Updated 2-16-17

Your Notary seal and journal can be easily misused by would-be scam artists — including an unethical co-worker, friend or acquaintance who might have access to your work space. 

You are responsible for securing these tools, and you could be held accountable if they are used to commit a crime because you didn’t protect them properly.

If you work in an office, retail establishment, bank or even at home, be sure to take the following steps to protect your seal and journal—and yourself:

• Never let anyone else borrow or use your seal. Not only is it illegal for other people to borrow and affix a Notary’s seal to documents, a seal can be used to give fraudulent documents the appearance of legitimacy. When not in use, be sure to store your seal in a locked, secured area to prevent it from being stolen.
• Do not allow unauthorized access to your journal, and secure it when not working. A journal contains personal information about signers, which a potential identity thief could abuse. Do not allow others to casually look through your journal, and follow all state laws regarding requests for access or photocopies of a journal entry. Like your seal, be sure to keep your journal in a locked, secure area when not in use to prevent someone from stealing or reading it without your knowledge.
• Don’t leave your tools unattended, even while you work. Don’t leave your seal and journal unattended while you’re working. If you need to leave your tools, secure them beforehand. If a co-worker asks to borrow them “as a favor” or to expedite some type of transaction, explain that you are responsible for ensuring your tools aren’t misused and you can’t let other people have access to them.