Montana law requires notaries public to chronicle all notarial acts in a journal. A notary may keep one or more journals, and the journals may be either a permanent, bound paper journal designed to deter fraud or a permanent, tamper-evident electronic journal.
Entries in a journal must be made at the same time as the notarial act. Each journal entry must include:
- The date and time of the notarization.
- The type of notarial act. Only seven possibilities exist: taking an acknowledgment (“Acknowledgement”); administering an oath/affirmation (“Oath”); taking a verification on oath/affirmation (“Jurat”); witnessing/attesting a signature (“Signature”); certifying/attesting a copy (“Certification of Copy”); certifying/attesting a transcript of an affidavit or deposition (“Deposition”) and noting a protest of a negotiable instrument (“Protest Instrument”).
- A description of the document. Typically, this is the date of the document and the type of document such as “contract,” “deed,” “power of attorney,” “affidavit,” etc. If more than one document is being notarized, each document should be described.
- The type of identification used. If identification is based on personal knowledge, an entry of “P.K.” is acceptable. If identification is based on satisfactory evidence, a brief description of the method of identification used (credible witness or ID document) should be noted, as well as the date of issuance or expiration of any ID document used.
- The signature, printed name, and address of the person for whom the notarial act was performed. This information should be entered by the person who is requesting the notarization. Exception: Certifying transcripts of depositions and certifying copies do not require the signature of the individual for whom the notarial act is performed.
- The fee (if any) charged for the notarization.