Pennsylvania RULONA requires a journal for every notarial act. New March 2026 regulations ban biometric data in journals, increase the bond to $25,000, and clarify inspection rules. NotaryAct is state-configured for Pennsylvania — the right fields are enabled, prohibited fields are disabled, and compliance is built in automatically.
📋 New regulations in effect March 28, 2026: The Pennsylvania Department of State published comprehensive RULONA regulations (4 Pa. Code Part VIII, Chapter 167) that took effect March 28, 2026. Key changes: bond increased to $25,000 · biometric data including fingerprints expressly prohibited from journals · stamp format updated · public inspection rules clarified. This page reflects all changes.
| ⚖️ Pennsylvania Notary Journal Law — Quick Reference (Updated March 28, 2026) | |
|---|---|
| Governing Statute | RULONA — 57 Pa.C.S. § 319 (Journal) |
| Governing Regulations | 4 Pa. Code Part VIII, Chapter 167 · Effective March 28, 2026 |
| Journal Required? | Yes — every notarial act, in chronological order ✓ |
| Permitted Formats | Tangible (bound, numbered pages) · Electronic (tamper-evident) · Separate journals permitted for each type |
| Entries Made | Contemporaneously with each act · No blank spaces or boxes |
| Fingerprints / Biometrics | ⛔ PROHIBITED — biometric records expressly banned from journals (March 2026) |
| Other Prohibited PII | Full SSN · Full driver’s license number · Full govt ID number · Date/place of birth · Mother’s maiden name |
| Permitted ID Info | Last 4 digits of driver’s license or passport · ID type · Issuing agency · Expiration date |
| Journal Ownership | Exclusive property of the notary — not the employer ✓ |
| Public Inspection | Any person may request — oral or written · Copies within 15 days · Inspection in notary’s presence |
| On Commission End | Deliver journal to Recorder of Deeds (county of last office) within 30 days |
| Lost / Stolen Journal | Promptly notify Department of State ✓ |
| Surety Bond (new/reappointed from March 28, 2026) | $25,000 (increased from $10,000) ✓ |
| Commission Term | 4 years |
| Max Fee (acknowledgment / jurat) | $5 per notarial act |
| Electronic / RON Fee | Up to $20 per notarial act performed electronically or by communication technology |
Pennsylvania adopted the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) as 57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3, effective October 26, 2017. Under RULONA, every Pennsylvania notary must maintain a journal recording all notarial acts in chronological order. There are no document-type exceptions — every acknowledgment, jurat, verification on oath or affirmation, witnessing or attesting a signature, certified copy, and any other notarial act must be recorded.
The journal can be maintained on a tangible medium (a physical bound book with numbered pages) or in an electronic tamper-evident format. Pennsylvania allows notaries to maintain separate journals for tangible records and for electronic records — you don’t have to combine them into one, but you can.
The most important change affecting Pennsylvania notaries in 2026 is what the journal cannot contain. Comprehensive regulations that took effect March 28, 2026 explicitly prohibit biometric records — including fingerprints and thumbprints — from being recorded in the journal. Pennsylvania is one of a small number of states that has moved in this direction, reflecting growing concern about the collection and storage of biometric data in records subject to public inspection.
This is the most important compliance issue for Pennsylvania notaries using any electronic journal in 2026. The new regulations at 4 Pa. Code § 167.32 define “personally identifiable information” and explicitly prohibit it from journal entries. Biometric records — which include fingerprints and thumbprints — are listed among the prohibited categories.
