My boss who is an attorney and a Notary asked me to fill in her Notary journal for her with the addresses and IDs of clients. Is it legal for me to do that? She normally fails to fill in her full Notary journal entry when the clients come in, and has asked me to fill in the rest of the information. — S. J., California
No, you may not do this for your boss for at least two reasons. First, the statute says that a Notary must keep a journal of all official acts they perform (Government Code 8206(a)(1). It’s your boss’s job as a Notary to do this, not you. Second, the same statute says the journal must be kept in a locked and secured area, under the direct and exclusive control of the Notary. This means your boss can’t give her journal to you to complete, because that would be relinquishing exclusive control of the journal.
Hotline answers are based on the laws in the state where the question originated and may not reflect the laws of other states. If in doubt, always refer to your own state statutes. – The Editors
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