Nevada requires a journal for every notarial act, kept in a secure location under exclusive control. The journal is a public record. Report lost or stolen journals to both the SOS and law enforcement immediately. RON requires a separate electronic journal. NotaryAct is state-configured for Nevada — all seven required fields enabled and compliance built in.
| ⚖️ Nevada Notary Journal Law — Quick Reference | |
|---|---|
| Governing Law | NRS 240.120 (journal) · NRS 240.100 (fees) · NRS 240.201 (eNotary journal) |
| Journal Required? | Yes — every notarial act ✓ |
| Journal Security | Secure location under exclusive control at all times when not writing entries ✓ |
| Journal Is a Public Record? | Yes — certified copies must be provided on request ✓ |
| Retention Period | 7 years after the date notary ceases to hold commission |
| Lost / Stolen Journal | Report to SOS AND appropriate law enforcement agency — immediately ✓ |
| Signer Signature Required? | Yes — with exception for known employer/coworker repeat clients within 6 months |
| Thumbprint / Fingerprint | Not required in journal · Not prohibited · Optional in NotaryAct NV configuration Note: Fingerprints ARE required for the notary’s own application background check (NAC 240.215) — separate from the journal. |
| eNotary Journal (RON) | Mandatory separate electronic journal for all electronic notarial acts (NRS 240.201) ✓ |
| RON Record Retention | 7 years after eNotary registration terminates |
| Max Fee — Acknowledgment | $15 first signature per signer · $7.50 each additional signature |
| Max Fee — Jurat | $15 per signature on affidavit |
| Max Fee — Oath / Affirmation | $7.50 · Certified copy: $7.50 · Marriage ceremony: $75 |
| Fee Posting Required? | Yes — must post fee table in conspicuous place before charging any fees ✓ |
| Commission Term | 4 years · $35 application fee · $10,000 bond · Mandatory training course required |
| eNotary Registration | Separate registration · $50 fee · $45 training/exam · Approved provider required |
Nevada’s NRS 240.120 creates one of the more demanding journal frameworks in the country. Every notary must keep a journal of every notarial act, entered at the time of the act — no after-the-fact entries. The journal must be kept in a secure location under the notary’s exclusive control whenever entries aren’t actively being made. It’s a public record subject to inspection and certified-copy requests. And if it goes missing, the notary must report to both the Secretary of State and law enforcement.
Two Nevada-specific rules deserve particular attention:
The dual-reporting requirement. Most states require only SOS notification when a journal is lost or stolen. Nevada requires the notary to file a report with the Secretary of State AND the appropriate law enforcement agency. The journal and the notary’s stamp are both personal property under NRS 240.143, and it’s a criminal offense under NRS 240.147 for any person to knowingly destroy, deface, or conceal a notarial record.
The 7-year post-commission clock. Nevada’s retention period runs from the date you cease to be a notary public — not from the last entry. A journal you fill today must be kept until 7 years after your commission expires, is surrendered, or is revoked. Notify the Secretary of State in writing of the journal’s location when your commission ends.
NRS 240.120(1) specifies all required fields, each entered at the time the notarial act is performed.
| 1 | Date and Time of the Notarial Act Auto-timestamped by NotaryAct at submission — locked and permanent. |
| 2 | Type of Notarial Act Acknowledgment, jurat, oath or affirmation, certified copy, or other. NotaryAct provides a dropdown for all Nevada-authorized act types. |
| 3 | Title of the Document or Matter The title of the document — not the act type. For example, “Loan Agreement” or “Grant Deed,” not merely “Acknowledgment.” Nevada’s SOS specifically clarifies this distinction. |
| 4 | Name, Address, and Signature of the Signer Full name, address, and the signer’s signature. NotaryAct’s barcode scanner auto-fills name and address from any Nevada driver’s license. Signature exception applies for known employer/coworker repeat clients within 6 months — enter “known personally” instead. |
| 5 | Description of Evidence of Identity How identity was established — ID type and details, personal knowledge, or credible witness. If a credible witness was used, the witness signs the journal in the space for this description. NotaryAct supports all three scenarios with dedicated fields. |
| 6 | Indication of Whether Oath Was Administered Whether an oath or affirmation was administered as part of the notarial act. NotaryAct includes this field in the Nevada configuration. |
| 7 | Type of Certificate Used The type of notarial certificate used per NRS 240.1655 (acknowledgment form, jurat form, etc.). NotaryAct captures certificate type as part of the act type selection. |
✔ NotaryAct is state-configured for Nevada: All 7 required journal fields are enabled in the Nevada configuration, including the oath-administered indicator and certificate type fields unique to Nevada’s NRS 240.120. The “known personally” entry option is available for the employer/coworker repeat-client exception. The barcode scanner auto-fills name and address from Nevada driver’s licenses. Fingerprint capture is available as an optional field — distinct from Nevada’s background check fingerprint requirement for notary applicants themselves.
Nevada’s fingerprint rules contain an easy-to-misread nuance. Nevada does require fingerprints — but from the notary, not from signers. Under NAC 240.215, every notary applicant must submit a complete set of their own fingerprints with their application for a criminal background check through the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History and the FBI. This is part of the notary’s commissioning process and is not related to the notary journal.
Nevada law does not require notaries to collect fingerprints or thumbprints from the signers whose documents they notarize. There is no equivalent of California’s GC § 8206 thumbprint requirement in Nevada. NotaryAct’s Nevada configuration makes fingerprint capture available as a voluntary option for notaries who choose to use it as an additional fraud deterrent.
Nevada authorizes electronic notarization (including RON) under the Electronic Notarization Enabling Act, NRS 240.181–240.206. To perform electronic or remote notarizations, a commissioned Nevada notary must register separately as an Electronic Notary Public (eNotary), which requires:
Under NRS 240.201, an eNotary must maintain a separate electronic journal for all electronic notarial acts, kept under sole control with password protection. The electronic journal must note whether each act was performed using audio-video communication. Multiple electronic journals may be maintained. Records must be retained for 7 years after the eNotary registration terminates.
| Nevada Requirement (NRS 240.120) | How NotaryAct Covers It | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Journal of every notarial act at time of act | All act types covered; auto-timestamped and locked at submission | ✔ |
| All 7 required entry fields | Date/time, act type, document title, signer name/address/signature, ID evidence, oath indicator, certificate type — all in NV configuration | ✔ |
| Secure location — exclusive control | Password/biometric access; encrypted cloud; notary-only authentication | ✔ |
| Public record — certified copies on request | Instant search by name, document title, date; certified print and export | ✔ |
| 7-year retention after commission ends | Encrypted cloud retains records well beyond 7-year minimum | ✔ |
| eNotary electronic journal (NRS 240.201) | Tamper-evident; audio-video indicator field; sole-control access; 7-year retention | ✔ |
| Fingerprint in journal — optional | Available as optional field; clearly distinct from NV applicant background check fingerprints | ✔ |
Other state guides: California · Arizona · Colorado · Texas · All 50 States →
NotaryAct is state-configured for Nevada — all 7 required fields enabled including the oath-administered indicator and certificate type fields, encrypted cloud storage satisfying the secure-location requirement, and certified-copy export for public inspection requests. For eNotaries, the electronic journal is fully covered under NRS 240.201.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Information reflects Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 240 as in effect June 2026. Consult the Nevada Secretary of State Notary Division at nvsos.gov or qualified legal counsel for guidance specific to your situation.
