NOTARY PUBLIC-REAL ESTATE

Amends the Illinois Notary Public Act. Requires a notary public applicant to provide a $25,000 surety bond (now, a $5,000 surety bond). Requires a notary public to keep a journal of notarial acts and specifies the required contents of the journal. With respect to satisfactory evidence that a person unknown to the notary is the person whose true signature appears on a document, requires (i) one witness known to the notary who knows the document signer and who is unaffected by the document or transaction or (ii) 2 witnesses who know the document signer and are unaffected by the document or transaction. Makes official misconduct involving notarial acts with respect to real estate documents a Class 1 felony. Makes willful impersonation of a notary public a Class 1 felony (now, a Class A misdemeanor). Makes unlawful possession of a notary's seal a Class 1 felony (now, a misdemeanor with a fine not exceeding $1,000).