The Rules on Electronic Notarization, Explained
Online notarization in the Philippines rests on a specific issuance: A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC, the Rules on Electronic Notarization, promulgated by the Supreme Court En Banc on February 4, 2025 and effective March 24, 2025. Implementation followed in stages: the Court opened applications for electronic notary commissions on August 10, 2026, accredited the first electronic notarization facility the same month, and operationalizes the nationwide eNotarization service on October 19, 2026. That go-live date is when remote notarization actually becomes available to the public.
What the Rules allow
- Electronic notarization of electronic documents. Documents in PDF or PDF/A can be notarized electronically, including scanned copies of paper documents.
- Two modes. In-person electronic notarization (you appear physically before the e-notary, documents and signatures are electronic) and remote electronic notarization (you appear through live audio-video conference).
- Commissioned electronic notaries public. Only lawyers commissioned as electronic notaries public (ENPs) by the Office of the Electronic Notary Administrator may perform electronic notarial acts, using accredited electronic notarization facilities.
- Limited extraterritorial performance. A principal abroad may participate in remote electronic notarization while physically inside a Philippine embassy, consular office, or the office of a Philippine honorary consul.
What the Rules require of you
- Competent evidence of identity, verified during the session
- Personal appearance, satisfied by live video for remote notarization
- Your document in PDF or PDF/A format
What is excluded
The Rules exclude certain acts and instruments, notably wills and codicils. Where other laws or registries impose extra requirements, such as registration of real property conveyances, those requirements still apply after notarization.
Why this matters for you
An electronically notarized document has the same legal force as its paper counterpart. Each act is recorded in the notary's electronic notarial register, which makes verification easier, not harder, than with paper notarization.
Read the full text at the Supreme Court E-Library. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.