Free printable
Free Notary Journal Template (PDF) and What Your State Requires
Researched and edited by Junaid KhalidUpdated Quick answer
A notary journal template is a printable log for every notarial act: date and time, type of act, document, signer's name and address, how identity was checked, signature and fee. California, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Arizona require a journal by law. Ours is free, with no email gate.
Free download
Printable notary journal (PDF)
Letter size, landscape. A cover page, an instructions page and 100 numbered entries with columns for date and time, type of act, document, signer, ID details, signature, thumbprint, fee and travel fee. No email needed.
Some states, such as California, require one active sequential journal with set fields. Print and bind it, and check your state row below before you rely on it as your official journal. Check your state's row below.
Notary journal rules by state
Whether the law requires a journal, what each entry must hold and how long you keep it, for the states we have checked against the statute so far.
| State | Required? | What to record | Keep it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Yes | Date, time and type of act; type of document; signer's signature; how identity was proven, with ID or credible witness details; fee charged; right thumbprint for real property deeds and powers of attorney | For the whole commission. When it ends, deliver all notarial records to the county clerk within 30 days.[1] |
| Texas | Yes | Date of the document and of notarization; signer's name and address; how the signer was identified; brief description of the document; grantee and county for land conveyances; fee. Do not record ID numbers. | The longer of your commission term or three years after the notarization, per the Secretary of State.[9] |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Every notarial act in chronological order, including the fee charged. A paper journal must be a bound register with numbered pages. | Deliver the journal to the county recorder of deeds within 30 days after the commission ends.[2] |
| New York | Yes | Date, approximate time and type of act; name and address of each person served; number and type of services; type of ID or witness names; how identity was verified | At least ten years.[6] |
| Arizona | Yes, for paper records | A paper journal chronicling every notarial act on a tangible record | Check A.R.S. 41-319 for the current rule.[3] |
| Georgia | Only for self-filer acts (since 2025) | Self-filer's name, address and phone; date, time and location; ID type and details; signature; type of document | Not stated on the GSCCCA page.[12] |
| North Carolina | Optional for paper acts; yes for electronic acts | Fee charged for each act and, if travel was charged, the mileage and per-mile fee | At least 10 years after the last entry.[7] |
| Florida | Online notarizations only | Electronic journal entry and audio-video recording of each online act | At least 10 years after the act.[4] |
| Ohio | Online notarizations only | Electronic journal of every online notarization in chronological order. No Social Security numbers. | Kept while authorized, then held for ten years by the Secretary of State or a repository.[10] |
| Michigan | Remote electronic acts only | Each remote notarial act, in a bound register or a tamper-evident electronic format | At least 10 years after the last act recorded.[5] |
What should be in a notary journal?
A notary journal entry should hold the date and time, the type of act, the document, the signer's name and address, how identity was checked, the signer's signature and the fee. California's statute requires one active sequential journal at a time, and its field list is the strictest of the states we checked.[1]
Our printable journal has a column for each field below. The right column shows which of the states we have checked require it, so you can see what your own state needs.
| Journal column | Required in |
|---|---|
| Date and time of notarization | CA, TX, PA, GA, NC, OH, MI, AZ |
| Type of notarial act | CA, PA, NC, OH, MI, AZ |
| Document title or description | CA, TX, PA, GA, NC, OH, MI, AZ |
| Signer's full name | TX, PA, GA, NC, OH, MI, AZ |
| Signer's address | TX, PA, GA, OH, MI, AZ |
| How identity was checked | CA, TX, PA, GA, NC, OH, MI, AZ |
| ID type, issuer, number and dates | CA, PA, GA, OH, MI, AZ (never the number in TX) |
| Credible witness details | CA, TX, NC, OH |
| Signer's signature | CA, GA, NC, AZ |
| Right thumbprint | CA, for real property deeds and powers of attorney |
| Fee charged | CA, TX, PA, NC, OH, MI, AZ |
| Location of notarization | GA, OH |
| In person, remote or electronic | NC, OH |
A sample notary journal entry
Here is one filled entry for a fictional signer, so you can see how the columns work together. The person and the document are made up.
