least 10 years.
Question 4: Which of the following should be included in a notary's journal entry for each notarial act?
- The notary's personal opinion of the signer's credibility
- The full text of the document being notarized
- The date, type of notarial act, and name of the signer (Correct answer)
- The signer's Social Security number for positive identification
Correct answer: The date, type of notarial act, and name of the signer
A journal entry should include the date of the notarial act, the type of act performed, and the name of the person whose signature was notarized.
Question 5: When a notary verifies a signer's identity, what identification-related information should be recorded in the journal?
- No identification information is necessary in the journal
- The type of ID presented and its relevant identifying details (Correct answer)
- Only the signer's verbal confirmation of identity
- The full number of every government ID the signer presents
Correct answer: The type of ID presented and its relevant identifying details
The notary should record the type of identification used and relevant details such as the issuing state and expiration date, documenting how identity was verified.
Question 6: If a notary chooses to keep a journal in Kentucky, where should the journal be stored?
- At the county clerk's office for public access
- In the signer's possession after the notarial act
- In the notary's secure custody under lock and key (Correct answer)
- Filed annually with the Secretary of State's office
Correct answer: In the notary's secure custody under lock and key
The notary's journal should remain in the notary's secure custody to protect the private information it contains about signers.
Question 7: A notary receives a valid court subpoena requesting their notarial journal. What is the correct course of action?
- Refuse to provide the journal as it contains private signer information
- Comply with the subpoena and provide the journal as required (Correct answer)
- Destroy the journal to protect signer privacy before the deadline
- Provide only the entries that do not involve the requesting party
Correct answer: Comply with the subpoena and provide the journal as required
A notary must comply with a valid court subpoena, which is a legal order that compels the production of records, including the notarial journal.
KY Notary Journal and Record Keeping 1
Under Kentucky law, are notaries required to maintain a notarial journal for traditional in-person notarizations?