The Short Answer
The notarial register is the notary's official record book. Every notarization must be written in it at the time it is done, and you sign or thumbmark it too. The Doc. No., Page No., Book No. and Series at the bottom of your document say where in that book your entry is: the entry number, the page, which volume of the register, and the year. Each month the notary sends a copy of the entries to the Clerk of Court, so a notarization can be traced later.
Example: Checking an SPA From Tarlac
Names and details in this example are made up.
Mylene Ramos, an OFW in Taipei, hears that her brother-in-law used a Special Power of Attorney "from her" to borrow against her lot in Barangay San Nicolas, Tarlac City. She never signed one. Her mother gets a copy from the lender. At the bottom it says:
Doc. No. 245; Page No. 49; Book No. III; Series of 2026.
That means the notary says it is entry number 245, on page 49 of the third volume of their register, for the year 2026. The notary's certificate names the city of the commission: Tarlac City.
Mylene's mother goes to the Office of the Clerk of Court of the Regional Trial Court in Tarlac City, where notaries commissioned there send monthly copies of their register entries. She asks whether the notary was commissioned on that date and whether entry 245 of Book III, 2026 is on file, and for what document. She can also go to the notary, show her ID, and ask to see that one entry in the register.
If the entry is for a different document, or the page shows no signature for Mylene, or the notary had no commission, that is strong evidence the SPA was not properly notarized. Mylene, who was in Taipei on that date, keeps a copy of her passport stamps. What to do next is in complaints against a notary.
What the Register Is
Under Rule VI, Sec. 1 of the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice (A.M. No. 02-8-13-SC), every notary keeps one official notarial register at a time: a permanently bound book with numbered pages, with entries in the order they happen. For every jurat, acknowledgment or other notarial act, the notary must record at the time of notarization (Rule VI, Sec. 2(a)):
- the entry number and page number;
- the date and time;
- the type of act (for example, jurat or acknowledgment);
- the title or description of the document;
- the name and address of each person signing;
- the ID shown, if the notary does not personally know the person;
- the name and address of any credible witness (someone who vouches for who you are);
- the fee charged; and
- the address where it was done, if not at the notary's office.
If the notary refuses to notarize, they also write down why (Rule VI, Sec. 2(b)).
You Sign the Register Too
At the time of notarization, each person signing the document signs the register or puts a thumbmark on it. So do any credible witnesses who vouched for someone's identity, and witnesses to a thumbmark signature (Rule VI, Sec. 3). If the notary stamped your document but never asked you to sign the book, ask why.
What Doc. No., Page No., Book No. and Series Mean
| Line | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Doc. No. | The entry number of your document in the register |
| Page No. | The page of the register where your entry is written |
| Book No. | Which volume of the notary's register it is in (a notary fills one book after another) |
| Series of | The year |
Rule VI, Sec. 2(e) requires the notary to give each document a number matching the register and to state the register page on the document, with no blank lines left between entries. Before you leave, check that all four lines are filled in. Blank numbers are a red flag and can cause problems at the DFA, a bank or the Registry of Deeds. See how to spot a fake notary.
Copies Go to the Clerk of Court
- Within the first ten days of each month, the notary sends the Clerk of Court a certified copy of the previous month's entries, and a duplicate original of each document acknowledged before them. If there were none, they send a statement saying so (Rule VI, Sec. 2(h)).
- When the notary's commission ends or is revoked, or the notary dies, the register and records go to the office of the Executive Judge (Rule VI, Sec. 5(b)).
- For a document you need to use abroad, the DFA asks for a Certificate of Authority for a Notarial Act from the RTC before it issues an apostille, which relies on these records. See the apostille guide.
How to Check an Entry
With the notary. Under Rule VI, Sec. 4(a), anyone may inspect an entry in the register, in the notary's presence and during business hours, if:
- you are known to the notary or show accepted proof of who you are;
- you sign (and thumbmark) a separate, dated entry in the register recording your request;
- you give the month, year, type of document and the name of the person who signed it; and
- you are shown only the entry or entries you asked about.
The notary must refuse if they have reasonable grounds to believe you want the information for a criminal or wrongful purpose (Rule VI, Sec. 4(c)). Police or other law enforcers may examine the register in an official investigation or under a court order (Rule VI, Sec. 4(b)). On request and payment of the fee, the notary must give a Certified True Copy of the record (Rule VI, Sec. 6).
With the court. Go to the Office of the Clerk of Court of the RTC for the city or province named in the notary's certificate. Bring the document number, page, book and series, and ask what records they have and the fee for a certified copy.
Common Questions
Walang Doc. No. at Page No. ang Notaryo Ko. Valid pa ba?
Missing numbers mean the notarization cannot be traced to the register, and offices like the DFA or the Registry of Deeds may reject it. Go back to the notary and ask them to complete it from their register. If it was never entered, have the document notarized again properly.
Can I Ask the Notary for a Copy of My Notarized Document Years Later?
You can ask for a Certified True Copy of the notarial record (Rule VI, Sec. 6). For acknowledged documents, the notary keeps an original copy and sends a duplicate original to the Clerk of Court, so the court may also have one. Ask about the fee.
Can Anyone Look at My Entry in the Notary's Book?
Only under limits. They must identify themselves, sign the register, name the month, year, kind of document and the signer, and they see only that entry. The notary must refuse someone who seems to have a wrongful motive (Rule VI, Sec. 4).
What If the Notary Lost the Register?
The notary must report it to the Executive Judge within ten days, after reporting any theft to the police (Rule VI, Sec. 5(a)). The monthly copies sent to the Clerk of Court may still show your entry.
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.