Maine Notary Journal Requirements

The Short Answer Depends on What Type of Notarizations You Perform

Maine has a dual-track journal system that confuses a lot of notaries. The answer to "is a journal required?" is different depending on whether you perform traditional paper notarizations, electronic notarizations, or remote online notarizations.

Traditional paper notarizations: A journal is not legally required. The Secretary of State strongly recommends keeping one, but there is no statute mandating it.

Electronic (IPEN) notarizations: A journal is strictly mandatory.

Remote online (RON) notarizations: A journal is strictly mandatory, and it must be maintained in a secure, tamper-evident electronic format.

This distinction trips up notaries who move between paper and digital transactions. If you perform even occasional electronic or remote notarizations, you need a journal — no exceptions.

Why You Want a Journal Even When It Is Optional

Maine is one of the few states that does not require a surety bond for notaries. That means you carry personal liability for every notarization you perform. If a signer later claims fraud, forgery, or coercion, your best defense is a contemporaneous journal entry documenting who appeared, what identification they presented, and what document was notarized.

Without a journal, you have no record beyond your memory. E&O insurance can cover financial damages, but the journal is what helps prove you followed proper procedures.

The Secretary of State explicitly recommends journal-keeping for this reason. For the small cost of a bound record book ($10–$25), you are building a documentary trail that could save you from a lawsuit.

Paper Journal Format Rules

If you choose to keep a journal for traditional paper notarizations (or if you are required to keep one for IPEN), the state imposes specific format requirements:

• Permanently bound — loose-leaf binders, spiral notebooks, and individual sheets of paper do not qualify. The journal must be a bound register with pre-numbered pages to prevent page removal or insertion.
• One active journal at a time — for traditional paper transactions, you may only maintain one active journal. This is a notable restriction: you cannot keep a separate journal for work and personal notarizations, or one per client. Once you fill a volume, start the next.

Each entry should record the date, type of notarial act performed, signer's name, method of identification used, document type, and any fees charged.

Journal Rules for IPEN and RON

When performing electronic or remote online notarizations, the journal requirements are more stringent:

• For IPEN, the journal may be a permanently bound paper register or a secure, permanent, tamper-evident electronic format that complies with the Secretary of State's Chapter 700 rules
• For RON, the journal must be maintained in a secure, permanent, tamper-evident electronic format that complies with Chapter 700
• You may maintain multiple active journals concurrently — the single-journal restriction applies only to traditional paper-based transactions
• All journal records must be retained for a minimum of 10 years from the date of the last recorded notarial act
• For RON transactions, you must also retain the audio-visual recording of each session for 10 years

Your approved technology platform typically includes built-in journal functionality that meets these requirements. Confirm with your provider that their system produces the tamper-evident format the state requires.

The 10-Year Retention Rule

Whether you keep a voluntary paper journal or a mandatory electronic one, the retention standard is the same: 10 years from the date of the last notarial act recorded in that journal. This is a long retention window — if you start a journal today and fill it over three years, you must keep it accessible for 10 years after the last entry, which means up to 13 years of storage.

For paper journals, store completed volumes in a secure, fireproof location. For electronic journals, ensure your platform or storage solution will remain accessible for the full retention period — if you switch technology providers, migrate your journal data before deactivating the old account.

For a structured approach to journal management across both paper and digital pathways, the How to Become a Notary in Maine guide covers the full recordkeeping framework.

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