One of our employees is no longer working for us, but she left her Notary supplies behind. I have attempted to contact her, but she does not respond to any of my messages. What should I do regarding her Notary supplies? — A.Z., Texas
It sounds like you have done all you can to locate the former employee and return the supplies to them. The best way to handle this situation is to simply destroy the former employee’s Notary seal and retain the journal for at least five years. You are not technically required to retain the journal for that long, but we would recommend you do so in case someone seeks to inspect or obtain a copy of a journal record for a notarial act the employee performed. After five years, you can destroy the journal.
For information about rules for disposing of expired seals in other states, please see our article on what to do with old Notary seals. For guidelines for securing and disposing of Notary journals in different states, please read our article on what to do with full Notary journals.
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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