4.2 The Mandatory Bound Journal: Format, One Active Journal & 10-Year Retention
Key Takeaways
A Missouri notary must keep, maintain, protect, and provide for lawful inspection a chronological journal that is a permanently bound book with numbered pages (Section 486.700.1).
A notary may keep only one active permanently bound journal at a time (Section 486.700.2).
The bound journal must be kept for no less than 10 years from the date of the last entry (Section 486.700.3).
Electronic and remote online notaries also keep an electronic journal, but must still record those acts in the bound journal (Sections 486.945 and 486.1180).
The handbook states that failing to record a notarization in the journal precludes collecting the fee.
Missouri requires every notary to keep a journal. It is the notary's best evidence if a document is later challenged, and it records facts the certificate does not, such as how the signer was identified and the signer's own signature.
The Statute (Section 486.700)
- A notary shall keep, maintain, protect, and provide for lawful inspection a chronological journal of notarial acts that is a permanently bound book with numbered pages.
- A notary shall maintain only one active permanently bound journal at the same time.
- A notary shall keep the permanently bound journal for no less than ten years from the date of the last entry.
Section 486.600(8) defines the journal as "a permanently bound book to create and preserve a chronological record of notarizations that is maintained by the notary public who performed the same notarizations."
What Counts as a Compliant Journal
| Format | Compliant? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Sewn or glued bound book with pre-numbered pages | Yes | Permanently bound with numbered pages |
| Spiral notebook | No | Pages can be torn out without a trace |
| Three-ring binder or loose-leaf pages | No | Not permanently bound |
| Bound book whose pages the notary numbers by hand later | Risky | The statute calls for numbered pages; buy a journal with pre-printed numbers |
| Spreadsheet or app alone | No | Not a bound book; electronic journals supplement, never replace, the bound journal |
The Written Notary Training Course states the same point: a Missouri notary keeps "a permanently bound journal with numbered pages not a spiral notebook or a journal where pages can be removed." The handbook notes that journals can be bought from office supply stores or obtained from notary companies or associations.
One Active Journal
A notary may not keep one journal at work and another at home, or one for loan signings and another for walk-ins. All paper notarizations go chronologically into one active bound journal. When it is full, the notary starts the next one; the completed journal becomes inactive but must still be kept.
The only allowance is for electronic records. A registered electronic or remote online notary may keep backups of each active and inactive electronic journal (Sections 486.945.3 and 486.1180.2), but still has only one active bound journal.
Electronic and Remote Online Notaries
| Notary type | Bound journal | Electronic journal |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional (paper) notary | Required | Not applicable |
| Registered electronic notary (in person) | Required, including a record of electronic acts (Section 486.945.2(2)) | Required for electronic acts (Section 486.950) |
| Registered remote online notary | Required, including a record of remote acts (Section 486.1180.1(2)) | Required for remote acts (Section 486.1190) |
The electronic journal must keep each entry at least ten years from the date of the entry (Sections 486.950.4 and 486.1190.4). It never removes the duty to record the act in the bound journal as well.
Ownership and Control
The handbook states that the journal is the exclusive property of the notary. Section 486.715.2 adds that, when not in use, the journal must be kept in a secure area under the notary's exclusive control, must not be used by any other notary, and must not be surrendered to an employer when employment ends. Who paid for the book does not matter.
The Journal and the Fee
The handbook's fee guidance says that Section 486.685 allows a notary to charge $5 for each signature "and the proper recording of the notarization in their journal," and that failure to record the notarization in the journal precludes collection of the fee. A certified copy must also be recorded in the journal.
Ten Years, and Delivery When the Commission Ends
The ten-year rule tells a working notary how long to keep old journals: ten years from the last entry in each book. If a notary's commission ends (expires without recommission, is resigned or revoked, or the notary dies), Sections 486.715.4, 486.795, and 486.800 require the journal and records to be delivered to the Secretary (within thirty days, or three months for an expired notary who is reapplying). Section 4.4 covers that process.
Example: Maria's journal Book 2 has its last entry on June 30, 2026. While Maria remains a notary, she keeps Book 2 at least until June 30, 2036.
Exam Scenarios
- Two books at once. Kevin keeps one journal at his desk and another in his car for mobile signings. That violates the one-active-journal rule; both kinds of acts must go into one chronological bound journal.
- Spiral notebook. A new notary records acts in a spiral notebook to save money. It is not a permanently bound book with numbered pages and does not comply.
- Employer demands the journal. A title agency tells a departing employee to leave her journal. The journal may not be surrendered to an employer (Section 486.715.2).
Which journal format complies with Section 486.700 RSMo for paper notarizations?
A spreadsheet that is backed up daily to secure cloud storage
A spiral notebook with dated entries
A three-ring binder of printed log sheets
A permanently bound book with numbered pages
A notary wants one journal for loan signings and another for walk-in customers. What does Missouri law say?
Only one active permanently bound journal may be kept at a time
Two journals are allowed if both are kept for ten years
A second journal is allowed if the employer approves it
Separate journals are required for each type of notarial act
How long must a Missouri notary keep a permanently bound journal under Section 486.700 RSMo?
No less than ten years from the date of the last entry
Seven years after the commission expires
Until the bond's four-year term ends
Five years from the date of the first entry
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.