Journal Requirements
Journal rules
A New Mexico notary must keep a chronological journal of notarial acts. The journal may be tangible or electronic, but it must be secure and capable of accurate reproduction. For each act, record at or near the time of performance:
- date and time of the notarial act;
- type of notarial act;
- name and address of the principal;
- description of the record notarized;
- method used to identify the principal;
- any required signature or verification detail.
For remote notarization, the journal must also capture the identity-proofing method and reference the audiovisual recording. Retain the journal for at least 10 years after the last notarial act recorded. Produce it to the Secretary of State on lawful request; do not treat it as a public sign-in sheet.
Worked example
A notary performs an acknowledgment and a jurat for the same signer on the same day. The notary writes one journal line: "1/5/2025 - John Doe - deed." That entry is deficient twice: it records only one act, and it omits the time and identification method. The correct journal has two chronological entries, each identifying the act type and the record.
Traps
- Journaling only acknowledgments and skipping jurats, oaths, or copy certifications.
- Recording the date but not the time of the act.
- Treating the journal as optional because the certificate is stamped.
- Failing to document the identity-proofing method used for a remote act.