Notary Journal and Record Keeping Flashcards

What is an 'electronic notary journal'?

Answer: A digital record-keeping system that stores notarial act data electronically

An electronic notary journal is a tamper-evident digital system that records notarial acts and is used primarily by electronic and remote online notaries.

Which of the following items is NOT typically recorded in a notary journal?

Answer: Full text content of the document notarized

The journal records identifying and procedural information about the act, but never reproduces the full content of the confidential document being notarized.

What type of journal organization is required for notary record keeping?

Answer: Organized sequentially in chronological order

Notary journals must be maintained in sequential chronological order so that each entry can be easily located by date and any gaps in records can be detected.

Can a notary charge a fee to someone requesting access to their journal records?

Answer: Yes, most states allow notaries to charge a reasonable fee for journal access or copies

Most states permit notaries to charge a reasonable fee for the time and cost involved in providing copies of journal entries to authorized requesters.

Why should a notary maintain a sequential, bound journal rather than loose pages?

Answer: A bound sequential journal makes it difficult to insert, remove, or alter entries

A bound sequential journal protects the integrity of the records because missing pages or altered entries are immediately apparent.

What should a notary's journal entry note when they use a credible witness to identify a signer?

Answer: The credible witness's name, ID information, and their oath confirming the signer's identity

When a credible witness is used, the journal must fully document the witness's identity and the oath they took to create a complete record of how the signer was identified.