1. Purpose of the Rules of Notarial Practice
Affirmation or Oath
• To promote, serve and protect public
interest
• To simplify, clarify and modernize the
rules governing notaries public
• To foster ethical conduct among
notaries public
2. Acknowledgment
An acknowledgment is used to verify
the identity of the signer and to confirm that
they signed the document.
An acknowledgment refers to an act
in which an individual on a single occasion:
(a) appears in person before the
notary public and presents an integrally
complete instrument or document;
(b) is attested to be personally known
to the notary public or identified by the notary
public through competent evidence of
identity as defined by these Rules; and -
(c) represents to the notary public
that the signature on the instrument or
document was voluntarily affixed by him for
the purposes stated in the instrument or
document, declares that he has executed the
instrument or document as his free and
voluntary act and deed, and, if he acts in a
particular representative capacity, that he
has the authority to sign in that capacity.
3. Jurat
A jurat is used when the signer is
swearing to the content of the document.
It refers to an act in which an
individual on a single occasion:
(a) appears in person before the
notary public and presents an instrument or
document;
(b) is personally known to the notary
public or identified by the notary public
through competent evidence of identity as
defined by these Rules;
(c) signs the instrument or document
in the presence of the notary; and
(d) takes an oath or affirmation before
the notary public as to such instrument or
document.
4.
An affirmation or an oath refers to an
act in which an individual on a single
occasion:
(a) appears in person before the
notary public;
(b) is personally known to the notary
public or identified by the notary
public through competent evidence of
identity as defined by these Rules;
and
(c) avows under penalty of law to the
whole truth of the contents of the
instrument or document.
5. Commission
Commission refers to the grant of
authority to perform notarial acts and to the
written evidence of the authority.
6. Copy Certification
Copy Certification refers to a notarial
act in which a notary public:
(a) is presented with an instrument or
document that is neither a vital record, a
public record, nor publicly recordable;
(b) copies or supervises the copying of the
instrument or document;
(c) compares the instrument or document
with the copy; and
(d) determines that the copy is accurate and
complete.
7. Notarial Register
It refers to a permanently bound book
with numbered pages containing a
chronological record of notarial acts
performed by a notary public.
8. Notarial Act and Notarialization
It refers to any act that a notary public
is empowered to perform under the Rules of
Notarial Practice.
9. Notarial Certificate
It refers to the part of, or attachment
to, a notarized instrument or document that
is completed by the notary public, bears the
notary's signature and seal, and states the
facts attested to by the notary public in a
particular notarization as provided for by the
Rules of Notarial Practice.
 16. Executive Judge
10. Notary Public and Notary It refers to the Executive Judge of the
It refers to any person commissioned Regional Trial Court of a city or province who
to perform official acts under the Rules of issues a notarial commission.
Notarial Practice.
17. Vendor
11. Principal Under the Rules of Notarial Practice, a
A principal refers to a person vendor refers to a seller of a notarial seal and
appearing before the notary public whose act shall include a wholesaler or retailer.
is the subject of notarization.
18. Manufacturer
12. Competent Evidence of Identity Under the Rules of Notarial Practice,
It refers to the identification of an manufacturer refers to one who produces a
individual based on: notarial seal and shall include an engraver
(a) at least one current identification and seal maker.
document issued by an official agency
bearing the photograph and signature of the 19. Qualifications
individual; or Petitioner
(b) the oath or affirmation of one credible
(1) must be a citizen of the Philippines;
witness not privy to the instrument, document
(2) must be over twenty-one (21) years of
or transaction who is personally known to the
age;
notary public and who personally knows the
(3) must be a resident in the Philippines for
individual, or of two credible witnesses
at least one (1) year and maintains a regular
neither of whom is privy to the instrument,
place of work or business in the city or
document or transaction who each
province where the commission is to be
personally knows the individual and shows to
issued;
the notary public documentary identification.
(4) must be a member of the Philippine Bar
in good standing with clearances from the
13. Official Seal or Seal
Office of the Bar Confidant of the Supreme
It refers to a device for affixing a
Court and the Integrated Bar of the
mark, image or impression on all papers
Philippines; and
officially signed by the notary public
(5) must not have been convicted in the first
conforming the requisites prescribed by the
instance of any crime involving moral
Rules of Notarial Practice.
turpitude.
14. Signature Witnessing
It refers to a notarial act in which an
individual on a single occasion
(a) appears in person before the notary
public and presents an instrument or
document;
(b) is personally known to the notary public
or identified by the notary public through
competent evidence of identity as defined by
these Rules; and
(c) signs the instrument or document in the
presence of the notary public.

15. Petitioner
Petitioner refers to a person who
applies for a notarial commission.