This prohibition is confirmed by both the Pennsylvania Department of State and the National Notary Association, which published guidance in September 2025 naming Pennsylvania among the states that ban fingerprint collection in notary journals.
| Information Type | Permitted in PA Journal? |
|---|---|
| Signer’s full name | ✔ Yes |
| Signer’s address | ✔ Yes |
| ID type (e.g., “Pennsylvania driver’s license”) | ✔ Yes |
| Issuing agency of ID | ✔ Yes |
| ID expiration date | ✔ Yes |
| Last 4 digits of driver’s license or passport number | ✔ Yes (clarified by March 2026 regulations) |
| Signer’s signature | ✔ Yes |
| Fingerprints or thumbprints (biometric records) | ⛔ PROHIBITED |
| Full Social Security number | ⛔ PROHIBITED |
| Full driver’s license number | ⛔ PROHIBITED |
| Date and place of birth | ⛔ PROHIBITED |
| Mother’s maiden name | ⛔ PROHIBITED |
✔ NotaryAct is state-configured — Pennsylvania compliance is automatic: NotaryAct is built with state-specific rule sets that enable, disable, or adjust fields based on the law of each commissioned state. For Pennsylvania notaries, the app automatically applies Pennsylvania’s configuration: fingerprint capture is not presented as an option in the journal entry flow, and the ID fields are configured to capture only permitted information. You don’t have to remember what’s prohibited — NotaryAct’s Pennsylvania configuration handles it. This is one of the core advantages of NotaryAct over generic digital journals: the app knows what your state requires and enforces it automatically.
Every Pennsylvania journal entry must be made contemporaneously with the notarial act. Entries must be separate — one entry per notarial act. No blank spaces or boxes may be left unfilled. Blank lines between entries must be struck through.
| 1 |
Date and Time of the Notarial Act The exact date and time the act was performed. NotaryAct auto-timestamps every entry at the moment of submission, locking it permanently. |
| 2 |
Type of Notarial Act and Brief Document Description The type of act performed — acknowledgment, jurat (verification on oath or affirmation), witnessing or attesting a signature, certified copy, or other — and a brief description of the document or transaction. NotaryAct provides structured fields for both. |
| 3 |
Full Name and Address of Each Signer The complete name and address of every person for whom the notarial act is performed. NotaryAct’s driver’s license barcode scanner auto-fills the name and address from any Pennsylvania-issued ID — instantly and accurately. |
| 4 |
Method of Identification and ID Credential Details If identity was established by personal knowledge, record that. If by satisfactory evidence (a government-issued ID), record: the type of credential, the issuing agency, and the issuance and expiration dates. Note: the last four digits of a license or passport number are permitted — the full number is prohibited. NotaryAct captures all required fields and is configured to prevent capture of prohibited full ID numbers. |
| 5 |
Signer’s Signature The signature of each person for whom the notarial act is performed. NotaryAct captures the signer’s electronic signature as part of every entry. |
| 6 |
Fee Charged (If Any) The fee charged for the notarial act. Pennsylvania’s maximum fee is $5 per notarial act (traditional); $20 per act for electronic or remote notarizations. If no fee was charged, that must be noted — no blank spaces are permitted. NotaryAct includes a required fee field in every entry. |
The Pennsylvania Department of State published comprehensive RULONA implementing regulations in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on March 28, 2026. They took effect the same day and are codified at 4 Pa. Code Part VIII, Subpart C, Chapters 161, 163 and 167. Here is what changed for notaries:
Surety bond increased to $25,000. Notaries newly appointed or reappointed on or after March 28, 2026 must obtain a $25,000 bond. Notaries holding a current commission as of that date may continue using their existing bond through the end of their current commission term.
Biometric and sensitive personal data expressly prohibited from journals. The regulations clarify that journal entries may not contain any personally identifiable information about signers, specifically including: any part of a Social Security number, full driver’s license or government-issued ID number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, and biometric records (fingerprints, thumbprints, and similar). The last four digits of a driver’s license or passport number are explicitly permitted.
Journal entry completeness rules clarified. Each entry must be a separate record with no blank spaces or boxes. Blank lines between entries must be struck through. This applies equally to tangible and electronic journals.
