For many Notaries, there’s a sense of accomplishment when you come to the end of a Notary journal — it represents months or even years of notarizations and experience. It also gives you the opportunity to choose a fresh, new journal design. But the question is: what do you do with your old Notary journal?
Consult Your State Notary Laws
The first thing you want to do as you near the end of a Notary journal is check your state laws, as rules and requirements regarding old Notary journals vary from state to state.
For example, California Notaries who still have their commissions are required to retain old journals in their possession until their commission ends — whether due to resignation, termination, or death.
Once their commissions end, California Notaries must surrender all journals to their county clerk. This also includes people who renew their commissions but have their old commission expire for more than 30 days before obtaining reappointment.
Arizona specifically requires its Notaries to keep old journals and records in their possession for at least five years, unless they cease to be a Notary within that time frame. At that point, they must send their journals to the Secretary of State via certified mail.
In Hawaii, Notaries are required to surrender their journals to the Attorney General’s office at the end of each four-year commission term.
Follow Notary Best Practices
If you live in a state that doesn’t have a journal requirement, or if your state lacks laws or rules governing what to do with completed journals, the NNA recommends following the guidelines of The Notary Public Code of Professional Responsibility.
The Code advises keeping your official journal of notarial acts in your possession for at least 10 years from the date of the last entry in the journal (VIII-C-2).
The reason for such a long period is that claims against you can come years after you have performed a notarization, and your journal can provide very important documentation if you are sued.
Kelle Clarke is a Contributing Editor with the National Notary Association.
Related Articles
What Every Notary Needs To Know About Journals
Does My Journal Need Bound Pages?
Can I Use Correction Fluid To Edit A Journal Entry?
Additional Resources
Notary Law Primers