More on Maintaining Your Notary Journal

Here are some more recommendations from 1NotarySchool.com on keeping your notary journal accurate so it will stand up in court.


Managing Thumbprints:

When filling out your notary journal, thumbprints are very important. The reason we take thumbprints is to ensure the person signing the document is really who they say they are and is the person appearing before the notary. 1NotarySchool.com states it is a good notary practice to get thumbprints from everyone whom you perform a notarization for. California law (Gov’t code § 8206.) only requires that the notary get thumbprints on notarizations for Deeds, Quitclaim Deeds and Deeds of Trust affecting real property or a Power of Attorney.

Thumbprints are simple to do. There is no need to roll the thumb or even touch the principal’s hand. The principal places their right thumb on the ink pad and then gently places the inked thumb in the required spot in the journal and lifts it straight up.


Presto, nice, clear, thumb print.

The procedure that is followed when the principal is missing the right thumb is to use another digit (finger) and make a note of which digit you used in the journal. If the principal has no digits, you make a note of the principal’s condition in you notary journal.

How do we handle mistakes?

Ok, so mistakes do happen. No matter how conscientious you are about not making mistakes in your notary journal, there will be times a mistake happens and the incorrect information is logged in. Not a big deal, as this is easy to correct. If you are using a paper journal, the best way to correct the error is to draw a line thru the incorrect information and write the correction over it. After you make the correction, you need to initial and date it. When using an electronic journal the corrections are not as easy. You will not be able to go into the program and change the incorrect data, so you will create and add an addendum to the journal entry. In the addendum, you will need to explain the error and record the correct information.

Never use correction tape, film or fluid on journal errors.

We are dealing with real estate transactions and legal documents and using correction products will cause more harm than good. If you end up in court, the authorities will be more than likely to reject the notarization that correction products were used on.

So just use a simple line thru the error. Write in the correct information, initial and date the correction.

So keep it simple. If you make an error, draw one line thru, correct, initial and date it.

Tune back on the 15th of September 2009 for more helpful information on Line Items in your
Notary Public Journal.

Kim

www.1NotarySchool.com