Statute Details
- Title: Notaries Public Rules
- Act Code: NPA1959-R1
- Type: Subsidiary legislation (sl)
- Current version: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Authorising Act: Notaries Public Act (Cap. 208), Section 8
- Key provisions:
- Section 2: Definitions
- Section 3: Fees payable to the Academy
- Section 4: Duration of appointment
- Section 5: Application procedure
- Section 6: Register of notaries public
- Section 7: Instrument of appointment and notary’s stamp
- Section 8: Notarial Certificate (form, security, seal, authentication)
- Section 9: Register of documents administered
- Schedules: First Schedule (fees); Second Schedule (certification seal pattern)
- Related legislation (as referenced): Legal Profession Act (Cap. 161); Singapore Academy of Law Act (Cap. 294A); Singapore Academy of Law Rules (Cap. 294A, R 1)
What Is This Legislation About?
The Notaries Public Rules are subsidiary rules made under Singapore’s Notaries Public Act. In practical terms, they set out the administrative and procedural framework for appointing notaries public, maintaining official records, and regulating how notarial acts are documented and certified.
While the Notaries Public Act establishes the overall legal basis for appointment and the notary’s role, the Rules focus on the “how”: the fees payable to the Singapore Academy of Law (the “Academy”), the duration and renewal of appointment, what information applicants must disclose, and the formal requirements for issuing a notarial certificate. For practitioners, the Rules are especially important because they prescribe the physical and procedural safeguards that must be followed when attesting documents or administering oaths/affirmations.
The Rules also impose record-keeping obligations on notaries public. This includes maintaining a register of documents administered and providing information to the Secretary (to the Senate of the Academy) for oversight and inspection. These requirements support accountability and traceability—key considerations in notarial practice, particularly where documents may be used for cross-border purposes.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Definitions (Section 2) provide the terminology used throughout the Rules. Notably, the Rules define “Academy” as the Singapore Academy of Law constituted under the Singapore Academy of Law Act, and they broaden ordinary legal concepts: “affidavit” includes affirmation and statutory or other declarations; “oath” includes affirmation and declaration; and “swear” includes affirm and declare. These definitions matter because they clarify that the Rules’ notarial certificate requirements apply not only to traditional oaths but also to affirmations and declarations.
Fees payable to the Academy (Section 3) governs the financial aspects of appointment and renewal. The Academy charges fees for (a) an application for appointment or reappointment as a notary public, and (b) for each appointment or reappointment. The specific amounts are set out in Part I and Part II of the First Schedule, respectively. A key practitioner point is that no fee paid for an application is refundable. This affects how candidates should plan and manage applications, especially where there may be uncertainty about eligibility or supporting disclosures.
Duration of appointment (Section 4) provides that notaries public are appointed for one year. Reappointment is possible for each subsequent year, but only as the Senate may, in its discretion, decide. This discretion means renewal is not automatic; applicants must expect an evaluative process and ensure their disclosures and professional standing are current.
Application procedure (Section 5) is one of the most operationally significant provisions. For reappointment, applications must be lodged with the Secretary two clear months before the expiry of the preceding appointment period. For appointment or reappointment, the applicant must lodge an application setting out specified information, including: (a) date of admission to the roll of the Supreme Court and years in practice; (b) whether the applicant is or has been an undischarged bankrupt or has made a creditors’ arrangement; (c) whether the applicant has ever been convicted of any offence; (d) whether the applicant has ever been found guilty of professional misconduct; and (e) whether the applicant has been subject to disciplinary proceedings under Part VII of the Legal Profession Act, including details of the complaint and outcomes (including whether a Disciplinary Committee was appointed and the result).
For practitioners, this disclosure regime is critical. It effectively requires a structured disclosure of both criminal and professional disciplinary history, and it links notarial appointment eligibility to broader professional conduct oversight under the Legal Profession Act. In practice, counsel assisting applicants should ensure that the application is accurate, complete, and supported by records, because omissions or inaccuracies could undermine the Senate’s discretion to renew.
Register of notaries public (Section 6) requires that particulars of every notary public appointed by the Senate are registered with the Senate in a register maintained by the Secretary in the form the Senate determines. This is an internal governance mechanism, but it supports the official status of appointments and provides a basis for verification.
Instrument of appointment and notary’s stamp (Section 7) sets out the formal instruments notaries receive and how they must use them. Upon appointment or reappointment, a notary public receives a certificate of appointment. The notary must exercise the appointment in accordance with the conditions stated in that certificate. The Academy also issues a notary’s stamp specifying the expiry date of the appointment or reappointment. The notary must then stamp the expiry date on every document administered in exercise of the appointment or reappointment.
