top of page
Colorado.png

In-Person Paper/Electronic Notarizations

Am I required by law to maintain a notary journal in Colorado?

Yes. As of July 1, 2018, the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) provides guidance to notaries in Colorado

Journal format

Paper/hardbound or electronic journal acceptable

 

"A journal may be created on a tangible medium or in an electronic format. If a journal is maintained on a tangible medium, it must be a permanent, bound register with numbered pages. If a journal is maintained in an electronic format, it must be in a permanent, tamper-evident electronic format complying with the rules of the secretary of state"

Journal entry requirements

  • (a) The date and time of the notarial act;

  • (b) A description of the record, if any, and type of notarial act;

  • (c) The full name and address of each individual for whom the notarial act is performed;

  • (d) The signature or electronic signature of each individual for whom the notarial act is performed;

  • (e) If identity of the individual is based on personal knowledge, a statement to that effect; 

  • (f) If identity of the individual is based on satisfactory evidence, a brief description of themethod of identification and the type of identification credential presented, if any; and

  • (g) The fee, if any, charged by the notary public.

Journal retention

10 Years

What happens to the journal upon resignation or death?

Upon resignation, the notary has a few options seen below

 

"On resignation from, or the revocation or expiration of, a notary public’s commission, the notary public shall retain the notary public’s journal in accordance with subsection (1) of this section and inform the secretary of state where the journal is located. Instead of retaining a journal as provided in subsections (1) and (9) of this section, a current or former notary public may:

  • (i) Transmit the journal to the state archives established pursuant to part 1 of article 80 of this title 24; or

  • (ii) Leave the journal with the notary’s firm or employer in the regular course of business.

If notary public acts pursuant to subsection (10)(a) of this section, the notary public is no longer subject to subsection (5) of this section and shall notify the secretary of state in writing whether the notary has transmitted the journal to the state archives or the firm or employer, including the contact information for the firm or employer if the notary leaves the journal with the notary’s firm or employer."

 

Upon death, the journal must be submitted to the State Archives

 

"On the death or adjudication of incompetency of a current or former notary public, the notary public’s personal representative or guardian or any other person knowingly in possession of the journal shall transmit it to the state archives established pursuant to part 1 of article 80 of this title 24. The person shall notify the secretary of state in writing when the person transmits the journal to the state archives."

Remote Online Notarizations

Is Remote Online Notarization (RON) approved in the State of California

No, notaries in the State of California are not authorized to perform remote online notarizations

Do I have to record the Remote Online Notarization session?

Yes

"(9) (a) A notary public shall create an audio-video recording of a remote notarization"

What is the retention period for RON recordings?

10 years

Do I have to log RON sessions in a journal?

Yes

"The audio-video recording required by this subsection (9) must be in addition to the journal entry for the notarial act where required by section 24-21-519. The recording must include the information described in this subsection (9)(b)"

Journal format

Electronic journal only

"A notary public who performs a remote notarization shall maintain a journal in an electronic format with regard to each remote notarization"

Journal entry requirements

  • (a) The date and time of the notarial act;

  • (b) A description of the record, if any, and type of notarial act;

  • (c) The full name and address of each individual for whom the notarial act is performed;

  • (d) The signature or electronic signature of each individual for whom the notarial act is performed;

  • (e) If identity of the individual is based on personal knowledge, a statement to that effect; 

  • (f) If identity of the individual is based on satisfactory evidence, a brief description of the method of identification and the type of identification credential presented, if any; and

  • (g) The fee, if any, charged by the notary public.

Journal retention

10 years

RON recordings & journal upon death

"On resignation from or the revocation of the notary public’s commission or on the death or adjudication of incompetency of the notary public, the notary or that notary’s personal representative or guardian with knowledge of the existence of or knowingly in possession of the remote notarization journal and recordings must retain or dispose of the journal and the audio-video recordings in accordance with sections 24-21-514.5(9)(c) and 24-21-519, C.R.S. Only remote notarization system providers and remote notarization storage providers that have been approved by the Secretary of State may store audio-video recordings."

Reference Links

Helpful resources for Colorado Notaries

  1. Colorado Notary Handbook

  2. Colorado Secretary of State Website

  3. “A Notary’s Guide to Completing Journal Entries”

Disclaimer

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only.  Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. This website contains links to other third-party websites.  Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser

bottom of page