When you sit down with a notary, you may notice them writing in a logbook before or after the signing. That is the notary journal - a sequential record of every notarial act performed. It may seem like a small administrative detail, but it plays an important role in protecting you, the notary, and the legal validity of your document.

A notary journal is a bound or electronic record in which a notary logs the details of each notarial act. A complete journal entry typically includes:

• The date and time of the notarization
• The type of notarial act performed (acknowledgment, jurat, copy certification, etc.)
• A description of the document notarized
• The name and address of each signer
• The type of identification presented
• The notary's fee, if any
• The signer's signature or thumbprint (for certain high-risk documents)

Virginia does not require notaries to maintain a journal for standard in-person notarial acts - but it is strongly recommended. For electronic notarizations and remote online notarizations (RON), however, Virginia law mandates an electronic journal and audio-visual recording of the session.

Many professional notaries, including Mali + Co. Notary, maintain a journal for every appointment regardless of legal requirement. It is a mark of professionalism and a practical safeguard.

If a question ever arises about whether a document was properly notarized - or whether a signer was present and willing - the journal provides an independent record. This can be critical in disputes involving:

• Estate documents such as wills and powers of attorney
• Real estate transactions
• Business agreements
• Healthcare directives

A journal entry can confirm the date, the signer's identity, and the type of act performed, providing evidence that the notarization was conducted correctly.

Notaries can face claims of fraud or negligence years after a signing. A well-maintained journal is the notary's best defense. It documents that the signer appeared in person, presented valid ID, and signed voluntarily - details that can be difficult to reconstruct from memory alone.

For this reason, notaries are generally advised to retain their journals for at least ten years after the last entry, even after their commission expires.

For remote online notarizations, the journal is electronic and automatically generated by the RON platform. It captures the session timestamp, identity verification results, and a link to the audio-visual recording. Virginia requires RON notaries to retain these records for at least five years.

When you work with a professional notary who keeps a thorough journal, you gain an extra layer of protection for your documents. At Mali + Co. Notary, we record every notarial act - in person and remote - so that your signing is documented, defensible, and done right.

Schedule your appointment today.