In short. Pick your commission state and the entry form shows the fields that state's official sources list, marked as required or suggested, with the source linked. Entries can't be edited or deleted; corrections are new entries. Export to PDF or CSV at any time, even after you cancel. $9 a month. It is a tool: you stay responsible for your state's rules, and we are not lawyers.
Your state's journal rules
Illinois allows an electronic journal. The data we keep from Illinois's official sources says: paper journal "Bound (glue, staples or grommets; not tape or clips) with preprinted consecutive page and line numbers"; electronic journal "Allowed". Entries here are append-only and hash-chained, but no state has reviewed or approved this app, and we can't tell you it meets Illinois's standards. You are responsible for that. Official source: 14 Ill. Adm. Code 176.910, Journal Entries and Prohibited Entries; 14 Ill. Adm. Code Part 176; Illinois Notary Public Act (5 ILCS 312).
| Journal rule | Required for every act Every notary, including electronic notaries, records each act at the time of notarization (5 ILCS 312/3-107; 14 Ill. Adm. Code 176.900). Notaries employed by an attorney or law firm that keeps copies of the notarized documents are exempt. Remote and electronic acts go in the journal and are marked as such. |
|---|---|
| Electronic journal | Electronic journal allowed by the state Paper: Bound (glue, staples or grommets; not tape or clips) with preprinted consecutive page and line numbers. Electronic: Allowed. |
| Entries the state lists |
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| ID number | Never record ID numbers Illinois does not allow ID numbers in the journal, so this app has no ID number field for Illinois. No ID card or passport number, and no other number that could identify the principal (176.910). |
| Signer's signature | Not a listed entry Illinois's list doesn't ask for the signer's signature, so the app doesn't collect one. |
| Thumbprint | Not allowed (no biometrics) Illinois does not allow thumbprints or other biometrics in the journal. This app never captures them. |
| How long to keep it | At least 7 years after the last entry (176.920). When your commission ends: The front of the journal states that on your death or incapacity it goes to the Secretary of State. An employer may not keep your journal when you leave (5 ILCS 312/3-107(d)). |
Sources: 14 Ill. Adm. Code 176.910, Journal Entries and Prohibited Entries; 14 Ill. Adm. Code Part 176; Illinois Notary Public Act (5 ILCS 312). Checked November 6, 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Where electronic journals stand
From the format notes in our 51 state files: 16 jurisdictions' sources say an electronic journal is allowed, 13 require a journal only for remote or electronic acts, and 3 (Missouri, Utah and Washington) call for a bound or physical journal for in-person acts. In 10 the sources we read don't settle it, so the app tells notaries there to check their state's rules, and 9 set no journal rule we could find. The journal requirements table has every state's row.
What the app does
- A form shaped by your state. Date and time, type of act, the document, the signer's name and address, how you identified them (ID type, issuer, dates), fees, a credible witness and remote act details, each shown with the wording of your state's list.
- Append-only entries. No edits and no deletes. A correction is a new entry that points to the original and gives the reason.
- Tamper-evident. Each entry's SHA-256 hash includes the hash of the entry before it. The chain check and every export report whether the chain is intact.
- Exports for printing or a state request. PDF and CSV of every entry, with hashes, whenever you want them.
- Careful with personal data. ID numbers are kept as the last 4 digits unless your state's list includes the number. Entry contents are never written to our logs.
- No thumbprints. The app doesn't capture them. A drawn signature is offered only where your state's list has the signer sign.
Start your journal
$9 a month through Stripe. Cancel any time from the billing portal; the journal then stays readable and exportable. Full refund if you email us within 14 days of your first payment. Already have a journal? Sign in.
Common questions
Does this app make my journal compliant with my state's rules?
No app can promise that, and this one doesn't. It is a tool that shows the entries your state's official sources list and keeps your entries append-only. You are responsible for meeting your state's rules. We are not lawyers, and nothing here is legal advice.
Can I edit or delete an entry?
No. Entries can't be edited or deleted, by you or by us. If an entry has a mistake, you add a correction: a new entry that names the one it corrects and says why. Both stay in the journal and in every export.
What does tamper-evident mean here?
Each entry stores a fingerprint (a SHA-256 hash) of its own contents joined to the fingerprint of the entry before it. If any stored entry were changed or removed, the chain would no longer match, and the app's chain check and every export would say so.
My state requires a bound paper journal. Can I use this?
Not as your journal for in-person acts. The state picker says which states' sources call for a bound or physical journal, and the app shows a warning for those states. You may keep this only as an extra copy if your state allows one.
What happens to my records if I cancel?
They stay. After you cancel, the journal turns read-only: you can still sign in, read every entry and download the CSV and PDF exports. Your state may require you to keep your journal for years after the last entry, so we don't delete it when you stop paying.
How are ID numbers stored?
Where your state's list includes the ID number, the full number is stored encrypted and shown only as the last 4 digits, unless you ask for it in an export. Elsewhere only the last 4 digits are kept, and states that forbid ID numbers get no ID number field at all.
Can I capture a thumbprint or signature?
Thumbprints are not captured. Where your state's list has the signer sign the journal, the signer can sign on a drawing pad and the image is stored with the entry. Elsewhere the app doesn't collect signatures.
How much is it, and can I get a refund?
$9 a month, billed by Stripe, cancel any time. If it isn't right for you, email us within 14 days of your first payment for a full refund.
State rules on this page come from each state's law, rules or official handbook, cited above. MCC Solutions isn't affiliated with any state, no state has approved this app, and we are not lawyers. Your commissioning office has the final word.