TX NNJE Journal Requirements & Basics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A Texas notary journal must be kept in what physical format for traditional notarial acts (best practice)?
- Loose-leaf binder
- Bound sequential record book (Correct answer)
- Digital spreadsheet
- Carbon-copy receipt book
Correct answer: Bound sequential record book
Best practice recommends a bound sequential record book because pages cannot be removed or rearranged without detection.
Question 2: If a notary makes an error in a journal entry, what is the correct procedure?
- Use correction fluid (white-out) to cover the error
- Tear out the page and start over
- Draw a single line through the error and initial it (Correct answer)
- Erase the error completely
Correct answer: Draw a single line through the error and initial it
Errors should be corrected by drawing a single line through the mistake and initialing it so the original entry remains legible.
Question 3: Who owns the Texas notary's journal?
- The employer of the notary
- The clients whose transactions are recorded
- The notary public personally (Correct answer)
- The Texas Secretary of State
Correct answer: The notary public personally
The notary journal is the personal property of the notary public, regardless of where the notary is employed.
Question 4: What should a Texas notary do with their journal if their commission expires and is not renewed?
- Destroy it immediately
- Return it to the Secretary of State
- Retain it for the required period after the last recorded act (Correct answer)
- Give it to their employer
Correct answer: Retain it for the required period after the last recorded act
Even after commission expiration, the notary must retain the journal for the legally required retention period following the last recorded act.
Question 5: Which entry should appear first on any page of a Texas notary journal?
- The most recent transaction
- The transaction with the highest fee
- The earliest transaction on that page (Correct answer)
- An index entry
Correct answer: The earliest transaction on that page
Entries must appear in chronological order, so the earliest transaction always appears first on each page.
Question 6: A Texas notary's journal is stolen. What is the first step the notary should take?
- Purchase a new journal and continue working
- Report the theft to local law enforcement and notify the Secretary of State (Correct answer)
- Contact each signer in the journal to inform them
- Wait to see if the journal is returned
Correct answer: Report the theft to local law enforcement and notify the Secretary of State
A stolen journal must be reported to law enforcement and the Texas Secretary of State because it contains sensitive personal information.
TX NNJE Journal Requirements & Basics 2
A Texas notary journal must be kept in what physical format for traditional notarial acts (best practice)?