---
title: What mistakes do new notaries make?
description: "The course counts four. **No journal** — 19 NYCRR §182.9 has required contemporaneous records of every act (date and time, act type, name and address, services, credential used) since January 2023, retained 10 years. **Overcharging** — the §136 fees are…"
url: "https://nynotaryexamprep.com/help/what-mistakes-do-new-notaries-make/"
updated: "2026-10-05"
category: After You Pass
---

# What mistakes do new notaries make?

The course counts four. **No journal** — 19 NYCRR §182.9 has required contemporaneous records of every act (date and time, act type, name and address, services, credential used) since January 2023, retained 10 years. **Overcharging** — the §136 fees are maximums; $3 for a $2 acknowledgment is a violation. **Notarizing without personal appearance** — the signer must be in your presence; telephone notarization is never allowed for traditional acts. **The unauthorized practice of law** — explaining, drafting, or choosing documents for signers crosses Judiciary Law §484. All four are exam topics too, which is no coincidence.