Alaska HB 124 requires every notary to maintain a journal of all notarial acts. NotaryAct’s tamper-evident cloud journal satisfies Alaska’s electronic journal requirements — and the built-in print function produces a tangible paper record whenever needed, satisfying even the strictest reading of the statute. Retention is 10 years from the last entry.
| ⚖️ Alaska Notary Journal Law — Quick Reference | |
|---|---|
| Governing Law | HB 124 (Chapter 24 SLA 2020) · AS 44.50.075 |
| Effective Date | January 1, 2021 |
| Journal Required For | All notarial acts (RON legally mandated; all acts per Lt. Governor guidance) ✓ |
| Physical Journal | Required per Lt. Governor guidance · NotaryAct’s print function satisfies this ✓ |
| Electronic Journal | Permitted · must be permanent and tamper-evident · NotaryAct qualifies ✓ |
| Retention Period | 10 years after the last notarial act in the journal |
| Lost / Stolen Journal | Must promptly notify Lt. Governor’s office ✓ |
| On Commission End | Retain 10 years + notify Lt. Governor of journal location |
| RON Authorized Since | January 1, 2021 (HB 124) |
| RON Authorization Fee | $100 for 4-year term (separate from commission) |
| Commission Term | 4 years · $40 renewal fee |
| Surety Bond Required | Yes — $2,500 |
| Failure to Produce Journal | Can result in commission revocation |
Yes. Alaska House Bill 124, signed April 29, 2020 and effective January 1, 2021, established Alaska’s modern notary framework under Alaska Statutes AS 44.50.075. The law was the same legislation that authorized remote online notarization in Alaska for the first time.
The statute and the official guidance from the Alaska Lt. Governor’s office — which commissions and regulates all Alaska notaries — treat journal-keeping as a universal requirement. Every notarial act must be recorded. This includes traditional in-person paper notarizations, electronic notarizations, and remote online notarizations. The Alaska Lt. Governor’s FAQ, which is the primary official guidance for commissioned notaries, states that notaries “shall maintain a journal in which the notary public chronicles all notarial acts.”
There is one area of genuine ambiguity in Alaska’s journal law: the format. AS 44.50.078(b) contains two sentences that are in tension — one permissive (“may create a journal on a tangible medium or in an electronic format”) and one mandatory (“shall maintain at least one journal in a tangible medium”). Whether that means electronic-only is sufficient, or whether a physical journal is always required, is not clearly resolved by the statute itself. The Alaska Lt. Governor’s office — which commissions and regulates notaries — publishes the “shall…tangible” language as part of its compliance guidance. See the format section below for a full breakdown.
This is the most contested aspect of Alaska’s journal law, and it comes down to how you read two sentences in AS 44.50.078(b) that appear to conflict with each other.
The permissive sentence says: “A notary public may create a journal on a tangible medium or in an electronic format.” The plain reading of “or” suggests either format alone satisfies the law — electronic-only is fine.
The mandatory sentence in the same subsection says: “A notary public shall maintain at least one journal in a tangible medium to chronicle all notarial acts.” This sentence, taken at face value, requires a physical journal regardless of whether you also keep an electronic one.
These two sentences are genuinely in tension, and different authoritative sources interpret them differently:
| Source | Their Reading |
|---|---|
| Alaska Lt. Governor’s Office (official regulator) |
Publishes both sentences together on its notary supplies page, listing the “shall…tangible medium” sentence as binding. Practical enforcement position treats physical journal as required. |
| American Association of Notaries | States “An Alaska notary public can maintain a journal on a tangible medium or in an electronic format” — citing only the permissive language, implying electronic-only is acceptable. |
| AS 44.50.078(b) — Enrolled Statute Text | Contains both sentences. The “may…or” permissive language in one sentence and “shall…tangible medium” mandatory language in another create an ambiguity the statute itself does not resolve. |
How NotaryAct resolves this either way: NotaryAct includes a built-in print function that lets you print any or all journal entries at any time. If you read the statute as requiring a tangible record, simply print your NotaryAct entries — that printed output is a tangible medium containing your complete journal record. If you read the statute as permitting electronic-only, NotaryAct’s tamper-evident cloud record satisfies that too. Either way, NotaryAct users are covered. If you want a definitive answer on which interpretation the state enforces, contact the Alaska Lt. Governor’s Notary Office at ltgov.alaska.gov/notaries-public.
