Quick answer. Write what your own state lists, no more and no less. The core is usually date and time, type of act, the document, the signer's name and address, how you identified them and the fee, but Texas bans ID numbers, Illinois bans thumbprints, and California and Arizona require a thumbprint for real property documents and powers of attorney. Choose a state for its list.
Your state's list
Illinois journal entry checklist
Required for every act
Every notary, including electronic notaries, records each act at the time of notarization (5 ILCS 312/3-107; 14 Ill. Adm. Code 176.900). Notaries employed by an attorney or law firm that keeps copies of the notarized documents are exempt. Remote and electronic acts go in the journal and are marked as such.
Required entries · Every notarial act
Also check
- ID number: Never record ID numbers. No ID card or passport number, and no other number that could identify the principal (176.910).
- Signature: Not a listed entry. No signature is among the required entries, and an electronic signature of the principal or a witness may not be recorded (176.910).
- Thumbprint: Not allowed (no biometrics). Biometric identifiers, such as a fingerprint, may not be recorded (176.910).
- Keep it: At least 7 years after the last entry (176.920).
- When your commission ends: The front of the journal states that on your death or incapacity it goes to the Secretary of State. An employer may not keep your journal when you leave (5 ILCS 312/3-107(d)).
Sources: 14 Ill. Adm. Code 176.910, Journal Entries and Prohibited Entries (checked November 6, 2026); 14 Ill. Adm. Code Part 176 (checked November 2026); Illinois Notary Public Act (5 ILCS 312) (checked November 2026). General information, not legal advice.
Habits that keep any journal defensible
- Write at the time of the act. An entry made later from memory is the first thing questioned if the act is challenged.
- Use ink and never leave gaps. Strike through unused boxes so nothing can be added afterwards, and don't remove pages.
- Record refusals if your state asks. Utah and Wyoming want refusals logged; Massachusetts wants the reason you declined.
- Mind what you must not write. ID numbers, Social Security numbers, birth dates and biometrics are banned in some states. Your state's row on the journal requirements table says which.
- Know where the journal goes later. Some states send it to a county office or the state when your commission ends; others make you keep it for a set number of years.
Want a blank page instead? The free journal template builds one. Deciding between a bound book and an electronic journal? See journal options compared.
Entry lists come from each state's law, rules or official handbook, cited under the checklist and checked November 2026. Not legal advice. The state picker works in your browser; nothing you tick is saved or sent.
Common questions
What should every notary journal entry include?
Most state lists start with the date and time, the kind of act, a description of the document, the signer's name and address, how you identified the signer and the fee. After that they split: some want the signer's signature or a thumbprint, others forbid ID numbers. Pick your state above to see its exact list.
Do I make one entry per document or one per signer?
Follow your state's wording: many lists say each person or each signer, so two signers on one deed usually means each one's details are recorded. When the rule isn't clear, ask the commissioning office rather than combining people into one line.
Should I write the entry before or after I stamp the certificate?
Make it at the time of the act. Several states say so outright, and Iowa's handbook says to write it in ink before you complete the certificate, so the entry exists even if the signing stops halfway.
What if my state's checklist says the entries aren't listed?
That means the official sources we read require a journal or mention one without listing what goes in it. The checklist then shows the columns from our printable pages as a starting point, and the note names where to confirm the list.
Can I print this checklist and keep it with my journal?
Yes. Use the print button: only the checklist prints. Tick the boxes on screen or on paper as you fill in each entry. It is a memory aid, not a substitute for your state's handbook.