Where do credible witnesses sign the notary journal (register)(book)?
Some states require notaries to carry an official journal of notarial acts while others recommend it, but don’t require it. Some states call the journal of notarial acts a journal, while others call it a registry or a book. The main thing to remember, is that a good notary journal must be bound and sequential. Each entry must be in chronological order. Different journal manufacturers make journals differently. I recommend getting one with a thumbprint section and space to write notes. Most states don’t require notaries to take thumbprints, but for your security as a notary, you need thumbprints to keep you out of court if anyone questions whether the signer was a fraud or imposter. Thumbprints are a better proof of identity than any other means.
The credible witness signs the notary journal in the additional notes section!
They do NOT sign in the signature area!!! Signature areas are for the document signer, and only one document signer can sign in a particular journal entry’s signature area. If there are two signers, then make two journal entries! The credible witness must sign in the notes section because there is blank space there. You should document the credible witness’s identification, phone, and address to be thorough.
The notary needs to administer an Oath to the credible witness where the credible witness must swear to the identity of the signer. Make sure the credible witness really knows the signer well, otherwise they are not really qualified to identify someone that they know only as “Ralph”, and don’t even know his middle or last name!
You might also like:
Notary Public Journal
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=21409
Everything you need to know about notary journals
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=70
Index of posts about journals
http://blog.123notary.com/?p=20272
Then why do many notary journals (such as this one: http://www.jamesrossinsurance.com/sc_images/products/430_large_image-sca1-1000.png) have a large square labeled “Identification of Signer or Credible Witness #1”? Doesn’t that suggest that the credible witness is in effect “signing” the journal for the principle? And if using 2 such witnesses, there ends up being no spaces left for the principle to sign, which seems odd but then maybe there is no point in recording a signature in a journal for which there is no proof of identity. Still, somehow that can’t be right either. Nowhere yet have I been able to find a place that will tell me exactly who signs where in the journal when using credible witnesses and who does not. And I am getting very tired of being told that I should record the address and phone number of anyone— notaries record serial numbers of identification documents, we don’t record (and don’t need to record) addresses and phone numbers (of anyone!)
Comment by KDS — August 14, 2016 @ 3:48 am