New law effective May 6, 2026: Utah SB 139 creates a mandatory physical journal for all notaries who receive or renew their commission from that date forward. Remote notaries have always been required to keep an electronic journal. The Lt. Governor oversees Utah notaries — not the SOS. NotaryAct is state-configured for Utah — all required fields on, RON journal fully enabled.
📋 SB 139 effective May 6, 2026 — New mandatory journal requirement: Notaries who receive a new commission or renew on/after May 6, 2026 must keep a physical journal. Notaries with a commission issued before May 6, 2026 are not required to keep a journal until renewal. The Utah Lt. Governor’s office encourages all active notaries to begin keeping a journal now. Remote notary electronic journal requirement is unchanged — already mandatory.
| ⚖️ Utah Notary Journal Law — Quick Reference (Updated May 6, 2026) | |
|---|---|
| Governing Law | UCA Title 46, Chapter 1 (Notaries Public Reform Act) · SB 139 (eff. May 6, 2026) |
| Physical Journal — New Commission/Renewal after May 6, 2026 | Required — permanently bound, pre-numbered pages ✓ |
| Physical Journal — Existing Commission Before May 6, 2026 | Not required until renewal · Strongly recommended by Lt. Governor’s office |
| RON Electronic Journal | Mandatory for all remote notaries — secure electronic format ✓ |
| RON A/V Recording Retention | Minimum 5 years (UCA § 46-1-14) |
| Oversight Authority | Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office (notary.utah.gov) — not the Secretary of State ✓ |
| Thumbprint / Fingerprint | Not required in journal · Not prohibited · Optional in NotaryAct UT configuration |
| Seal Ink Color | Purple ink required for traditional paper notarizations ✓ |
| Max Traditional Fee | $10 per notarial act (UCA § 46-1-19) |
| Max RON Fee | $25 per remote notarial act |
| Commission Term | 4 years · $95 exam fee · $5,000 bond · Background check required |
| RON Authorization | Separate application · $50 fee · Approved vendor required · Expires with commission |
Before May 6, 2026, Utah notaries who performed traditional notarizations had no statutory obligation to keep a journal — it was strongly recommended but not required. SB 139 (Notary Amendments), signed into law and effective May 6, 2026, changed this by creating a physical journal requirement for all notaries who receive a new commission or renew their commission on or after that date.
The grandfathering is important: a notary who holds a commission issued before May 6, 2026 is not required to keep a journal until they renew. However, the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Notary Public Office encourages all active notaries to begin keeping a journal immediately, noting that journal keeping is one of the most protective steps a notary can take regardless of the statutory requirement.
Remote notaries have always been required to maintain a secure electronic journal — SB 139 did not change this. What is new is the physical journal requirement for traditional notarizations, applying to new and renewing notaries from May 6, 2026 forward.
| 1 | Date and Time Completed at the time of the notarial act. Auto-timestamped by NotaryAct at submission. |
| 2 | Type of Notarial Act Acknowledgment, jurat, oath or affirmation, signature witnessing, or copy certification. NotaryAct provides a dropdown for all Utah-authorized act types. |
| 3 | Title, Type, or Description of Document The title or identifying description of the record or proceeding. NotaryAct includes a dedicated document description field. |
| 4 | Signature, Printed Name, and Address of Each Principal Full name, address, and signature of every person for whom the act is performed. NotaryAct’s barcode scanner auto-fills name and address from any Utah driver’s license; electronic signature is captured separately. |
| 5 | Evidence of Identity Personal knowledge; OR ID document description including issuing agency, document number, and expiration; OR credible witness information including name, address, and ID details. For remote notarizations, include description of identity proofing or biometric method. NotaryAct supports all scenarios. |
| 6 | Indication Whether Oath Was Administered Whether an oath or affirmation was administered as part of the act. NotaryAct includes this field in the Utah configuration. |
| + | Remote ID Method (RON entries only) Description of the dynamic knowledge-based authentication or biometric data analysis used to verify identity remotely. NotaryAct includes a dedicated platform/method field for RON entries. |
✔ NotaryAct is state-configured for Utah: All fields required by UCA § 46-1-13 (as amended by SB 139) are enabled in the Utah configuration, including the oath-administered indicator and the remote identity method field for RON entries. NotaryAct satisfies both the physical journal requirement (via the print function) and the secure electronic journal requirement for RON. Fingerprint capture is available as an optional feature.
| Utah Requirement | How NotaryAct Covers It | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Physical journal (new/renewing notaries from May 6, 2026) | NotaryAct’s print function produces a permanent, numbered, bound-format journal record | ✔ |
| All 6+ required entry fields including oath indicator | All fields in Utah configuration; oath-administered field included | ✔ |
| RON secure electronic journal | Tamper-evident records; entries locked at submission; encrypted cloud; password/biometric access | ✔ |
| RON identity method description in journal | Dedicated remote ID method field in Utah RON configuration | ✔ |
| RON A/V recording — 5-year retention | Cloud storage retains records well beyond 5-year minimum | ✔ |
Other state guides: Nevada · Arizona · Colorado · Idaho · All 50 States →
NotaryAct is state-configured for Utah — all fields required by SB 139 enabled, print function satisfying the physical journal requirement, secure electronic journal for RON, and 5-year A/V recording retention built in. Whether you’re subject to the new law or getting ahead of your next renewal, NotaryAct has you covered.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Information reflects Utah Code Title 46, Chapter 1 as amended by SB 139 (effective May 6, 2026) and guidance from the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Notary Public Office at notary.utah.gov as of June 2026. Consult the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Notary Public Office or qualified legal counsel for guidance specific to your situation.
