New York Notary Journal Requirements — Required Since 2023, Format Flexible
Yes, New York requires records. Since January 25, 2023, every New York notary must make a record of each notarial act and keep it for ten years. The rule came in with the regulations implementing New York's electronic notarization law, and it applies to ordinary paper notarizations, not just online ones. The format is flexible: the regulations require a record with specific contents, not a bound book.
The rule: the Department of State's regulations at 19 NYCRR Part 182, implementing amendments to Executive Law § 135-c, require notaries to keep records of their notarial acts, including the type of identification provided by the signer, and to retain those records for at least ten years.
Last updated: August 2026.
What each New York record must include
Under the regulations, records are made at the time of the act, not filled in later: entries "shall be made contemporaneously with the performance of the notarial act." Each record covers:
- The date, approximate time, and type of notarial act
- The name and address of the individual for whom the act was performed
- The number and type of notarial services provided
- The type of credential used to identify the signer, including the names of any witnesses and the credentials they used
- The verification procedures used for any personal appearance
- For electronic notarial acts, the communication technology used, and a recording of the audio-video session
How long to keep records
Ten years. Treat the records as long-term files that outlast any single commission term.
What format qualifies in New York
The regulations say records, not bound book. New York notaries keep bound journals, printed pages filed in order, and electronic records, and the rule expressly allows third-party storage when it is safeguarded by a password or other secure authentication. What matters is that every act is captured with the required details and kept retrievable for ten years: the rule says records "must be capable of being produced to the secretary of state and others as necessary."
Questions New York notaries ask
I was commissioned before 2023. Does this apply to me? Yes. The requirement applies to all New York notaries for acts performed on or after January 25, 2023, regardless of when you were commissioned.
Do I need a bound journal in New York? No law requires binding. A bound book satisfies the rule; so do other reliable formats that capture the required information and last ten years.
What about notarizations I did before 2023? The record requirement started January 25, 2023. Records you kept before then remain good practice and good evidence.
Keeping the ten-year record without the handwriting
Prep & Print Notary Journal fills in the record on screen before the signing: signer names, ID details, documents, fees. Print it, collect signatures in ink at the table, and file the page. The entry also stays saved in your browser on your own computer, which suits a record you must keep for ten years. It costs $19 once, at prepandprintnotary.com.
Every state's rule is on one page: Notary Journal Requirements by State.
Sources: 19 NYCRR 182.9 (records of notarial acts); N.Y. Executive Law § 135-c; NY Department of State notary page. General information, not legal advice.
