Which of the following is true about notary practice in Arizona?

• A. The journal is optional for small notaries
• B. The journal must include date/time, type of act, document type, signer name/signature, ID used, and fee (if any)
• C. The journal may be kept electronically with no backup
• D. The journal must be destroyed after 3 years

Answer: (B)

Arizona requires every notarial act to be logged in a journal, and that log must record specific details to create a reliable, auditable history of the act. The fields—date and time, the type of notarial act, the document type, the signer’s name and signature, the ID used to verify identity, and any fee charged—together ensure you can confirm who performed the act, exactly what was done, when it happened, and how identity was established. This complete record is essential for accountability and future verification.

That’s why this option is the best: it states all the required elements that must appear in the journal. The other statements don’t fit the rules: the journal isn’t optional for any notary, electronic journals are allowed only with proper safeguards and backups (not “no backup”), and destroying the journal after a short period (like three years) isn’t permitted by the standards.