Notarial Acts — What a Notary Is Empowered to Do
નોટરી કામગીરીSection 8 of the Notaries Act, 1952 sets out exactly what a Notary may do by virtue of his office. It is a longer list than most people expect.
21 document types in this category
The statutory list
Under section 8(1) a Notary may verify, authenticate, certify or attest the execution of any instrument; present a promissory note, hundi or bill of exchange for acceptance or payment, or demand better security; note or protest dishonour and prepare acts of honour under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881; note and draw up ship's, boat's and demurrage protests; administer an oath to, or take an affidavit from, any person; prepare bottomry and respondentia bonds, charter parties and other mercantile documents; prepare, attest or authenticate any instrument intended to take effect outside India, in a form and language conforming to the law of the place where it is to operate; and translate, and verify the translation of, any document from one language into another.
Two further clauses were inserted by the Notaries (Amendment) Act, 1999 and are routinely overlooked: a Notary may act as a Commissioner to record evidence in a civil or criminal trial when so directed by any court or authority, and may act as an arbitrator, mediator or conciliator where so required.
Rule 11(8) of the Notaries Rules, 1956 adds that a Notary may draw, attest or certify documents under his official seal including conveyances of property, note and certify transactions relating to negotiable instruments, prepare a will or other testamentary document, and prepare and take affidavits. Read that carefully: it permits a Notary to draw a conveyance. It does not make a notarised conveyance a substitute for registration — the Registration Act still governs that, and section 49 still applies. Notarised vs registered →
Section 8(2) is categorical: no act is deemed a notarial act except when done by a Notary under his signature and official seal. Rule 12 prescribes a plain circular seal, 5 cm in diameter, bearing the Notary's name, the area within which he is appointed to exercise his functions, the registration number, the expiry date, the circumscription NOTARY and the name of the Government which appointed him. If what you were given carries a signature but no seal, you do not have a notarised document.
Certified translation — Gujarati, English, Hindi
Section 8(1)(h) empowers a Notary to translate and verify translations. For visa files, foreign university admissions, court filings and overseas employment, a certified translation of a Gujarati birth certificate, school leaving certificate, marriage certificate or property document is frequently required. We do this in-house rather than sending it out.
True copies
Certifying that a photocopy is a true copy of the original produced is a daily transaction — for admissions, tenders, bank files and visa applications. The statutory maximum is ₹10 per page, minimum ₹20, under Rule 10(1)(l). The original must be produced; a Notary cannot certify a copy against another copy.
Documents for use abroad
A Notary may prepare, attest or authenticate an instrument intended to take effect outside India. That notarisation is normally the first step, followed by authentication by the State Home or HRD department and then by the Ministry of External Affairs for apostille, and by the relevant embassy for non-Hague countries. Apostille itself is the MEA's function, not a Notary's — we prepare and notarise the document and tell you the correct onward route.
Protest of negotiable instruments
Less common now, but still the correct procedure on dishonour: the Notary presents the instrument, notes non-acceptance or non-payment, draws up the protest and may serve notice. Where a cheque has bounced, the more usual route is a statutory demand notice under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act — which we also draft.
Full list — Notarial Acts
Every entry is marked with what it actually needs. If what you were asked for is not on this list, call 94267 80195 — the list is long but it is not exhaustive.
Notarial Acts · 21 documents
| Document | When you need it | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| Attestation of Execution of a Document દસ્તાવેજ પ્રમાણિત કરવું | Notary verifies, authenticates, certifies or attests the execution of any instrument — the core notarial act | Notary |
| Administering Oath / Taking an Affidavit સોગંદ લેવડાવવા | Swearing the deponent to an affidavit or declaration | Notary |
| True Copy / Certified Copy Attestation સાચી નકલ પ્રમાણિત | Notary certifies that a photocopy is a true copy of the original produced — needed for admissions, tenders, visas, bank files | Notary |
| Signature Verification / Identity Attestation સહી પ્રમાણિત | Certifying that a named person signed in the notary's presence | Notary |
| Declaration / Statutory Declaration જાહેર નિવેદન | A solemn declaration where no oath is required | e-StampNotary |
| Marriage Affidavit / Joint Declaration of Marriage લગ્ન અંગેનું સોગંદનામું | Declaring a marriage took place — for registration under the Gujarat Registration of Marriages Act 2006, or for passport in lieu of a marriage certificate | e-StampNotary |
| Document Authentication for Use Abroad | Notary may prepare, attest or authenticate any instrument intended to take effect in a country outside India — the first step before MEA attestation or apostille | Notary |
| Apostille / MEA Attestation Facilitation એપોસ્ટિલ | Getting a notarised document authenticated by the state HRD/Home Department and then the Ministry of External Affairs for use in Hague-Convention or other countries | |
| Embassy / Consular Attestation Facilitation | Further attestation by a foreign embassy for non-Hague countries | |
| Translation and Verification of Translation ભાષાંતર પ્રમાણિત | Notary may translate, and verify the translation of, a document from one language to another — Gujarati↔English↔Hindi certified translations for visas, courts and universities | Notary |
| Noting and Protest of a Bill of Exchange / Promissory Note | On dishonour of a negotiable instrument, the notary presents it and notes/protests non-acceptance or non-payment, and may serve notice | Notary |
| Act of Honour | Drawing up an act of honour on a protested instrument | Notary |
| Demand for Better Security | Presenting an instrument to demand better security | Notary |
| Ship's Protest / Boat's Protest / Demurrage Protest | Master of a vessel recording damage or extraordinary events — relevant near Gujarat's ports | Notary |
| Bottomry Bond / Respondentia Bond / Charter Party | Maritime and mercantile instruments a notary may prepare | Notary |
| Notary as Court Commissioner કમિશનર | Recording evidence in a civil or criminal trial when so directed by any court or authority | Court |
| Notary as Arbitrator, Mediator or Conciliator લવાદ / મધ્યસ્થી | Resolving a dispute where the parties so require | |
| Notarial Certificate of Non-Appearance / Presentment | Certifying that a party failed to appear or that a document was presented | Notary |
| Notarised Undertaking / Bond બાંહેધરીપત્ર | A formal promise to do or refrain from doing something, sworn before the notary | e-StampNotary |
| Public Notice / Newspaper Notice Drafting જાહેર નોટિસ | Title-clearance notice inviting objections, lost-document notice, revocation-of-POA notice — drafted then published in a Gujarati and an English daily | |
| Legal Notice Drafting કાયદેસરની નોટિસ | Demand notice before litigation — cheque bounce (s.138 NI Act), rent recovery, money recovery, eviction, consumer complaint |
Describe what the office, bank, school or court asked you for. We will name the exact document, tell you the current stamp value, and say whether notarisation is enough or the Sub-Registrar is involved — before you pay anything. Call 94267 80195 or message us on WhatsApp.