What information must a notary record in their journal for each notarial act?

Notary journals are required by most state laws and are the notary's primary defense against fraud claims and legal challenges. Standard journal entry information: (1) Date and time of the notarial act; (2) Type of notarial act (acknowledgment, jurat, etc.); (3) Type and date of the document being notarized; (4) Signer's full name and address (sometimes); (5) Type of ID presented (driver's license, passport, etc.); (6) ID number and issuing agency; (7) Expiration date of the ID; (8) Signer's signature in the journal; (9) Right thumbprint of signer (required in some states like California, optional in others); (10) Fee charged; (11) Any unusual circumstances or notes. The journal is the notary's permanent record. Even in states where journals are not legally required, keeping one is universally recommended by notary organizations. Journals must be preserved for the retention period required by state law (often 10 years after the last entry, or 7 years, or even longer). Lost journals must be reported.