Stamp format updated. The seven-digit commission identification number assigned by the Department of State is now required on the official notary stamp. Notaries with a current commission may continue using their existing stamp until it expires; new and reappointed notaries must use the updated format.
Public inspection rights expanded and clarified. Any person may request inspection of a notary’s journal, orally or in writing. Inspection must take place in the notary’s presence. Certified copies must be provided within 15 days of the request. A new $5 fee has been added for the notarial act of witnessing or attesting a signature.
Electronic and RON fees set. Electronic notaries and remote notaries may charge up to $20 per notarial act performed with respect to electronic records or using communication technology.
Pennsylvania is more flexible than many states on journal format. Under 57 Pa.C.S. § 319(b):
Tangible (paper) journal: Must be a bound register with numbered pages. No loose-leaf journals. Pages must be sequentially numbered.
Electronic journal: Must be in a tamper-evident electronic format complying with Department of State regulations. NotaryAct satisfies this requirement — entries are locked at the time of submission and cannot be altered after the fact.
Separate journals permitted: A notary may maintain one journal for tangible records and a separate journal for electronic records. They can also be combined. Either approach is compliant.
Both tangible and electronic journals are subject to the same entry requirements, PII prohibitions, custody rules, and inspection requirements. There is no distinction in treatment between the two formats under RULONA or the March 2026 regulations.
Pennsylvania has one of the broadest public journal inspection policies in the country. Under RULONA and the March 2026 regulations:
Anyone may inspect. There is no requirement that the requestor have a specific reason or a connection to the notarized transaction. Any member of the public can request to inspect the journal.
Requests can be oral or written. The notary cannot refuse an inspection simply because the request was not in writing.
Inspection must occur in the notary’s presence. The notary must supervise all inspections. Journals cannot be left unattended for inspection or handed over to a third party for unsupervised review.
Certified copies within 15 days. If a person requests certified copies of journal entries, the notary must provide them within 15 days of receiving the request.
The prohibition on biometric and other sensitive personal data in journal entries was expressly designed to make this open inspection policy workable — the public can access journal records without exposing signers’ most sensitive personal information.
Pennsylvania’s journal disposition rules are specific and strictly enforced:
Expiration without renewal: The journal must be delivered to the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the notary last maintained an office within 30 days of commission expiration. Exception: if the notary applies for a new commission within that 30-day window, they may retain the journal.
Resignation: Deliver the journal to the Recorder of Deeds within 30 days of the resignation.
Revocation: Deliver the journal to the Recorder of Deeds within 30 days of the revocation.
Death or incompetency: The personal representative or guardian must deliver the journal to the Recorder of Deeds within 30 days.
The journal is the notary’s property — not the employer’s. Even if an employer purchased the journal or provided supplies, the journal belongs to the notary. An employer has no right to the journal upon termination of employment.
| Pennsylvania Requirement (RULONA / March 2026 Regs) | How NotaryAct Covers It | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Journal of every notarial act in chronological order | Sequential, time-ordered entries; one entry per act enforced | ✔ |
| Tamper-evident electronic format | Entries locked at submission; audit trail captures any access; cloud-encrypted | ✔ |
| Entries made contemporaneously | Auto-timestamped at submission; cannot be backdated | ✔ |
| No blank spaces in entries | Required fields enforced; entry cannot be submitted incomplete | ✔ |
| Date and time | Auto-timestamped and locked at submission | ✔ |
| Act type and document description | Structured dropdown for act type; dedicated document description field | ✔ |
| Signer’s full name and address | Barcode scanner auto-fills from driver’s license; manual entry supported | ✔ |
| ID method, type, issuing agency, issuance and expiration dates | All fields included; configured to capture permitted data only | ✔ |
| Signer’s signature | Electronic signature capture in every entry | ✔ |
| Fee charged | Required fee field; zero-fee notation supported; no blank entries permitted | ✔ |
| No biometric records (fingerprints) in journal | Pennsylvania configuration automatically disables fingerprint capture — no manual workaround needed | ✔ |
| No prohibited PII (SSN, full license number, DOB) | State configuration captures only permitted fields; barcode scan pulls name and address only | ✔ |
| Producible for inspection; certified copies within 15 days | Instant search, print, and certified export from any device | ✔ |
Can I keep an electronic journal in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Pennsylvania expressly permits electronic journals under 57 Pa.C.S. § 319(b), provided the journal is in a tamper-evident electronic format complying with Department of State regulations. NotaryAct satisfies this standard — entries are locked at the time of submission and cannot be altered. You may also maintain separate journals for tangible and electronic records, or combine everything in one journal.
