What To Do With Your Old Notary Journal

I recently received a phone call from an attorney's paralegal in a large city at the other end of the state. She asked if I still had my journal from 10 years ago. I was happy to tell her I still have ALL my journals safely locked away. She said the borrowers were denying that they had ever obtained a loan and the attorney was seeking to prove loan papers had, in fact, been signed and notarized. I was also very happy to tell them that during the time that journal covered, notaries entered detailed information about the signers, including thumbprints. Oregon no longer lets us put anything in our journal except the type of ID used and its expiration date. I wish they would allow us to put thumbprints and at least the identifying serial number of each ID used. I think it is a horrendous mistake and the law was changed for all the wrong reasons. Anyway, the attorney was happy and the opposing council withdrew and settled about a week before I was supposed to appear in court with my journal. I think the thumbprint and detailed ID information made the difference!

Look forward to reading the articles

What do you do when a notary failed to relinquish his journal(s) after his commission ended? He did not report it as stolen, lost or accidentally destroyed, either. I am dealing with one that will not provide a copy, certified or otherwise, of a line item entry for a signing that took place about 10 yrs ago. I have reason to believe that numerous documents are involved. Fraudulent activity, perhaps?

Hi Fernanda. So that we can answer your question, can you please tell us what state you are commissioned in?

Hello. If you are permanently resigning your commission, you would need to turn in your journal to the county clerk's office where your oath of office is filed. You would then need to make your old seal unusable (for example, by cutting the rubber seal impression so it can't be used by someone else) before disposing of it. When making a seal unusable, please take appropriate safety measures when using tools or sharp objects to avoid accidental injury.

Hi Blanca. What state are you commissioned in?

Hello. So we can answer your question, can you tell us what state you are commissioned in?

Hello. If you have permanently resigned your CA Notary commission, you need to turn in your journal within 30 days of resigning to the county clerk's office where your Notary oath of office is filed.

Hello. Utah permits the Notary to decide how long they should keep their journal after they are no longer a Notary. The state recommends keeping the journal for a sufficient amount of time (the state suggests 10 years) to be able to use as evidence if a notarization is called into question.

Hello. As a CA Notary, you only have to turn in your journal records if your commission ends and you do not renew your commission within 30 days after the expiration date. If you are renewing your commission early, you can continue to use your existing journal.

Hello. If you have lost your journal, immediately notify the Secretary of State by certified or registered mail. The notification shall include the period of the journal entries, your Notary Public commission number, and the expiration date of your commission. (GC 8206[b]).

Hello. You may continue using your old journal-you do not have to start a new one until the previous one is completed. A Nevada Notary Public must retain all journals kept until 7 years after the date on which he or she ceases to be a Notary. (NRS 240.120[9])

Hello. California rules state that a Notary who resigns his or her commission is supposed to turn in the journal within 30 days after the commission ends. (GC 8209) If you found a journal that you forgot to turn in, you may wish to contact either the Secretary of State's office or the county clerk's office where your oath was filed and request instructions.

Hello Michael. To help us answer your question can you please tell us what state the Notaries are commissioned in?

Hello. Unless your previous commission was suspended or revoked due to misconduct or negligence, as long as you meet all of your state's qualifications you should be able to apply for a new Notary commission.

Hello. The journal should be turned in to the county clerk's office of the county in which you reside (GC 406.022).

Hello. Government Code 8209 says that within 30 days of a commission ending, all notarial records and papers must be delivered within 30 days to the clerk of the county in which the notary public's current official oath of office is on file. It does not specify if those records can be mailed or must be delivered in question. We would recommend contacting the county clerks office to confirm if they will accept a mailed delivery or not.

Based on what you’ve described, we think it would be best if you contacted our Hotline team by phone and provided them with a more detailed description of the situation. The NNA Hotline: 1-888-876-0827 Mon – Fri: 5:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (PT) Saturday: 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (PT) If you’re not an NNA Member or Hotline Subscriber, they will provide you with a one-time courtesy call.

Hello. That would be up to the Secretary of State's office. You may wish to contact them directly to discuss your situation.