I ran out of my journal space and didn't have a spare book on hand. Someone told me that I could go online and print pages to add to my book; is this legal for a Notary to do in California? — S.G., Victorville, California
The NNA contacted the Secretary of State’s office in 2013 to ask and this is the response they sent regarding loose journal pages:
“California Government Code section 8206(a)(1) requires that a California Notary Public maintain one active sequential journal under the Notary public’s direct and exclusive control, which means that the journal must be bound and continually contain all of its pages and every line item recorded. Loose separate pages removed or added at a later time are not in sequence and considered not an active journal. All of the information prescribed by California Government Code section 8206 must be completed in the journal sequentially, at the time each notarial act is completed, and all previous entries must be continuously maintained in one bound journal.
A California Notary Public cannot maintain multiple active journals. A California Notary may have access to a spare blank journal; however, once a notarial transaction is recorded in the spare journal, the Notary public cannot use the previous journal again.”
Hotline answers are based on the laws in the state where the question originated and may not reflect the laws of other states. If in doubt, always refer to your own state statutes. – The Editors
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