Electronic notary journals, compared
For a notary deciding where the journal lives: 4 standalone e-journal apps and the journals built into 13 RON platforms, read against the entry fields your state requires, and whether your entries come with you when you change platforms. The certificate and the e-seal that sit beside the journal are under journals, records and e-seals.
Table last checked
Best if you notarize on more than one platform
One journal for every platform and every in-person signing; the vendor says fields are set per state and entries print or export at any time.
Best if you notarize from a phone
An iPhone and Android app with on-screen signatures and thumbprints; the vendor says entries export as a PDF from its web side.
Best if your remote work runs on one platform
Its journal sits beside the session record, and its help pages show the notary exporting the journal; check the retention term against your state.
Fig. 1Two places a journal can live
Every remote act needs a journal entry, and there are two places to keep it: an app you choose yourself, or the journal your RON platform writes during the session. Many notaries end up with both, because the platform journal only covers what happened on that platform. The question is which one is your record of the act, and whether it holds every field your state names.
A standalone e-journal
- Where entries come from
- You type them, or scan the ID and capture the signature yourself.
- Which acts it covers
- Every act you do: in person, on any RON platform, on paper or electronic records.
- The session recording
- Not held; none of the four we read says an entry links to a recording.
- When you change platforms
- Nothing moves. The journal was never on the platform.
- State platform lists
- None of the four is on the state lists we read; the lists name RON and e-notary technology.
A journal built into a RON platform
- Where entries come from
- The platform writes most of the entry from the session it ran.
- Which acts it covers
- Only the acts done on that platform.
- The session recording
- Kept by the same platform, often beside the entry.
- When you change platforms
- The entries stay behind unless you export them.
- State platform lists
- The platform may be listed, but Pennsylvania's list warns that many listed companies' journals may not be fully compliant.
Standalone e-journals, compared
Read against what a journal rule asks: the state's fields, an export for a records request or a move, a link to the session recording where the state counts it as part of the record, and an app for signings away from the desk. A journal you keep yourself also pairs well with the business software notaries use for orders and invoices. One of these suppliers also sells the electronic seal; the seal side is read in electronic notary seal providers.
| Journal | Entry fields follow your state's journal law (Texas, for one, lists what an online notarization record must hold)Entry fields follow your state's journal law | Entries can be exported or printed (for a records request, or when you change platforms)Entries can be exported or printed | Entry links to the session's audio-video recording (Texas keeps the recording as part of the online record, for five years)Entry links to the session recording | Phone or tablet app for entries at an in-person signingPhone or tablet app |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NotaryAct | Meets | Meets | Not stated | Meets |
| The Notary eJournal (Jurat inc.) | Meets | Meets | Not stated | Meets |
| American Association of Notaries | Meets | check with the vendor | Not stated | Not stated |
| NotaryGadget | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Meets |
NotaryAct
An electronic notary journal for iPhone, Android and the web, with ID barcode scanning and thumbprint capture.
A mobile notary or signing agent who wants a standalone journal on the phone, including California thumbprint entries.
- Entry fields follow your state's journal law (Texas, for one, lists what an online notarization record must hold)
- Meets
- The vendor says fields and retention are set per state for all 51 jurisdictions; check your state's own rule.
- Entries can be exported or printed (for a records request, or when you change platforms)
- Meets
- The vendor says entries can be printed or exported any time, including for subpoenas.
- Entry links to the session's audio-video recording (Texas keeps the recording as part of the online record, for five years)
- Not stated
- Not on the page read.
- Phone or tablet app for entries at an in-person signing
- Meets
- Apps for iPhone and Android plus a web version.
The Notary eJournal (Jurat inc.)
An electronic notary journal app for iOS and Android from Jurat inc., with on-screen signatures and digital thumbprint capture.
A notary who works from a phone or tablet and wants a state-by-state compliance map to check against.
- Entry fields follow your state's journal law (Texas, for one, lists what an online notarization record must hold)
- Meets
- The vendor says it meets California Govt. Code 8206 and keeps a state-by-state compliance map; check your state on it.
- Entries can be exported or printed (for a records request, or when you change platforms)
- Meets
- The vendor says entries export as a PDF from its web interface.
- Entry links to the session's audio-video recording (Texas keeps the recording as part of the online record, for five years)
- Not stated
- Not on the pages read.
- Phone or tablet app for entries at an in-person signing
- Meets
- Runs on iOS and Android phones and tablets; the web is for viewing and export.
