A record book, a log, a register, or a journal is a record of your official acts as a notary. According to Texas law not only is this mandatory, but it also provides you with a great deal of security. A record book allows an exact chronological detail... A record book, a log, a register, or a journal is a record of your official acts as a notary. According to Texas law not only is this mandatory, but it also provides you with a great deal of security. A record book allows an exact chronological detail of each notarial act, limiting liability for the notary. Texas notaries are allowed to maintain either a paper or an electronic recordbook. The list of reasons why you are required to maintain a record book is endless; below are just a few of the more important ones.

• Reminder of the steps you should take in performing a notarization.
• Protection against a claim of negligence or impropriety.
• Proof that you notarized a document where the notarial certificate has been torn off or destroyed.
• Proof that a signature on a document is in fact yours by having the particular notarization recorded in your journal, or further validation to your claim that you never notarized a document with the lack of a record book entry.
• Protection from fraud by preventing your notarial certificate from being removed and placed on another document for another purpose.
• Reminder of the facts and circumstances surrounding a notarization that is being questioned in court.

The record book provides another level of protection for each party involved in the notarization. Certain items are required to be written in the entry. Such as, the original ink signature of the customer, the name of the customer, the date, the type of notarial act performed and the type of identification provided. For the full list of the requirements of the record book, check your Texas Notary Handbook. Though, there is a required list, the notary is always allowed to include more—any items they deem necessary. Texas notaries are also required to keep a fee book to enter all charges for notarial services performed. Regardless of whether fees were charged, a record of the notarial act must still be included in the record book. These two books do not have to be maintained separately. Call our customer care team or post to our forum if you have questions about your record book.

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