Michigan does not require a journal for traditional notarizations — but strongly recommends one. For remote online notarizations, a secure electronic journal is mandatory with 10-year retention. NotaryAct is state-configured for Michigan — RON fields fully enabled, best-practice journal available for traditional acts, fingerprint capture optional.
| ⚖️ Michigan Notary Journal Law — Quick Reference | |
|---|---|
| Governing Law | MCL 55.261 et seq. · Michigan Notary Public Act (Act 238 of 2003) · MCL 55.286b (RON) |
| Traditional Journal | Not required by law · Strongly recommended by SOS and professional associations |
| RON Electronic Journal | Mandatory — secure electronic journal required for all remote acts ✓ |
| RON A/V Recording | Required — 10-year retention ✓ |
| Thumbprint / Fingerprint | Not required · Not prohibited in current MI law · Optional in NotaryAct MI configuration |
| RON Platform | Must use SOS-approved RON platform · Notify SOS of vendor choices |
| Max Notarial Fee | $10 per notarial act · Travel fees separate by prior agreement |
| Commission Term | 6–7 years, always expiring on the notary’s birthday |
| Surety Bond | $10,000 (attorneys exempt from bond) |
| Oath of Office | Required at county clerk — must occur before commission is fully active |
Michigan takes the same general approach as Florida and Ohio: no statutory journal requirement for traditional in-person notarizations, but a mandatory electronic journal for RON. The Michigan Notary Public Act (Act 238 of 2003, MCL 55.261 et seq.) does not require a journal for traditional notarizations. However, the Michigan Secretary of State and the Michigan Notary Association strongly recommend keeping one as best practice — and for good reason.
A voluntary journal is a notary’s strongest protection against fraud allegations, baseless lawsuits, and law enforcement inquiries. Without a contemporaneous record, a Michigan notary who later faces a challenged notarization has no independent evidence of what occurred, how the signer was identified, or when the act was performed. For high-risk transactions — real estate documents, powers of attorney, financial instruments — the absence of a journal record creates real exposure.
✔ NotaryAct is state-configured for Michigan: NotaryAct’s Michigan configuration enables all required RON journal fields and provides a comprehensive best-practice journal for traditional notarizations. Fingerprint capture via camera photo or Bluetooth scanner is available as an optional feature for notaries who choose to use it as a voluntary fraud deterrent. The required fields and optional fields are clearly distinguished.
Even without a statutory mandate, there are compelling reasons for every Michigan notary to maintain a journal for traditional notarizations:
Fraud defense. A journal entry with a signer’s signature, ID details, and timestamp creates contemporaneous evidence of identity verification. In cases of deed fraud, forged signatures, or identity theft, a journal record can be the decisive piece of evidence — for law enforcement and for the notary’s own defense.
Lawsuit protection. Michigan notaries are personally liable for negligence or misconduct. A journal that demonstrates proper procedure — correct ID verification, signer presence, act type correctly recorded — is the notary’s best defense against claims that a notarization was improperly performed.
Law enforcement cooperation. When a notarized document is involved in a criminal investigation, law enforcement will ask for the notary’s records. A Michigan notary with no journal has nothing to provide and no corroboration that they followed proper procedures.
The thumbprint option. Although Michigan law does not require or prohibit thumbprints, the Michigan Notary Association notes that voluntary thumbprint collection — particularly for real estate transactions — provides an additional layer of fraud protection. If a signer’s identity is later disputed, a thumbprint record can be checked against government databases with a court subpoena. NotaryAct supports this via camera photo or Bluetooth scanner as a voluntary field.
The Michigan Secretary of State and professional organizations recommend the following fields for every voluntary journal entry. NotaryAct’s Michigan configuration enables all of these.
| 1 | Date and Time Auto-timestamped by NotaryAct at submission. |
| 2 | Type of Notarial Act Acknowledgment, jurat, witnessing or attesting a signature, certified copy, or oath. NotaryAct dropdown covers all MI-authorized act types. |
| 3 | Document Description The title or type of document notarized. NotaryAct includes a dedicated document description field. |
| 4 | Signer’s Name and Address Full name and current address. NotaryAct’s barcode scanner auto-fills from any Michigan driver’s license. |
| 5 | Identity Verification Method How identity was established under MCL 55.285(6): personal knowledge, credible witness, or government-issued ID with photo and signature. Under Michigan law, IDs must be current — an expired ID alone is not sufficient. |
| 6 | Signer’s Signature Electronic signature capture in NotaryAct for every entry. Comparing the journal signature against the document signature is one of the most effective fraud-detection tools available to notaries. |
| + | Fee Charged Michigan’s maximum fee is $10 per notarial act. NotaryAct includes a fee field. |
For notaries performing remote online notarizations in Michigan, MCL 55.286b imposes mandatory recordkeeping:
Secure electronic journal. Every remote notarial act must be recorded in a secure electronic journal. The journal must be maintained for at least 10 years and must be kept under the notary’s secure control.
Audio-visual recording. A recording of every RON session — including the identity verification portion — must be created and retained for at least 10 years. The platform handles the recording; the notary is responsible for ensuring it occurs and is retained.
Approved platform required. Michigan RON notaries must use an SOS-approved remote electronic notarization platform. Notaries must notify the SOS of their chosen platform vendors. No separate RON commission is required — an active Michigan notary commission is sufficient.
| Michigan Requirement | How NotaryAct Covers It | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional journal (best practice) | Full best-practice journal with all SOS-recommended fields in Michigan configuration | ✔ |
| RON mandatory secure electronic journal | Tamper-evident electronic records; entries locked at submission; encrypted cloud | ✔ |
| 10-year RON record retention | Records retained well beyond 10-year minimum in encrypted cloud | ✔ |
| All best-practice traditional journal fields | Date/time, act type, document description, signer name/address, ID method, signature, fee — all included | ✔ |
| Barcode scan for signer name/address | Michigan driver’s license barcode scan auto-fills name and address accurately | ✔ |
| Fingerprint — optional | Available as optional field via camera photo or Bluetooth scanner; clearly labeled as voluntary | ✔ |
Other state guides: Ohio · Illinois · Florida · New York · All 50 States →
NotaryAct’s Michigan configuration gives you a complete best-practice journal for traditional acts and mandatory electronic journal compliance for RON — all in one app. The protection a voluntary journal provides is real. The effort to maintain it with NotaryAct is minimal.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Information reflects the Michigan Notary Public Act (MCL 55.261 et seq., Act 238 of 2003) and MCL 55.286b as in effect June 2026. Consult the Michigan Department of State Office of the Great Seal at Michigan.gov/Notary or qualified legal counsel for guidance specific to your situation.
