Recommended for Professional Signing Agents
NNA Premium Notary Journal — Executive Style
The purpose-built journal used by professional signing agents nationwide. 122 pages, 488 pre-labeled entry fields covering all required fields for every state, executive hardcover with ribbon bookmark and privacy guard. Permanently bound pages that cannot be removed without visible evidence — meeting California, Nevada, and Georgia mandatory journal requirements. Use this printable template as your reference; the NNA journal is the professional tool that replaces it.
View on Amazon — $58 →As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
How to Use This Template
This template meets the requirements of California Government Code §8206 — the most demanding journal standard in the country — which means it satisfies requirements in all other states. Print multiple copies and complete one entry per notarial act at the time the act is performed. Do not wait until the end of the appointment or reconstruct entries from memory.
For a standard refinance with 4–5 notarial acts (deed of trust acknowledgment, one or more rider acknowledgments, possibly an affidavit jurat), you will complete 4–5 rows. Each row is one act by one signer. Two co-borrowers each acknowledging the deed of trust generates two separate rows for the same document.
Journal Entry Form
| Date | Time | Act Type | Document | Signer Name | Signer Address | ID Type | ID Number | ID Exp. | Fee | Signature | Thumbprint (CA only) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Field Definitions
| Field | What to Record | Required In |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Full date MM/DD/YYYY — actual date of the act, never backdated | All states (professional standard) |
| Time | Hour and minute — distinguishes sequence in multi-act appointments | California, Nevada (legally required) |
| Act Type | "Acknowledgment" or "Jurat" — never just "notarization" | All states |
| Document | "Deed of Trust dated [date]" or "Affidavit of [type]" — specific, not generic | California, Nevada (legally required) |
| Signer Name | Exactly as appears on their ID and on the document | All states |
| Signer Address | Property address for loan signings; signer's home address from ID for others | California (legally required) |
| ID Type | "California Driver License" or "U.S. Passport" — full name of ID type | California, Nevada (legally required) |
| ID Number | Full ID number — do not abbreviate to last 4 digits | California (legally required) |
| ID Exp. | Expiration date of the ID — confirms it was current at time of act | Recommended everywhere |
| Fee | Your per-act notarial fee (not the signing agent appointment fee) | California, Nevada (legally required) |
| Signature | Signer's signature in your journal, obtained in their presence at the time of the act | California (legally required for real property) |
| Thumbprint | Signer's right thumbprint — California only, required for deeds and real property documents | California only (Gov. Code §8206) |
California Thumbprint Requirement
California Government Code §8206(a)(2)(g) requires the signer's right thumbprint in the notary journal for any deed, quitclaim deed, deed of trust, or other instrument affecting title to real property. This applies to every California refinance, purchase, HELOC, and reverse mortgage. Carry a thumbprint inkpad in your supply bag on every California appointment. If a signer refuses to provide a thumbprint for a real property document, you cannot notarize it — call the title company immediately.
Professional vs. Minimum Standards
Most states do not legally require a notary journal for traditional paper notarizations. The states with legally mandated journals include California, Nevada, Georgia, and Hawaii. However, professional signing agents maintain complete journals everywhere because the liability protection they provide far exceeds the time cost of maintaining them. A complete contemporaneous journal entry is your most powerful defense against any allegation of improper notarization, fraud involvement, or document dispute.
The professional standard: complete entries for every notarial act, every appointment, made at the time of the act — not reconstructed from memory at the end of the day or week. Retain completed journals for a minimum of 10 years after the last entry. Number journals sequentially and store them together in a secure location.