Journal Surrender to County Clerk

Government Code §8209 governs what happens to a notary's journal when their commission ends for any reason — expiration, resignation, or revocation. The notary has 30 calendar days from the end of the commission to deliver all completed and current journals to the county clerk of the county of the notary's principal place of business. Upon delivery, the county clerk issues a receipt.

The county clerk retains the journals for 10 years from the date of deposit. During that period, the journals remain subject to public inspection and lawful journal copy requests under §8206.

If a notary resigns and then reapplies for a new commission, they cannot simply pick up where they left off — a new journal must be started for the new commission period. The surrendered journals stay with the county clerk and are not returned to the notary.

Exam Tip: The 30-day delivery rule runs from the end of the commission, not from the date the notary stops performing acts. Retaining a journal beyond 30 days after commission termination is a violation. Also note: a notary who transfers employment to another county does not need to surrender their journal — surrender is triggered by commission termination, not relocation.