The Michigan Notary Public Act requires a notary to maintain all records of a notarial act for at least 5 years. A notary is also required to provide copies of those records upon the request of the Department of State. However, the law does not describe the type of record that must be kept or what must be included in a record.

A notary public is not required to keep a journal, but many notaries find journals to be an effective method for keeping records. If you keep a journal, it is recommended that you record the signer’s name, identification presented, date, type of document and other information you deem pertinent to the transaction.