American Association of Notaries
A Houston notary supply company and insurance agency selling state e-notary seals, an e-notary journal, and E&O policies underwritten by CNA Surety companies.
A notary who wants the seal, journal and E&O policy from one supplier, set to one state.
- Entry fields follow your state's journal law (Texas, for one, lists what an online notarization record must hold)
- Meets
- The vendor says the journal can be set to your state's journal requirements, and warns it cannot be used for in-person traditional notarizations in AZ, CA, HI, MO, NV and WA.
- Entries can be exported or printed (for a records request, or when you change platforms)
- check with the vendor
- The vendor says entries can be shared; it does not say they export. Check with the vendor.
- Entry links to the session's audio-video recording (Texas keeps the recording as part of the online record, for five years)
- Not stated
- Not on the page read.
- Phone or tablet app for entries at an in-person signing
- Not stated
- Not on the page read.
NotaryGadget
Accounting and job-management software for notaries and signing agents, with order import, invoicing, mileage and an electronic journal.
A signing agent with steady loan-signing volume who wants orders, invoices, mileage and the journal in one place.
- Entry fields follow your state's journal law (Texas, for one, lists what an online notarization record must hold)
- Not stated
- Not on the page read; check your state's rule with the vendor.
- Entries can be exported or printed (for a records request, or when you change platforms)
- Not stated
- Not on the page read.
- Entry links to the session's audio-video recording (Texas keeps the recording as part of the online record, for five years)
- Not stated
- Not on the page read.
- Phone or tablet app for entries at an in-person signing
- Meets
- Free mobile app for Android and iPhone.
Journals built into RON platforms
A platform journal has one thing a standalone app cannot get on its own: the session. It knows the credential analysis and identity-proofing results and it holds the recording, which some states treat as part of the record. What it does not do is follow you, and a listing on a state's platform list does not vouch for the journal. Which platforms also run in-person electronic acts, and which keep the journal for you, is in the electronic notary software comparison.
| Platform | What the vendor says about its journal | Recording retained for the state's period | State lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proof | Keeps a notary journal on the platform; a separate help article covers exporting it. | Meets Says recordings and the journal are "managed and stored by Proof for your state's minimum record retention period". | CO, KS, MD, MO, NE, PA |
| NotaryCam | Lists notary journal retention alongside video retention for licensed independent notaries. | Meets The independent-notary page lists a "10-year minimum video and notary journal retention"; check the term still applies when you sign. | CO, KS, LA, MD, MO, NE, PA |
| BlueNotary | Keeps an electronic notary journal that the notary can export from the Journal section. | Meets Says journal entries and session records are kept "for at least 10 years from the date of the notarization" unless a state sets a longer period. | CO, KS, LA, MD, ME, MO, NE, PA |
| OneNotary | Lists an electronic journal as included for notaries. | Meets Its notary plans list "10 years storage of a session video"; check the term for your plan with the vendor. | CO, KS, MD, ME, MO, NE, PA |
| SIGNiX | Its RON plans include an eNotary Journal. | Meets Its RON plans list "Video Storage (10 years)"; check the term with the vendor. | CO, KS, LA, MD, ME, MO, NE, PA |
| Docusign Notary | The session audit trail includes an electronic journal. | Not stated Mentions stored recordings but no retention period on the pages read; check with the vendor. | CO, MD, MO, PA |
| PandaDoc Notary | Includes electronic journaling with session recordings. | Not stated Says recordings and journals sit in cloud storage for viewing and download; no retention period on the pages read. Check with the vendor. | CO, KS, LA, MD, MO, PA |
| OneSpan Notary | The notary records session information in an eJournal. | Not stated No retention period on the page read; check with the vendor. | KS, LA, MD, MO |
| Qualia | Stores the notary's electronic notarial journal and supports export of entries and recordings. | check with the vendor Says it maintains recordings and journal entries "in accordance with industry standards" and may store them after termination where law requires; no period is given. Check with the vendor. | KS, MD, MO, PA |
| Simplifile eSign Events (ICE) | Lists a post-closing process with a notary journal. | Not stated No retention period on the pages read; check with the vendor. | CO, KS, LA, MD, ME, MO, NE, PA |
| Secured Signing | Keeps a digital journal, exportable to PDF or Excel and stored for up to 10 years. | check with the vendor Says "We store the video for up to 10 years": a ceiling, not a minimum, where a state asks for at least ten. Ask the vendor to confirm the term in writing. | KS, MD, MO, PA |
| Online Notary Center | Gives onboarded notaries full access to an electronic journal. | Meets Lists "10 year video storage" with all notarizations; check that this covers your state's period. | CO, LA, MD, MO, NE, PA |
| ProNotary | Captures an electronic notary journal for every RON transaction, with export. | Not stated Says transaction data is stored on the account's private dedicated server; no retention period on the page read. Check with the vendor. | CO, KS, LA, MD, ME, MO, PA |
The pages we read do not make clear whether these platforms keep a journal for remote acts; check with the vendor: NotaryLive, Stavvy, OnlineNotary.us, Pavaso, Snapdocs, Clear Sign (Rocket Close), DocMagic eNotary (Total eClose), Epic River eNotary, Notary Hub.
