California Notary Public Exam The Notary Journal Summary

A California notary must keep one active sequential journal at a time, recording all official acts in order.

Wrong choices

• As many as needed: The law allows only one active sequential journal at a time.
• Two, one for business and one for personal use: Only one active journal is allowed.
• One for each employer: Even with several employers, the notary keeps one active journal.

The journal must be kept in a locked and secured area, under the direct and exclusive control of the notary. Failure to secure it can lead to action against the commission.

Wrong choices

• In an unlocked desk drawer at the office: An unlocked drawer is not a locked and secured area.
• With the office manager, who keeps all company records: The journal must stay under the notary's exclusive control.
• At the county clerk's office: The county clerk receives journals only when a commission ends.

A right thumbprint is required in the journal when the document is a deed, quitclaim deed, deed of trust, or other document affecting real property, or a power of attorney.

Wrong choices

• A letter of employment verification: This is not a real property document or power of attorney.
• An affidavit of identity: An affidavit does not trigger the thumbprint rule.
• A permission letter for a child to travel: This is not a real property document or power of attorney.

If a journal is stolen, lost, misplaced, destroyed, damaged, or otherwise unusable, the notary must immediately notify the Secretary of State by certified or registered mail or any other physical delivery method that provides a receipt.

Wrong choices

• Notify only the employer: The Secretary of State must be told.
• Start a new journal and tell no one: The loss must be reported immediately.
• Notify the Secretary of State within 30 days by email: The notice must be immediate and sent by a method with a receipt.

The journal is the exclusive property of the notary, even if an employer paid for it. The notary may not surrender it to an employer.

Wrong choices

• The county clerk: The county clerk receives journals only after a commission ends.
• The employer: Paying for the journal does not give the employer ownership.
• The Secretary of State: The state does not own the journal while the notary is commissioned.

The journal is sequential. The notary records each notarial act in order at the time it is performed, not later.

Wrong choices

• Only when the signer asks for one: Every notarial act must be recorded.
• At the end of each week: Entries are made at the time of the act, not later.
• Only for acts involving real property: All notarial acts are recorded, not only real property documents.

If the signer's right thumbprint is not available, the notary has the signer use the left thumb or any available finger, and writes this in the journal.

Wrong choices

• Skip the thumbprint and finish the notarization: A thumbprint is still required; another finger must be used.
• Have a witness give a thumbprint instead: The signer's own print is needed, not a witness's.
• Refuse to notarize until the right thumb heals: The law allows another finger when the right thumb is unavailable.

Each journal entry includes the date, time, and type of act; the type of document; the signature of each signer; how identity was proven; and the fee charged.

Wrong choices

• The signer's Social Security number: A Social Security number is not a required journal entry.
• The signer's home phone number: A phone number is not a required journal entry.
• A full summary of the document's terms: The journal records the type of document, not a summary of its terms.

When a notary resigns, or the commission expires without reappointment, all notarial records and papers must be delivered to the county clerk of the county where the oath is on file within 30 days.

Wrong choices

• They are destroyed right away: Journals are not destroyed; they go to the county clerk.
• They are given to the notary's employer: The journal is never surrendered to an employer.
• They are kept by the notary for 10 years: The notary does not keep them; they go to the county clerk.

Upon a written request that includes the names of the parties, the type of document, and the month and year it was notarized, the notary supplies a photocopy of that journal line item.

Wrong choices

• The exact page number of the journal entry: The requester is not expected to know the page number.
• Only the signer's driver's license number: The request must identify the transaction, not just an ID number.
• A court order signed by a judge: A court order is not required for a public request.