Notaries in Pennsylvania have the option of recording their notary entries in paper (tangible) or electronic journals.

If you wish to use an electronic journal to record notarizations, it must meet all the requirements of a print journal. An electronic journal must contain the same entries as a print journal and be designed to prevent the substitution, removal or insertion of an entry.

The use of an Excel spreadsheet on a personal computer, tablet or other electronic device, does not meet the requirement of being “tamper-evident,” per the notary public law. Although Excel spreadsheets can be locked or password-protected, the records can still be removed, substituted or added to, at will.

An electronic journal must be securely stored and recoverable in the event of a software malfunction or computer crash. Entries from an electronic journal must be available upon demand by the Department of State in a PDF format.

When a notary resigns their commission or has a revocation of their commission, he or she must deliver their electronic journal to the county Recorder of Deeds (where they maintained their office of record) in a format designated by that Recorder of Deeds.