What should a New York Notary record in the Journal?

What should a New York Notary record in the Journal?

So, What should a New York Notary record in the Journal? If you read our previous blog, then I’m assuming you purchased a journal. A Journal is a critical component for any professional notary. Below, we explain why good record keeping is so important.

First, let me state that it is a good idea to fill in your journal when you administer the notarial act. Waiting until a convenient time makes it easy to forget all the details relative to the notarization. If a problem occurs in the future, it becomes imperative that you have recorded all the necessary details in your journal. So, don’t put off your journal entry. Below, lists critical items that a New York Notary should record in the Journal.  You may wish to read our other article about the fact that New York Now Requires Notaries to Use a Journal.

Information a New York Notary should record in a journal.

• • • • The time and date of the notarization.
      • The service performed. This could be an Oath, an Acknowledgement, etc.
      • The type of document notarized. This could be a Mortgage Document, a Legal Affidavit, a Passport Application, a Power of Attorney, etc.
      • The date of the Document (usually different from the date of notarization).
      • The name, address, and phone of the client.
      • The client’s signature
      • Type of identification provided by the client – Driver’s license, passport, etc.
      • If the document requires a witness, their name, address, phone, and signature should also be included.
      • Finally, you should record the fee that was charged to the client.

Journals do not have a lot of space for additional information, so your notes cannot be drawn-out. At times there could be an unusual situation connected with the notarial act. It would be wise to include this information in your journal. This way, if you have to refer back to it, you will have the information at your disposal. For example: maybe the document was for a court case and had a court case number on it. It wouldn’t hurt to record the court case number. Or, maybe there is a loose certificate involved. Whatever the unusual circumstance may be, it is a good idea to make a note of it.

Currently, National Notary.org has a nice video on what features to look for in a notary journal. You may want to check it out.

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