The Short Answer
A real notary is a lawyer licensed to notarize by a Regional Trial Court for one city or province. They will ask you to appear in person, check your ID, have you sign their record book, and print their commission details under their signature. If someone notarizes without seeing you, without a record book, or with a stamp that has no commission number or expiry, treat it as fake. You can check any notary with the Office of the Clerk of Court of that city's or province's Regional Trial Court.
Example: An Affidavit of Loss "Notarized" Outside the LTO
Names and details in this example are made up.
Dennis Aquino loses his Driver's License in Calamba, Laguna. Outside the LTO office, a man offers to prepare and notarize an Affidavit of Loss for ₱150 in ten minutes. "Hindi na kailangan ng ID, sir. Iwan n'yo lang, babalikan n'yo." Dennis signs the blank form and waits at a carinderia.
When he gets it back, he looks closer. There is a rubber stamp saying "NOTARY PUBLIC" and a signature, but:
- he never stood in front of a notary or swore to anything;
- nobody wrote his ID in a book or asked him to sign one;
- the stamp has a name but no commission number, no "until December 31" expiry, no roll of attorneys number and no IBP or PTR number;
- the Doc. No., Page No. and Book No. lines are blank.
Every item is a red flag. Even if a real lawyer's name is on the stamp, a notarization done without Dennis appearing breaks the rules, and the LTO or a court could reject the affidavit. Dennis tears it up, fills in the Affidavit of Loss template himself, and brings it unsigned, with his passport, to a notary's office in Calamba. He swears to it and signs in front of the notary, signs the register, and checks that the numbers at the bottom are filled in.
Red Flags
- No need for you to appear. "Iwan n'yo lang" or "send it by Viber". A notary may not notarize unless you are personally present (2004 Rules on Notarial Practice (A.M. No. 02-8-13-SC), Rule IV, Sec. 2(b)). Electronic notarization under the Supreme Court's separate rules still requires you to appear by live video before an authorized notary.
- No ID asked, from someone who does not know you (Rule II, Sec. 12).
- No record book. You are not asked to sign or thumbmark the notarial register (Rule VI, Sec. 3), and the Doc. No., Page No. and Book No. are left blank. See the notarial register.
- A stamp with no commission details. Just "Notary Public" and a name, with no commission number, expiry or lawyer's numbers.
- Blank or half-filled documents accepted, or you are asked to sign a blank form (Rule IV, Sec. 6).
- Notarizing at your house, a mall table or a sidewalk stall, outside the few places the rules allow (Rule IV, Sec. 2(a)).
- Backdating, or a date that is not the day you appeared.
- No Official Receipt. A notary who charges must issue a BIR-registered Official Receipt (Rule V, Sec. 5).
What a Real Notary's Certificate and Seal Show
Under Rule VIII, Sec. 2, the closing part of the notary's certificate, under their signature, must show:
- the notary's name exactly as in their commission;
- the serial number of the commission;
- the words "Notary Public", the city or province where they are commissioned, the commission's expiry date, and their office address; and
- their roll of attorneys number (their lawyer number), their PTR number (Professional Tax Receipt) with the place and date it was issued, and their IBP membership number (the national lawyers' group).
Many notaries also print their MCLE compliance number (proof they finished required continuing legal education).
The notary also uses an official seal (Rule VII, Sec. 2). It is metal and round, two inches across, with the city or province, the word "Philippines" and the notary's name around the edge, the roll of attorneys number on its face, and "Notary Public" across the center. It presses directly on the paper. A flat ink stamp of the seal is also allowed if it is clear and can be photocopied (Rule VII, Sec. 3).
Details printed on a stamp do not prove the commission is real or still valid. They give you what you need to check.
How to Check a Notary
- Note the name, commission number, city or province, and expiry from the certificate.
- Go to, call or write the Office of the Clerk of Court of the Regional Trial Court for that city or province. The Executive Judge there issues notarial commissions, and the office keeps the list of notaries commissioned for that place. Ask whether the person was commissioned there on the date on your document.
- Ask whether that document number appears in the notary's monthly reports.
- To check whether someone is a lawyer at all, the Supreme Court keeps the Roll of Attorneys.
A commission lasts two years, from 1 January of the year it was issued, and covers only that court's area (Rule III, Sec. 11). A notary whose commission expired, or who notarized in another city, was acting without authority. See using a notary from another city.
This site does not list or recommend notaries. Use the court's list.
What a Fake Notarization Can Cost You
- The document can be rejected or challenged. A document notarized by someone with no valid commission, or without you appearing, can lose the weight of a public document (a notarized document accepted as genuine without more proof). The DFA, banks, the LTO and the Registry of Deeds may refuse it, and a court may treat it as a private document or set it aside.
- Crimes. Pretending to be a notary is punishable, and the Executive Judge must have it prosecuted (Rule XII, Sec. 1). Faking a notary's signature or seal, or a notarization, can also be falsification under the Revised Penal Code.
- Lost time and money. You pay twice and may miss a deadline, such as the BIR's deadlines on a Deed of Sale.
If a document with your name was notarized without you, or by a fake notary, see what to do if a notary did something wrong. If land or money is at stake, see a lawyer quickly, or the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) if you qualify.
Common Questions
Legit ba Yung mga Nagno-notaryo sa Labas ng Munisipyo o LTO?
Some offices near government buildings are real notaries working from a regular office. The test is not where they are but what they do: you must appear, show an ID, sign the register, and get a certificate with full commission details and an Official Receipt. A runner who takes your paper "sa loob" without you is a fixer.
Is a Document Notarized Without Me Appearing Still Valid?
The rules forbid it (Rule IV, Sec. 2(b)), so the notarization can be challenged and the notary punished. Whether the document itself still binds anyone depends on the facts. Ask a lawyer or the PAO.
How Can I Check If a Notary's Commission Is Still Valid?
Look for the commission number and expiry in the notary's certificate, then ask the Office of the Clerk of Court of the Regional Trial Court for that city or province whether the notary was commissioned on that date.
Where Do I Report a Fake Notary?
To the Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court for that place, through the Office of the Clerk of Court. For falsification, to the prosecutor's office or the police. A notary is a lawyer, so a sworn complaint can also go to the Supreme Court or the IBP. See complaints against a notary.
Can I Tell a Real Notary From the Price?
Not reliably. A very cheap, very fast "notaryo" with no appearance is a warning sign, but a real notary can also charge little. Check the steps and the certificate, and ask for an Official Receipt. See what notaries usually charge for an affidavit.
Not legal advice. This is general information. For advice on your own situation, consult a lawyer. If you cannot afford one, the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) or an IBP legal aid office may help for free.
Government fees, rules and requirements change, so always check with the office concerned before you go. This page explains the general rules; it cannot tell you how they apply to your own family or case. Last reviewed October 8, 2026.