Notary Public Underwriters Blog
Your Notary Journal (Record Book) – An Essential Tool
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- Published: July 29, 2024
Use of a notary journal—also called a record book—is required in many states. Where not required, this essential tool is strongly recommended by state notary officials, notary bonding agencies and professional notary organizations.
Why is regular use of a journal/record book so important to a notary public?
- Credible evidence of the notarizations you performed. Notaries are routinely asked to testify about specific notarizations, mainly when a dispute over the document transaction occurs. The notary’s journal/record book entry provides key facts about a notarization performed, including the date, the party whose signature was notarized, a general description of the document(s), and any additional information the notary thought was noteworthy.
- Evidence that you required the principal to personally appear. A well-designed journal/record book entry blank will include a space, for the person whose signature you notarized, to sign. This demonstrates that you followed the “golden rule” of notarization—the individual’s personal appearance before you. How else would you have their signature in your record book, if you didn’t require them to personally appear?
- A personal record of the notary’s services and fees charged. Employee notaries as well as notaries earning income from notarizations can rely on their record book entries to track the types of notarizations they perform, who typically obtains their services, and the fees collected when it’s time to report income and pay taxes.
Our Notary Public Record Book ticks all the boxes….it’s been a popular choice of notaries throughout the United States for decades. In fact, Notary Public Underwriters offers two choices… our Classic Record Book, or our stylish Pink Notary Public Record Book in the Notary Supplies section.
So, whether you’re required to keep a journal/record book, or you do it because you know it’s an essential best practice, try Notary Public Underwriters' Classic or Pink journal/record book… we think you’ll love them.
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