Minnesota does not require a journal for traditional notarizations — but strongly recommends one. RON requires a mandatory secure electronic journal with 10-year retention. County recording is required before your first notarization. NotaryAct is state-configured for Minnesota — RON fields fully enabled, best-practice journal available for all acts.
| ⚖️ Minnesota Notary Journal Law — Quick Reference | |
|---|---|
| Governing Law | Minn. Stat. §§ 358, 357.17 · § 358.645 (RON journal) |
| Traditional Journal | Not required by law · Strongly recommended by SOS (journal and seal are notary’s personal property, exempt from execution) |
| RON Electronic Journal | Mandatory — secure electronic journal required for all remote acts ✓ |
| RON A/V Recording | Required — 10-year retention ✓ |
| RON Authorization | Separate RON authorization required from SOS — no extra fee ✓ |
| Thumbprint / Fingerprint | Not required · Not prohibited · Optional in NotaryAct MN configuration |
| County Recording Required | Yes — before first notarization · $20 fee · Oath of Office at county recorder ✓ |
| Commission Term | 5 years, expiring January 31 of the 5th year · $120 reapplication fee |
| Journal / Seal Ownership | Personal property of the notary — exempt from execution |
| Standard Max Fee | $5 per notarial act (Minn. Stat. § 357.17) |
Minnesota’s approach mirrors several other Midwestern states: no statutory journal requirement for traditional in-person notarizations, but strict electronic recordkeeping requirements for remote online notarizations. The Minnesota Secretary of State recommends keeping a journal for all notarizations, noting that the journal and seal are the notary’s personal property and are exempt from execution — they cannot be taken by creditors.
The practical case for keeping a voluntary journal in Minnesota is the same as in any state without a traditional journal requirement: it is the notary’s strongest protection against fraud allegations, baseless lawsuits, and law enforcement inquiries. Without a record, a notary facing a challenged notarization has no contemporaneous evidence of proper procedure.
Minnesota has a step in the commissioning process that many notaries from other states find surprising. After receiving your commission certificate from the Secretary of State, you must visit the County Recorder or Auditor’s office in your county of residence and:
You cannot perform any notarial acts until county recording is complete. Every new commission term — including renewals — requires new county recording. Failure to register with the county can result in penalties, and any notarizations performed before county recording may be invalid.
If you are a non-resident commissioned in Minnesota (because you have a regular place of employment in the state), you register in the designated Minnesota county associated with your employment.
While not legally required for traditional acts, these are the fields Minnesota notaries should include in every voluntary journal entry. NotaryAct’s Minnesota configuration enables all of them.
| 1 | Date and Time Auto-timestamped by NotaryAct at submission. |
| 2 | Type of Notarial Act Acknowledgment, jurat (oath or affirmation), witnessing or attesting a signature, copy certification, or protest. NotaryAct dropdown covers all MN-authorized act types. |
| 3 | Document Description Title or type of the document being 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 Minnesota driver’s license instantly and accurately. |
| 5 | Identity Verification Method and ID Details Personal knowledge, credible witness, or government-issued ID type and details. NotaryAct supports all three scenarios with dedicated fields. |
| 6 | Signer’s Signature Electronic signature capture in NotaryAct. Comparing journal and document signatures is one of the most effective real-time fraud detection tools available. |
| + | Fee Charged Minnesota’s standard fee is $5 per notarial act under Minn. Stat. § 357.17. NotaryAct includes a fee field. |
✔ NotaryAct is state-configured for Minnesota: All best-practice fields are enabled for traditional notarizations. RON journal fields are fully enabled under the Minn. Stat. § 358.645 framework. Fingerprint capture is available as an optional feature. The journal and seal records in NotaryAct are your personal property — consistent with Minnesota law’s explicit protection of notary tools from execution.
Under Minn. Stat. § 358.645, Minnesota’s RON framework requires:
Separate RON authorization. A Minnesota notary commission does not automatically authorize RON. Notaries must submit a Remote Online Notarization Authorization Application to the SOS (no extra fee) and certify their intent to use compliant communication technology. RON authorization is concurrent with the commission term.
Secure electronic journal. Every RON session must be documented in a secure electronic journal containing the required fields under § 358.645 subdivision 4. The journal is a permanent, tamper-evident record.
Required RON journal entry fields include: the date and time; the type of notarial act; the identity verification method and result (credential analysis, KBA, or personal knowledge); the signer’s name and address; and the technology platform used.
Audio-visual recording. A recording of the complete RON session must be created and retained for 10 years. Minnesota’s definition of “identity proofing” under § 358.645 expressly includes biometric verification as one of the methods that may satisfy identity proofing requirements — so a RON platform’s biometric process is distinct from a journal thumbprint and is appropriate within the platform context.
Notary location. The notary must be physically in Minnesota during all RON sessions. Signers can be located anywhere.
| Minnesota Requirement | How NotaryAct Covers It | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional journal (best practice) | Full best-practice journal with all SOS-recommended fields in MN configuration | ✔ |
| RON mandatory secure electronic journal | Tamper-evident records; entries locked at submission; encrypted cloud storage | ✔ |
| RON required journal fields per § 358.645 subd. 4 | Date/time, act type, ID verification method/result, signer name/address, platform — all enabled in MN RON configuration | ✔ |
| 10-year RON record retention | Records retained well beyond 10-year minimum in encrypted cloud | ✔ |
| Barcode scan for signer name/address | Minnesota driver’s license barcode scan auto-fills name and address — no manual entry, no errors | ✔ |
| Journal is notary’s personal property | NotaryAct records accessible only to the notary; cannot be surrendered to employer | ✔ |
| Fingerprint — optional | Available as optional field via camera photo or Bluetooth scanner; clearly labeled as voluntary | ✔ |
Other state guides: Illinois · Ohio · Michigan · Wisconsin · All 50 States →
NotaryAct’s Minnesota configuration gives you mandatory RON electronic journal compliance and comprehensive best-practice journal support for traditional notarizations — in one app. Your records are your personal property in NotaryAct, just as Minnesota law intends.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Information reflects Minn. Stat. Chapters 357, 358, and § 358.645 as in effect June 2026. Consult the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Notary division at sos.mn.gov or your county recorder for guidance specific to your situation.
