2025 Amendments to the 2004 Notarial Rules: What Notaries and Clients Must Know
Updated: 5 days ago
Short answer: In a Resolution dated March 4, 2025 in A.M. No. 02-8-13-SC, the Supreme Court En Banc amended the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice to move notarial reporting online. Notaries must now use a professional email address of record, email PDF duplicate originals to the Clerk of Court within the first ten days of the following month, and send each signatory a free electronic copy within five days. Notaries may not charge for scanning, sending or storing these files. The amendments took effect on June 21, 2025 and govern paper notarization; electronic notarization has separate rules, operational nationwide since October 19, 2026.
What the resolution covers
The Resolution was published on June 6, 2025 in two newspapers of general circulation and took effect 15 days later. The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) sent it to Regional Trial Court judges through OCA Circular No. 197-2025.
The changes mainly touch Rules III, V and VI. The Resolution also tells notaries to make their seal visible in scans, and directs courts holding electronic duplicate originals to inventory them and report to the OCA. Core duties stay: for paper documents, the signer must still appear in person and be properly identified (Rule IV, Section 2(b), 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice, as amended). Later rule references are to the same Rules.
Commission petitions and your email address of record
A petition for a notarial commission must now also state a mobile number, a valid and professional email address of record, and MCLE and ULAS compliance numbers (Rule III, Section 2(a)). MCLE is Mandatory Continuing Legal Education; ULAS is the Supreme Court's Unified Legal Aid Service.
The PTR, roll and IBP numbers, photographs, and good moral character certification from two IBP chapter officers were already required in 2004.
Before or together with your first digital submission, give the Executive Judge (the judge who supervises notaries in your area) your email address of record. It must be able to receive mail from outside its own domain. Personal, nonprofessional accounts are prohibited (Rule III, Section 15).
Report any email change promptly. Failure to do so is a ground to deny renewal of your commission.
Digital duplicate originals
A duplicate original is the court's file copy of a notarized document. For contracts, you keep an original copy in your records and an exact electronic copy, which now serves as the Clerk of Court's duplicate original (Rule VI, Section 2(d)). The monthly report also covers any instrument acknowledged before you (Rule VI, Section 2(h)).
Make each one a complete, legible PDF of the paper document, reproducing colors and marks as far as practicable.
Use one PDF per document; do not split a document across files.
Name each file with a short title, the date of the notarial act and, if needed, short names of the parties.
Make sure your seal is visible in the scan, using ink, shading or similar means on the impression. A stamp of the seal placed beside it does not replace a seal mark that can be clearly photographed or scanned (Rule VII, Section 3, and the March 4, 2025 Resolution).
Monthly submission to the Clerk of Court
Within the first ten days of the following month, forward the certified copy of the month's entries and email the PDF duplicate originals to the Clerk of Court. If you had no entries, send a statement saying so (Rule VI, Section 2(h)).
Send only from your email address of record.
Use the prescribed subject line with your name and the month and year, for example "Notary Report of [Name of Notary Public] for [Month and Year]."
In the body, state your name, the month covered, the date and mode of sending the certified copy of entries, the number of duplicate originals, and a numbered list of their short titles.
Attach the PDFs directly. No ZIP or RAR files, no cloud or file-sharing links, and nothing that needs extraction or conversion.
If the files are too large for your email provider, send them in batches and label each subject line, for example "(batch 1 of 3)."
Copies to signatories and fees
Send each signatory an electronic copy at no additional cost, within five days from completion of the notarial act or from the deadline to send the duplicate original to the Clerk of Court (Rule VI, Section 7).
Use email, or another file-sharing method if you and the signatory agree. A signatory may waive the copy.
Do not charge for digitizing, transmitting, storing or disposing of any document, or for related costs (Rule V, Section 3).
Risks of non-compliance for notaries
Transmitting a PDF that does not meet the format rules is a punishable act under Rule XII, Section 1 (Rule VI, Section 2(d)).
Failing to correct a material discrepancy reported by a signatory, or to respond to the notice, is a ground for nonrenewal and temporary disqualification (Rule VI, Section 7).
Sending the Clerk of Court a copy with an uncorrected or reported discrepancy is a ground for revocation and permanent disqualification (Rule VI, Section 7).
Missing the monthly deadline for sending your entries remains a ground for revocation or other sanctions (Rule XI, Section 1(b)).
Notarial violations can also lead to suspension from law practice (Montinola III v. Rubrico, A.C. No. 10904, July 14, 2021).
What changes for clients
Expect a PDF copy. For contracts and other acknowledged documents, the notary must send you a free electronic copy within the five-day period. Give an email address you check.
Check it. Confirm that every page is present and readable, the signatures are complete and the seal is visible. If something material is wrong, tell the notary in writing promptly and ask for a correction (Rule VI, Section 7).
Think before waiving. You may decline the copy, but that also waives objections to its completeness.
No extra charges for scanning or emailing. You still pay the notarial fee. The notary must post a schedule of fees and issue a BIR-registered receipt or invoice (Rule V, Section 5).
How this fits with electronic notarization
The 2025 amendments govern paper documents. Electronic documents fall under the Rules on Electronic Notarization (A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC), approved on February 4, 2025 and effective March 24, 2025. They allow in-person or remote notarization of PDF documents by commissioned electronic notaries public on accredited platforms. Documents with wet signatures, notarial wills and depositions are excluded. A regular notarial commission does not by itself authorize electronic notarization.
The Supreme Court made eNotarization operational nationwide on October 19, 2026, with three accredited platforms: NotarizeIT, TWALA and QLegal. On October 13, 2026, it signed joint memorandum circulars with the Land Registration Authority and the Securities and Exchange Commission on accepting electronically notarized documents.
Frequently asked questions
When did the amendments take effect?
On June 21, 2025, fifteen days after publication on June 6, 2025.
Does the notary still keep paper records?
Yes. The notarial register and the notary's original copy of each contract remain. What changed is how the Clerk of Court's duplicate originals are delivered: by email, as PDFs.
Can a notary charge me for the PDF copy?
No. Digitization, transmittal and storage are free, and the signatory's copy is sent at no additional cost.
Can a paper document be notarized over a video call?
No. Paper notarization still requires personal appearance. Remote notarization is available only for electronic documents, through an electronic notary public on an accredited platform.
Sources
Supreme Court En Banc Resolution dated March 4, 2025, A.M. No. 02-8-13-SC (Re: 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice)
OCA Circular No. 197-2025
2004 Rules on Notarial Practice, A.M. No. 02-8-13-SC, Rules III, IV, V, VI, VII, XI and XII, as amended
Rules on Electronic Notarization, A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC
Supreme Court joint memorandum circulars with the Land Registration Authority and the Securities and Exchange Commission on electronically notarized documents (signed October 13, 2026)
Montinola III v. Rubrico, A.C. No. 10904, July 14, 2021
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This article is general information as of its publication date, not legal advice, and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. For advice on your situation, consult a lawyer.
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