Failure to keep a required journal falls under which category of penalties?

Failure to keep a required journal falls under which category of penalties?

• A. Administrative penalties
• B. Criminal penalties
• C. Civil penalties
• D. No penalty

Answer: (A)

When a notary fails to keep the required journal, the issue is treated as a regulatory, not a criminal or civil matter. Notaries operate under state laws that govern their duties and record-keeping, and the supervising agency enforces these rules with administrative penalties. This means consequences like fines, temporary suspension, or even revocation of the commission, imposed by the state, rather than criminal charges or private lawsuits. So, the best answer is administrative penalties because the failure to maintain the journal is a violation of the regulator’s rules that governs notarial conduct.

When a notary fails to keep the required journal, the issue is treated as a regulatory, not a criminal or civil matter. Notaries operate under state laws that govern their duties and record-keeping, and the supervising agency enforces these rules with administrative penalties. This means consequences like fines, temporary suspension, or even revocation of the commission, imposed by the state, rather than criminal charges or private lawsuits. So, the best answer is administrative penalties because the failure to maintain the journal is a violation of the regulator’s rules that governs notarial conduct.