Journal & Record-Keeping
Pennsylvania is a mandatory-journal state: the notary must keep a journal (register) of official acts, a requirement RULONA continued and standardized.
Mandatory journal entries
A Pennsylvania notary must maintain a journal recording each notarial act at the time of the act: the date and time, type of act, the record's description, the individual's name and address, how identity was verified, and the fee charged. Only one journal may be active at a time, and it must be a permanent, bound register (or an approved electronic journal).
Retention and safekeeping
The journal must be kept in a secure area under the notary's exclusive control and retained for the period required by law (generally at least ten years after the last entry). If the journal is lost or stolen, the notary must notify the Department of State. On resignation or death, the journal is delivered as RULONA directs.