Chapter 3 of 518% of exam
Journal and Official Seal
Utah's recordkeeping duties, including the journal requirement that took effect in May 2026 and the rules for the official seal.
The journal requirement (SB 139, 2026)
Effective May 6, 2026, Utah requires new and renewing notaries to keep a journal of notarial acts, a change that brings Utah in line with best practice.
New and renewing notaries must maintain a journal of their notarial acts.
A traditional journal is a permanently bound book with numbered pages.
A remote online notary keeps an electronic journal of each remote act.
The journal helps reconstruct an act if it is later challenged.
Journal entries
Each entry should capture the essentials of the act without storing sensitive data.
Record the date and time, type of act, and a description of the document.
Record the signer's name and signature and the identification method.
Record any fee charged.
Do not copy account numbers or Social Security numbers into the journal.
The official seal
Every Utah notary must have a seal, and it must produce a clean, reproducible impression.
The seal must leave a legible, reproducible impression in blue or black ink.
It shows the notary's identifying and commission information, never the signer's.
Keep the seal secure; report a lost or stolen seal promptly and replace it.