Alaska Statutes AS 44.50.075 and official Lt. Governor guidance specify six required elements for every journal entry. All entries must be sequentially numbered. NotaryAct captures every field automatically.
| 1 |
Sequential Entry Number Each entry must be numbered in sequence. Gaps in numbering are a red flag during inspection. NotaryAct assigns sequential numbers to every entry automatically — they cannot be edited or reordered. |
| 2 |
Date and Time of the Notarial Act The exact date and time the notarization occurred must be recorded. NotaryAct timestamps every entry at the moment of submission, locking it in place. |
| 3 |
Description of the Record and Type of Notarial Act What document was notarized and what type of act it was — acknowledgment, jurat, oath, affirmation, certified copy, or other. NotaryAct provides structured fields for both the document description and act type. |
| 4 |
Full Name and Address of Each Principal The complete name and current address of every person for whom the notarization was performed. NotaryAct’s driver’s license barcode scanner reads this directly from any Alaska-issued ID — no manual entry, no errors. |
| 5 |
Evidence of Identity Two options: (a) if you personally know the signer, record a statement to that effect; or (b) if you used an ID, provide a brief description of the credential including its issuance and expiration dates. NotaryAct supports both methods and can attach a photo of the credential. |
| 6 |
Fee Charged, If Any The fee charged for the notarial act, or a notation that no fee was charged. Alaska law prohibits charging a fee unless a fee schedule was provided to the signer before the act. NotaryAct includes a dedicated fee field in every entry. |
Best practice: The Alaska Lt. Governor’s office also recommends having signers sign the journal entry at the time of notarization. While not listed as a statutory requirement in the same way as the six fields above, this practice creates the strongest possible evidence if a notarization is ever challenged.
Alaska’s retention period is 10 years, but there’s an important distinction in how it’s measured that catches many notaries off guard: the clock runs from the date of the last notarial act recorded in the journal — not from when your commission expires, and not from when the individual acts were performed.
This means a journal you fill up and close today needs to be kept until 2036 — regardless of whether your commission expires next year. A journal that has entries spanning multiple years of your practice needs to be retained for 10 years after the very last entry in it.
When a commission ends — whether by expiration, resignation, or revocation — Alaska law imposes two additional requirements. First, you must still retain the journal for 10 years from the last entry. Second, you must notify the Lt. Governor’s office where the journal is located. This applies whether you intend to renew or not.
NotaryAct stores all records in an encrypted, redundant cloud with automatic continuous backups. Your journal entries are accessible from any device for well beyond the 10-year minimum, and the export function lets you produce records for inspection at any time.
Alaska law has a specific rule that most other states don’t: if your journal is lost or stolen, you must promptly notify the Lt. Governor’s office upon discovering the loss. Failure to do so — and failure to produce a journal on request from the state — can result in commission revocation.
This makes cloud-based electronic journals a critical backup even for notaries who primarily use a physical journal. If your paper journal is lost, stolen, or destroyed, having a secure electronic copy means your records survive. NotaryAct’s automatic cloud backup and redundant storage protect against exactly this scenario.
Alaska was an early adopter of RON, authorizing it under HB 124 effective January 1, 2021. Several important rules apply specifically to Alaska RON notaries:
Separate authorization required. Having an Alaska notary commission is not enough to perform RON. You must obtain separate RON authorization from the Lt. Governor’s Notary Office by email request. The $100 authorization fee covers a 4-year term, prorated if you add it mid-commission.
Location requirement. The notary must be physically located in Alaska at the time of every RON session. The signer, however, can be located anywhere — in any state or abroad if the document relates to a U.S. matter.
Identity verification for RON. Alaska RON requires credential analysis plus knowledge-based authentication (KBA), or personal knowledge of the signer, or a credible witness. The method used must be documented in the journal.