What your state's journal must hold
Of the 11 states whose journal rule we hold, nearly all start from the same core. An app or platform built for one state can still miss a field another state adds, or keep one another state forbids. The journal requirements guide covers paper journals and in-person acts as well.
The core of an entry
- Date and time of the act
- Type of act, and a description of the document
- Name and address of each signer
- How you identified the signer, and the ID used
- The fee you charged
| State | Beyond the core | Never in an entry | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| ColoradoCO | Each signer's signature or electronic signature, an interpreter's details where one was used, and the remote provider used for the act. | Nothing named in the rule | C.R.S. § 24-21-519(3); 8 CCR 1505-11, Rule 5.2.4(a)read |
| FloridaFL | A note that the ID passed credential analysis and that the signer passed identity proofing. | Nothing named in the rule | § 117.245(1), Fla. Stat.read |
| KansasKS | Nothing beyond the core; an electronic journal must be permanent and tamper-evident. | Nothing named in the rule | K.S.A. 53-5a20(c)read |
| MaineME | Nothing beyond the core; a journal is required for every remote and electronic act. | Nothing named in the rule | 4 M.R.S. § 1920(3)read |
| MarylandMD | Whether the signer appeared in person or by communication technology, and the ID number of the credential used. | Nothing named in the rule | Md. Code, State Gov't § 18-219(c); COMAR 01.02.08.08Cread |
| MissouriMO | The signer's electronic signature, the requester of fact, the address where you acted if it is not your regular place of business, and the program or authority behind the electronic signature. Each remote act also goes in your permanently bound journal. | Social Security or credit card numbers. | RSMo § 486.1185read |
| NebraskaNE | The audio-video recording of the act, without images of the documents, is part of the record. | Nothing named in the rule | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 64-409read |
| PennsylvaniaPA | Entries numbered in order from the start of the journal, none inserted, removed or swapped; the whole journal available as a PDF on request. | Any part of a Social Security number, a full driver's license or ID card number, date and place of birth, or biometric records. The last four digits of a credential are allowed. | 57 Pa.C.S. § 319(c); 4 Pa. Code § 167.324 Pa. Code §§ 167.32(d), 167.34read |
| TexasTX | The recording of the audio-video conference, with a note of the type of ID presented. | Nothing named in the rule | Tex. Gov't Code § 406.108(a)read |
| VirginiaVA | A copy of the recording when video was how you identified the signer, and a note of any other ID used. | Nothing named in the rule | Va. Code § 47.1-14(C)read |
| WashingtonWA | The signer's signature, or for a remote act a note that it was done remotely (the fee is not among the fields Washington lists). You keep one tangible bound journal for every act; an electronic journal is only kept alongside it. | Nothing named in the rule | RCW 42.45.180(4); WAC 308-30-200(1)(b), (4)RCW 42.45.180(3)-(4)read |
Not in the table: Louisiana. Its journal rule could not be read from a primary source on the date shown; check your state's current rule.
“The journal is available in a portable document format (PDF) upon request.”
For Texas and Florida, the parts only a platform sees are written into the rule: Texas counts the recording as part of the record, Florida wants the credential-analysis and identity-proofing results in the entry. The Texas and Florida comparisons read each platform against those rules, and the journal template prints a page with your state's columns.
Check a journal against your state
Pick your state to see its journal rule in full, then tick each question your journal vendor has answered yes. Copy the list into an email to the vendor; to test one entry instead, use the journal entry check.
Electronic journal questions for your vendor, juratkit.com
Pick a state, then tick each question your vendor answers yes.