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Entry no. | 014 |
| Date and time | March 3, 2026, 6:40 p.m. |
| Type of act | Acknowledgment |
| Document | Grant deed, dated March 3, 2026 |
| Signer | Jordan Sample, 120 Example Street, Sampletown |
| Identity checked by | Driver's license, issuing state, number, expires 2029 |
| Signature and thumbprint | Signed in the journal; right thumbprint taken (deed) |
| Fee and travel | $15 notarial fee; $30 travel fee agreed in advance |
Paper or electronic journal: which can you use?
For in-person acts most states expect a paper journal, and some set its format. Pennsylvania requires a permanent bound register with numbered pages, and Arizona requires a paper journal for acts on tangible records.[2][3]
Remote online notarization needs an electronic journal. Florida requires an electronic journal and the audio-video recording of each online act, and Michigan allows a bound register or a tamper-evident permanent electronic format.[4][5]
How long do you keep a notary journal?
It depends on the state. New York requires records to be kept at least ten years, and Florida, North Carolina and Michigan require ten years for electronic journals.[6][4][7]
California and Pennsylvania work differently: you keep the journal for your whole commission, then hand it to the county within 30 days after the commission ends. Texas asks you to keep records for the longer of your commission term or three years after the notarization.[8][2][9]
Any records maintained by a notary public pursuant to this Part must be retained by the notary public for at least ten years.[6]
Keep your journal private and secure
A journal holds names, addresses and ID details, so lock it away between appointments. Texas notaries must not record ID card numbers, and Ohio forbids Social Security numbers in an online notary's journal.[9][10]
Even where a journal is optional, keeping one protects you if a signing is ever questioned. North Carolina's Secretary of State puts it simply: keep a notary journal.[11]
Watch: how to use a notary journal
The National Notary Association walks through filling in a journal entry, column by column, matching the layout of our printable journal.
How To Use a Notary Journal, from National Notary Association. Filling in a journal entry, step by step.
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a notary journal?
The date and time, the type of act, the document, the signer's name and address, how you identified the signer, the signer's signature and the fee. Some states add more, such as a right thumbprint in California for deeds and powers of attorney.
What states require a notary journal?
Of the states we have checked, California, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Arizona require one for in-person acts, Georgia requires one for self-filer acts, and Florida, Ohio and Michigan require one only for online notarizations. North Carolina makes it optional for paper acts.
Do you have to keep a notary journal in NC?
Not for traditional paper notarizations, where it is optional, though the Secretary of State recommends one. Electronic notaries must keep an electronic journal, and journals kept under the rules are held at least 10 years after the last entry.
What is the best notary journal?
One that is bound, with numbered pages and entries, has a column for every field your state requires, and includes a thumbprint box if you notarize in California. Our free printable journal meets those points; bind it before you use it as your official record.
How long do I keep my notary journal?
New York requires ten years, as do Florida, North Carolina and Michigan for electronic journals. California and Pennsylvania require you to hand the journal to the county within 30 days after your commission ends. Texas asks for the longer of your commission term or three years.
Sources
Every number on this page comes from one of these official pages. We read them on October 1, 2026.
- California Government Code 8206 (journal). leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
- Pennsylvania RULONA, 57 Pa.C.S. 319. pa.gov
- A.R.S. 41-319. azleg.gov
- Florida Statutes 117.245. flsenate.gov
- MCL 55.286b, remote notarization journal. legislature.mi.gov
- 19 NYCRR 182.11 Fees (in NYS DOS Notary Public License Law). dos.ny.gov
- 18 NCAC 07D .0201, Travel fee rate. sosnc.gov
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
- Texas SOS, Notary Public FAQs. sos.state.tx.us
- Ohio Revised Code 147.65. codes.ohio.gov
- sosnc.gov. sosnc.gov
- GSCCCA, Georgia Notary Law. gsccca.org
Junaid runs Ertiqah LLC and edits this site. He is not a notary or a lawyer. His job here is narrow: read the statute and the Secretary of State page for each rule, quote it, and link it, so you can check every number yourself. How we check facts.
Get found by people who need a mobile notary in your city. Free.
List your service area, travel fee and hours. Clients contact you directly. We never take a cut of your signings.