Journal requirement for RON. RON sessions require a journal entry with all six standard fields, plus documentation of the technology platform used. The 10-year retention requirement applies to all RON journal entries.
| Alaska Requirement (HB 124 / AS 44.50.075) | How NotaryAct Covers It | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential entry numbering | Auto-assigned sequential numbers; cannot be edited or reordered | ✔ |
| Date and time of every act | Auto-timestamped at submission — locked and permanent | ✔ |
| Description of record and act type | Dedicated document description field + act type dropdown | ✔ |
| Signer’s full name and address | Barcode scanner auto-fills from driver’s license — 100% accuracy | ✔ |
| Evidence of identity (personal knowledge or credential details) | Both methods supported; credential photo attachment available; issuance and expiration date fields included | ✔ |
| Fee charged | Dedicated fee field in every journal entry | ✔ |
| Permanent, tamper-evident electronic format | Entries are locked on submission; audit trail captures any access attempts | ✔ |
| 10-year minimum retention from last entry | Encrypted cloud storage; records retained well beyond the 10-year minimum | ✔ |
| Records producible for inspection | Instant search, print, and export from any device at any time | ✔ |
NotaryAct satisfies both readings of the statute: If your state requires a tangible record, NotaryAct’s built-in print function lets you print any journal entry or your complete journal at any time — that printed output constitutes a tangible medium. If electronic-only is sufficient under the “may…or” language, NotaryAct’s permanent tamper-evident cloud record covers that too. You don’t have to choose a side in the statutory debate — NotaryAct users are compliant either way.
Are Alaska notaries required to keep a journal?
Yes. Under HB 124 and AS 44.50.075, all Alaska notaries must maintain a journal of every notarial act they perform. The Lt. Governor’s office, which commissions Alaska notaries, treats this as a universal requirement covering traditional, electronic, and RON notarizations. Failure to produce a journal on request can result in commission revocation.
Does Alaska require a physical paper journal?
The statute (AS 44.50.078(b)) contains two sentences that pull in different directions — one permissive (“may create a journal on a tangible medium or in an electronic format”) and one mandatory (“shall maintain at least one journal in a tangible medium”). The Alaska Lt. Governor’s office publishes both and their guidance treats the “shall…tangible” as binding, while other notary authorities read the “or” as allowing electronic-only. In practice, NotaryAct resolves this entirely: the built-in print function lets you print your complete journal at any time, producing a tangible paper record whenever needed. Whether the statute requires it or not, NotaryAct users satisfy both interpretations without maintaining a separate paper journal.
How long must I keep my Alaska notary journal?
Ten years from the date of the last notarial act recorded in the journal — not from your commission expiration date. When your commission ends for any reason, you must retain the journal for those 10 years and notify the Lt. Governor’s office where the journal is located.
What do I do if my journal is lost or stolen?
Alaska law requires you to promptly notify the Lt. Governor’s office. This is not optional. Using a cloud-based electronic journal like NotaryAct alongside your physical journal ensures your records survive even if the physical journal is lost or destroyed.
Can I perform RON notarizations in Alaska?
Yes, but you need separate authorization from the Lt. Governor’s office beyond your regular commission. Email the Notary Office with your commission information, chosen RON technology provider, and electronic seal and signature samples. The $100 fee covers a 4-year RON authorization period. You must be physically located in Alaska at the time of every RON session.
What is the fee limit for Alaska notarizations?
Alaska law does not set a specific maximum fee per notarial act, but it does require that a fee schedule be provided to the signer before the act is performed. The fee — or a notation that no fee was charged — must be recorded in the journal.
Where can I find the official Alaska notary rules?
The Alaska Lt. Governor’s office is the primary authority. Official guidance, statutes, and forms are at ltgov.alaska.gov/notaries-public. The full text of Alaska notary statutes is at ltgov.alaska.gov/notaries-public/alaska-notary-statutes/.
Other state guides: Virginia · New York · California · Texas · All 50 States →
NotaryAct captures all six required fields under HB 124 with tamper-proof sequential entries, encrypted cloud backup, and 10-year retention built in. Use it alongside your physical journal to give yourself the strongest possible recordkeeping system — and protection — under Alaska law.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Information reflects Alaska HB 124 (Chapter 24 SLA 2020) and AS 44.50.075 as in effect June 2026, along with official guidance from the Alaska Lt. Governor’s Notary Public Office. Laws and regulations are subject to change. Consult the Alaska Lt. Governor’s office or qualified legal counsel for guidance specific to your situation.