Can Pennsylvania notaries collect fingerprints or thumbprints in their journal?
No. Under regulations effective March 28, 2026, biometric records — including fingerprints and thumbprints — are expressly prohibited from Pennsylvania notary journals. NotaryAct handles this automatically: the app is state-configured, meaning Pennsylvania’s rule set disables fingerprint capture entirely for PA-commissioned notaries. The feature simply doesn’t appear in the journal entry flow for Pennsylvania. This is one of NotaryAct’s key advantages — each state is configured with its own enabled and disabled fields, so compliance is built in rather than left to the notary to remember.
Does Pennsylvania require a thumbprint for real estate or power of attorney documents?
No. Unlike California, Pennsylvania has no thumbprint requirement for any category of notarization. And under the March 2026 regulations, collecting a fingerprint would actually be a compliance violation, not a best practice.
Who can inspect my Pennsylvania notary journal?
Any member of the public may request to inspect your journal, orally or in writing. You are not required to ask why. Inspection must occur in your presence. If certified copies are requested, you must provide them within 15 days. This broad access policy is why the March 2026 regulations are so specific about prohibiting sensitive personal data from journal entries.
What information about the signer’s ID can I include?
You may record the type of ID (e.g., Pennsylvania driver’s license), the issuing agency, and the expiration date. The last four digits of a driver’s license or passport number are permitted per the March 2026 regulations. What you cannot record: the full license number, any part of a Social Security number, the signer’s date or place of birth, the signer’s mother’s maiden name, or any biometric data.
Does my employer own my notary journal?
No. The journal is the exclusive property of the notary, not the employer. Even if your employer purchased the journal or supplies, they have no claim to the journal upon termination of employment. When your commission ends, the journal goes to the Recorder of Deeds — not back to your employer.
What is the new bond amount for Pennsylvania notaries?
Notaries newly appointed or reappointed on or after March 28, 2026 must obtain a $25,000 surety bond, up from the previous $10,000. Notaries holding a current commission as of March 28, 2026 may continue using their existing bond through the end of their current term.
Where can I find official Pennsylvania notary guidance?
The Pennsylvania Department of State’s Notary page is at pa.gov/agencies/dos/programs/notaries. The full text of RULONA (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3) and the March 2026 regulations (4 Pa. Code Chapter 167) are available at pa.gov/agencies/dos/resources/notaries-resources-and-information/rulona-regulations. The Pennsylvania Association of Notaries (PAN) at notary.org provides member-focused education and guidance on all RULONA requirements.
Other state guides: California · New York · Virginia · Alaska · All 50 States →
NotaryAct is configured state by state — for Pennsylvania, that means the right fields are on, prohibited fields like fingerprint capture are off, and the ID fields collect only what the law allows. Tamper-evident entries, encrypted cloud storage, and certified copy export on demand. Compliance built in, not bolted on.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Information reflects RULONA (57 Pa.C.S. Chapter 3) and Pennsylvania Department of State regulations effective March 28, 2026 (4 Pa. Code Part VIII, Chapter 167), as published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Laws and regulations are subject to change. Consult the Pennsylvania Department of State’s Office of Notaries, Commissions and Legislation, the Pennsylvania Association of Notaries (PAN), or qualified legal counsel for guidance specific to your situation.
