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Notary Recordbook Entry Requirements by State
PAPER BASED NOTARIZATION REQUIREMENTS ONLY. User is responsible for thoroughly reviewing all applicable statutes or rules. Information is updated frequently, but may not reflect very recently changed or enacted requirements.While some states' laws do not require recordkeeping, the practice is widely held to be a notarial best practice that is strongly recommended by commissioning officers and notary experts.
| STATE | REQUIRED | STATE | REQUIRED | |
| Alabama | Not required | Montana | REQUIRED | |
| Alaska | Not required | Nebraska | Not required | |
| Arizona | REQUIRED | Nevada | REQUIRED | |
| Arkansas | Not required | New Hampshire | Not required | |
| California | REQUIRED | New Jersey | REQUIRED | |
| Colorado | REQUIRED | New Mexico | REQUIRED | |
| Connecticut | Not required | New York | REQUIRED | |
| Delaware | REQUIRED | North Carolina | Not required | |
| District of Columbia | REQUIRED | North Dakota | Not required | |
| Florida | Not required* | Ohio | Not required | |
| Georgia | Not required* | Oklahoma | REQUIRED* | |
| Hawaii | REQUIRED | Oregon | REQUIRED | |
| Idaho | Not required | Pennsylvania | REQUIRED | |
| Illinois | REQUIRED | Rhode Island | Not required | |
| Indiana | Not required* | South Carolina | Not required | |
| Iowa | Not required | South Dakota | Not required | |
| Kansas | REQUIRED | Tennessee | REQUIRED* | |
| Kentucky | Not required | Texas | REQUIRED | |
| Louisiana | Not required | U.S. Virgin Islands | REQUIRED | |
| Maine | Not required* | Utah | REQUIRED | |
| Maryland | REQUIRED | Vermont | Not required | |
| Massachusetts | REQUIRED | Virginia | REQUIRED | |
| Michigan | Not required | Washington | REQUIRED | |
| Minnesota | Not required | West Virginia | Not required | |
| Mississippi | REQUIRED | Wisconsin | Not required | |
| Missouri | REQUIRED | Wyoming | REQUIRED | |
| Revised October 15, 2026 | ||||
| Arizona: Statutes 41-319. Journal Eff: September 12, 2026, Arizona Notaries Public to obtain the signer's right thumbprint in their notary journal when notarizing: Deeds, Quitclaim deeds, Deeds of trust, Other documents affecting real property, Powers of attorney. |
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| California: Statutes: 8206 If the document to be notarized is a deed, quitclaim deed, deed of trust, or other document affecting real property, or a power of attorney document, the notary public shall require the party signing the document to place his or her right thumbprint in the journal. If the right thumbprint is not available, then the notary shall have the party use his or her left thumb, or any available finger and shall so indicate in the journal. |
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| Colorado: Statutes: 24-21-519. Journal; RULONA; RULES (page 7) | ||||
| Delaware: CODE: § 4332. Journal of a notary public. | ||||
| District of Columbia: Code: § 1–1231.18. Journal.; Notary Regulations | ||||
| Florida: Notary can ask for a thumbprint in the journal record, but cannot demand this nor refuse notarization if one is not provided. | ||||
| Georgia: *Effective January 1, 2025, every Georgia notary public who performs a notarial act at the request of a “self-filer” must document the notarial act in a “written” (paper) or electronic journal. Under the new law, the term “self-filer” means: any person who is a party to these instruments listed in Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA) §44-2-2(b)(1): deeds, mortgages, liens, maps or plats relating to real estate in the county; and state tax executions and state tax execution renewals as provided for in Article 2, Chapter, Title 48 (OCGA); ...read more about Self-Filers on our site |
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| Hawaii: ACT 175; §5-11-9 Journal. The tangible journal shall be bound with a soft cover and shall not exceed eleven inches in height and sixteen and one-half inches in width when fully opened. |
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| Illinois: Admin Code Section 176.900 Journal Requirements; Section 176.920 Form and Content of Journals Maintained on a Tangible Medium Notaries are expressly prohibited from collecting a biometric identifier, such as a thumbprint or fingerprint, in the journal record. [Notaries are strictly forbidden from logging any unencrypted or unredacted Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, or linked personal ID data.] |
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| Indiana: Notaries are expressly prohibited from collecting a biometric identifier, such as a thumbprint or fingerprint, in the journal record. [Notaries are strictly forbidden from logging any unencrypted or unredacted Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, or linked personal ID data.] | ||||
| Kansas: Statutes: 53-5a20. Journal. | ||||
| Maine: Notaries are explicitly advised by the Secretary of State not to take/keep finger- or thumbprint in notarial records. | ||||
| Maryland: Statutes §18–219. | ||||
| Massachusetts: Chapter 222. §22. | ||||
| Mississippi: Revised Law on Notarial Acts: § 25-34-37. Maintenance of journal by notary public chronicling all notarial acts; performance of notarial act and entry must be contemporaneous; entry information (page 7); Revised Notary Rules: Part 5 Chapter 4: Journal. (page 7) | ||||
| Missouri: Statutes: 486.700. Journal to be maintained, requirements; 486-705. Journal contents; 486.710. Examination and copying of journal; 786.715. Safeguarding of journal, requirements. | ||||
| Montana: Revised Law on Notarial Acts: 1-5-618. Audiovisual recordings — notary public journal — security and retention. (page 44); Administrative Rules Chapter 15- Notaries Public 44.15.110 Notary Public Journal Retention (page 55) | ||||
| Nevada: NRS Chapter 240- Notaries Public 240.120 Journal of notarial acts; Admin Code Chapter 240: NAC 240.330 | ||||
| New Jersey: New Jersey Notary Statutes: 52:7-10.18 Journal. | ||||
| New Mexico: RULONA Article 14A 14-14A-18. Journal (page 23) | ||||
| New York: Rules and Regulations Title 19, Part 182 Notaries Public: §182.9 Recordkeeping and Reporting (page 16) | ||||
| Oklahoma: Required only for logging notarized absentee ballot affidavits. Section 14-108.1 - Notary Public Restrictions | ||||
| Oregon: ORS Chapter 194: 194-300 Journal | ||||
| Pennsylvania: Notaries are expressly prohibited from collecting a biometric identifier, such as a thumbprint or fingerprint, in the journal record. Notaries are also prohibited from keeping sensitive personal or financial identification data, including Social Security numbers, in the notary's journal record. RULONA 319. Journal (page 14); Pennsylvania Code Chapter 167. Notaries Public. Subchapter D. Journal |
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| Tennessee: REQUIRED if the notary or notary's employer charges a notarization fee. § 8-21-1201. Fees for Services — When Recordation Required — Notaries Employed by Financial Institutions |
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| Texas: Notaries are expressly prohibited from collecting a biometric identifier, such as a thumbprint or fingerprint, in the journal record. They may not collect/record any personally identifying number (such as driver license or Social Security numbers). Government Code Chapter 406: Sec. 406.014. Notary Records; TAC Chapter 87 Subchapter F: Notary Records |
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| U.S. Virgin Islands: Act No. 8542 § 829. Journal (page 15) | ||||
| Utah: Utah Code 46-1-13. Journal required -- Exceptions. 46-1-14.1 Entries in journal -- Required Information; 46-1-15. Inspection of journal -- Safekeeping and custody of journal -- Nature of record. | ||||
| Virginia: New Laws July 1, 2026 | ||||
| Washington: RCW 42.45.180- Journal.; Chapter 308-30 WAC Notaries Public 308-30-190, 308-30-200 and 308-30-210 | ||||
| Wyoming: Wyoming RULONA 32-3-118 | ||||
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