Posted by Notarycat/CA on 5/14/13 2:12pm
Msg #469873

Electronic Journal w/ Thumbprint capability

Does anyone know or use an electronic journal? I would love to hear any comments on this topic. Here in CA, we are required to store our journals in our possession as long as we are commissioned notaries. Well, when you go through a journal every couple months, it gets to be a lot of books. I'm running out of room in my home for all of them. Also, in CA we are required to get a thumbprint, so any electronic journal would need that biometric capability. I would love to jump on this bandwagon. Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions of companies?

Reply by VT_Syrup on 5/14/13 3:19pm
Msg #469893

The two main points of keeping a journal are (1) satisfying the laws in each of our states, and (2) protecting ourselves and the person who should have appeared before us if we are ever called into court.

Imagine this exchange:

Attorney: So Mr. Syrup, we all know computer records are easy to change. What mechanism is in place to prevent you from doctoring your computer journal to cover up any mistake you might have made.

Me: Well, the manufacturer's advertising says that's impossible.

Attorney: Have you examined the source code to be sure it's really impossible?

Me: No, I don't have access to the source code.

Attorney: Well, I'd like to subpoena the manufacturer. Who is the manufacturer and where they located?

Me: I have no idea, they went out of business about three years ago, shortly after I performed this notarization.

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For those states that require journals be submitted to the state or county when a notary resigns, I wonder how that would be accomplished.

Reply by Jim/AL on 5/14/13 8:07pm
Msg #469963

Can you scan your old journal pages and destroy the books. It would be hard to change a scan of what u wrote. Just a thought.
Can you turn the books in to the SOS or whomever collects them when u die or retire?
Just thinking out loud.