N.M. Stat. § 14-14A-18 — NM_STATUTES Code / Chapter 14 / Article 14A / Section 14-14A-18
§ 14-14A-18. Journal
Status: in_force

A. A notarial officer in this state shall maintain a journal in which the notarial officer chronicles all notarial acts that the notarial officer performs. The notarial officer shall retain the journal for ten years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in the journal.

B. A journal may be created on a tangible medium or in an electronic format. A notarial officer performing notarial acts pursuant to Subsection E of this section shall maintain only one journal at a time to chronicle all notarial acts, whether those notarial acts are performed regarding tangible or electronic records; provided that a notarial officer may keep a journal in a tangible medium for tangible records and an electronic journal for electronic records. If the journal is maintained on a tangible medium, it must be a permanent, bound register with numbered pages. If the journal is maintained in an electronic format, it must be in a permanent, tamper-evident electronic format complying with the rules of the secretary of state.

C. An entry in a journal must be made contemporaneously with performance of the notarial act and contain the following information:

(1) the date and time of the notarial act;

(2) a description of the record, if any, and type of notarial act;

(3) the full name and address of each individual for whom the notarial act is performed;

(4) if identity of the individual is based on personal knowledge, a statement to that effect;

(5) if identity of the individual is based on satisfactory evidence, a brief description of the method of identification and the identification credential presented, if any, including the date of issuance and expiration of any identification credential; and

(6) the fee, if any, charged by the notarial officer.

D. If a notarial officer's journal is lost or stolen, the notarial officer shall promptly notify the secretary of state on discovering that the journal is lost or stolen.

E. Pursuant to the requirements provided in Subsections B and C of this section, a notarial officer licensed to practice law shall maintain a journal when performing notarial acts for members of the public unrelated to an established attorney-client relationship.

F. On resignation from, or the revocation or suspension of, a notary public's commission, the notary public shall retain the notary public's journal in accordance with Subsection A of this section and inform the secretary of state of where the journal is located.

G. Instead of retaining a journal as provided in Subsections A and F of this section, a current or former notarial officer may transmit the journal to the secretary of state, the state records administrator or a repository approved by the secretary of state.

H. On the death or adjudication of incompetency of a current or former notarial officer, the notarial officer's personal representative or guardian or any other person knowingly in possession of the journal shall transmit the journal to the secretary of state, the state records officer or a repository approved by the secretary of state.