This requirement is a practical compliance point. It means that the notary’s stamp is not merely an identification tool; it is part of the document integrity and validity framework, ensuring that the document reflects the notary’s current appointment status.
Notarial Certificate (Section 8) is the core compliance section for notarial acts. It requires that a notary public must issue and sign a certificate (the “Notarial Certificate”) for each document attested, or for each document in connection with which the notary has administered an oath or affirmation, in exercise of the notary’s powers and functions.
Section 8(2) provides that the Notarial Certificate must be in the form specified on the Academy’s website at https://legalisation.sal.sg. This is important for practitioners because it means the certificate form may be updated administratively; the Rules incorporate the website form by reference. Practitioners should therefore verify they are using the current template when preparing notarial certificates.
Section 8(3) then prescribes stringent physical and authentication requirements. A Notarial Certificate must be: (a) secured to the document with a ribbon that runs through both the certificate and the document; (b) sealed with a seal of the pattern set out in the Second Schedule, issued by the Academy, and affixed on the Notarial Certificate over the ribbon near the ends; and (c) authenticated in accordance with the Singapore Academy of Law Rules (Cap. 294A, R 1).
These requirements are designed to prevent substitution or tampering and to ensure that the certificate is properly linked to the underlying document. For lawyers and notaries, failure to comply can create evidential and administrative problems, including rejection by counterparties or authorities that rely on the integrity of the notarial package.
Register of documents administered (Section 9) imposes ongoing record-keeping duties. Each notary public must: (a) keep a register of documents administered in exercise of the appointment; (b) furnish such information as the Secretary may require; and (c) make the register available for inspection by the Secretary upon request. This provision supports oversight and facilitates investigations or audits if concerns arise about notarial conduct.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Notaries Public Rules are structured as a short set of provisions supplemented by two schedules. The main body contains the operational rules in numbered sections: citation (Section 1), definitions (Section 2), fees (Section 3), duration and renewal (Sections 4 and 5), registers and official instruments (Sections 6 and 7), and the notarial certificate and record-keeping requirements (Sections 8 and 9).
The First Schedule sets out the fee amounts payable to the Academy, divided into two parts: fees for applications and fees for appointments/reappointments. The Second Schedule specifies the pattern for the certification seal used in connection with the Notarial Certificate. Together, the schedules provide the concrete details that practitioners must use in practice.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
The Rules apply primarily to notaries public appointed by the Senate under the Notaries Public Act, and to applicants seeking appointment or reappointment. They also affect the administrative bodies involved—particularly the Academy (including its Senate and Secretary) which manages fees, certificate forms, seals, and registers.
For legal practitioners, the Rules are most directly relevant when advising lawyers who are applying to become notaries, assisting notaries with renewal applications, or reviewing notarial documentation for compliance. Although the Rules are not directed at the general public, their requirements influence how notarial documents are prepared and accepted in transactions and cross-border contexts.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
For practitioners, the Notaries Public Rules matter because they translate the notary’s legal authority into verifiable compliance steps. The Rules specify not only what a notary must do (issue a Notarial Certificate for each attestation or oath/affirmation) but also how it must be done (secure ribbon attachment, prescribed seal pattern, and authentication under the Academy’s rules). This is critical in practice because many document users—banks, government agencies, and foreign authorities—require notarial certificates that meet formal integrity standards.
The Rules also have a direct governance and risk-management function. The disclosure obligations in Section 5 tie appointment and reappointment to professional conduct and disciplinary history under the Legal Profession Act. Meanwhile, the register of documents administered in Section 9 supports accountability and provides a mechanism for oversight and inspection. Together, these provisions reduce the risk of improper notarial conduct and strengthen the reliability of notarial acts.
Finally, the Rules’ incorporation of the Notarial Certificate form by reference to a website template underscores the need for practitioners to stay current. Using an outdated certificate form, or failing to follow the prescribed sealing and authentication steps, can undermine the effectiveness of the notarial act even where the underlying legal facts are correct.
Related Legislation
- Notaries Public Act (Cap. 208), including Section 8 (authorising power for these Rules)
- Legal Profession Act (Cap. 161), Part VII (disciplinary proceedings referenced in Section 5)
- Singapore Academy of Law Act (Cap. 294A) (constituting the Academy)
- Singapore Academy of Law Rules (Cap. 294A, R 1) (authentication requirements referenced in Section 8)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Notaries Public Rules for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.