- Journal
- A journal is required for every notarial act. An electronic journal must be tamper evident: no inserted, removed or substituted entries, consecutive numbering, securely stored and recoverable, and available as a PDF on request. 4 Pa. Code § 167.34; 57 Pa.C.S. § 319
- Each entry holds
- Date and time; description of the record and type of act; full name and address of each individual; how identity was established and any ID with issue and expiration dates; the fee charged. No personally identifiable data such as full ID numbers. 57 Pa.C.S. § 319(c); 4 Pa. Code § 167.32
- Journal kept for
- Within 30 days of resignation or expiration of the commission (unless the notary renews), the journal is delivered to the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the notary last kept an office. 57 Pa.C.S. § 319(e); 4 Pa. Code § 167.34(b)
- Recording kept for
- The platform must keep the audio-visual recording for 10 years as designated by the remote notary, or let the notary download and keep it. 4 Pa. Code § 167.86(6)
Questions your vendor has answered yes
0 of 5
An unanswered question is one to put to the vendor in writing before you rely on the journal.
Changing platforms: getting your entries out
A standalone journal does not care which platform you use. A platform journal does: its entries live in the platform's account, and so does the recording. When you move your remote work, the entries you made there still have years to run, and the rule puts the duty to keep them on you, not on the platform.
Pennsylvania
The journal is the notary's exclusive property, and an electronic one handed to the recorder of deeds goes as a PDF or another readable format the recorder names. 4 Pa. Code §§ 167.34(b), 167.35(a)
Recording: The platform must keep the audio-visual recording for 10 years as designated by the remote notary, or let the notary download and keep it.
Texas
You may contract a third party to store the records, but if that contract ends, all records must be transferred to you. Texas SOS, record-keeping
Florida
You may hand the journal's keeping to a secure repository by contract, but you tell the Department of State within 30 days and note the repository in your journal. § 117.245(4), Fla. Stat.
Nebraska
Keep the records for 10 years; the provider must let the notary download them. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 64-409(3)
If you work on two platforms at once, the guide to using more than one RON platform covers the rest of the split, and the recording retention guide lists who may hold the recording in each state.
How we compared
Questions notaries ask
Can I keep my notary journal electronically?
In most states we hold rules for, yes, if the electronic journal is tamper-evident. Washington is the exception: keep one tangible journal (a permanent bound book with numbered pages) for all acts, including remote ones; an electronic journal may be kept only in addition to it. Note in the tangible journal that an act was performed remotely. In Missouri, keep an electronic journal of remote online notarial acts and also record them in the permanently bound journal. The electronic journal needs two-factor access, no edits or deletions, a backup, and the ability to capture a signature image plus one biometric identifier.
Is the journal on my RON platform enough?
For acts done on that platform it may be, and it is often the only place that holds the identity-check results and the recording. But Pennsylvania's own list of approved providers warns that many of them offer an electronic journal which may not be fully compliant with Pennsylvania law. Check the platform journal against your state's fields, and check that you can export it.
Can one e-journal app cover my in-person signings too?
It depends on your state. One vendor, the American Association of Notaries, says: The vendor says the journal can be set to your state's journal requirements, and warns it cannot be used for in-person traditional notarizations in AZ, CA, HI, MO, NV and WA. Other vendors say their journals meet California's journal law. The vendors disagree, so read your own state's rule before you drop the paper journal.
How long do I keep an electronic journal?
From the rules on file: 10 years in CO, FL, KS, MD, ME, MO, NE, WA; 5 years in TX, VA. Pennsylvania works differently: within 30 days of resignation or expiration of the commission (unless the notary renews), the journal is delivered to the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the notary last kept an office. The recording retention date calculator works out the date for one session.
What happens to my entries when I leave a platform?
Export them before you cancel. In Pennsylvania the journal is the notary's exclusive property (4 Pa. Code § 167.35(a)). In Texas, if a third party stores your records and the contract ends, all records must be transferred to you; the recording is kept 5 years.
Can a journal entry hold the signer's full ID number?
Not in Pennsylvania: a journal may not hold a full driver's license or ID card number, though the last four digits are allowed (4 Pa. Code § 167.32(d)-(e)). Maryland's rule asks for the ID number of the credential used. A journal set up for one state can be wrong for another, so set it to the state whose commission you act under.
Related
- Notary journal templateA printable journal page with your state's columns.
- Notary journal entry checkCheck one entry for missing fields.
- Notary journal requirements by stateWhich states require a journal, and for how long.
- RON recording retention by stateEach state's period for the session recording.
- RON platforms for a solo notary, comparedOwn signers, journal and recording kept for your state's period.