If a notarial journal is kept, which element is not required to be recorded?

• A. Signer's address.
• B. Date and time.
• C. Instrument type.
• D. The instrument's full text.

Answer: (D)

Notaries keep a journal to create a traceable, auditable record of each act. Each entry notes when the act occurred, who appeared, how they were identified, and what was done. You would record the date and time, the signer’s name and address, and the type of instrument being notarized, along with the identification method and whether the signer appeared personally. The full text of the instrument is not required to be recorded in the journal. The journal is meant to capture essential identifiers and act details, while the instrument itself, with its full text, remains with the document. Recording the entire text would be bulky and raise unnecessary privacy concerns, offering little extra value for verification.