A notary public is not required by law to maintain a notary journal. However, a notary journal does protect the notary and document signer from accusations of wrong doing and it prevents the notary from engaging in wrong doing.

The journal documents that the notary took reasonable steps to verify the signer’s identity. Every journal entry is legally presumed to be truthful and it constitutes the notary’s personal knowledge of the notarization performed

If a notarized document is lost or altered, or if certain facts about the transaction are later challenged, the journal becomes valuable evidence that can both protect the rights of property owners and help notaries defend themselves against false accusations.

A notarization is effective, valid, and binding on the notary as long as the document it appears on remains effective and valid. Therefore, if a notary keeps a journal, it becomes a permanent detailed record of all the notarizations performed.

If a notary decides to use a journal, the notary should use one that is permanently bound with pre-numbered empty spaces. Included in the journal should be:

• The document signer’s signature
• The date and time of notarization
• The date of the document
• The type of notarization performed and type of document notarized
• The document signer’s address
• A statement on how the signature was verified
• Any special comments about the transaction

The journal should be completed before notarizing each document. A new entry should be made in the notary journal for every notary service provided.