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Documents & Certificates
Your document library
All uploaded documents and issued certificates are stored under Dashboard → Documents.
The Documents page has two tabs:
| Tab | What it contains |
|---|---|
| My Documents | Documents you have uploaded for notarisation (affidavits, contracts, power of attorney, etc.) |
| Verification IDs | Identity documents you have submitted to verify your identity for upcoming appointments |
Notarisation documents (My Documents)
Uploading a document
- Go to Dashboard → Documents → My Documents.
- Click Upload Document.
- Select your file — PDF only, maximum 10 MB and 150 pages. The picker takes one file at a time; repeat for each further document.
- Choose the document type (affidavit, contract, power of attorney, etc.).
- Accept the pre-upload checklist — this confirms the document is genuine and ready for notarisation.
- Click Upload.
Once uploaded, the document shows a status of Uploaded.
Two different rules govern how long an uploaded document is kept, depending on whether you have attached it to a booking:
- Never attached to a booking — the document is automatically deleted 24 hours after upload, to conserve your storage. Attach it to a booking before then and this no longer applies.
- Attached to a booking — the document is kept until that session completes or is cancelled. While attached it shows as In Use and cannot be deleted.
- After the session — your original upload is removed about an hour after the session completes. If the same file is also attached to another upcoming booking, it is kept until that session is finished too.
Your original is removed — the sealed copy is not
Removing the original does not remove your notarisation. The signed and sealed PDF produced during the session is a separate record with its own six-year retention; see Document storage and retrieval below.
The reason for removing the original is that it carries no seal and no signature — the sealed version replaces it completely. NotariseIt is a notarisation platform, not a document store, and keeping a second copy of your file indefinitely would serve no purpose while still being your personal data in our hands. This is also the commitment made in our data-minimisation notice under the NDPA 2023.
AI pre-check
Immediately after you upload a document, the platform runs an automatic AI pre-check in the background. It looks for the things that most often delay a notarisation: missing signatures, incomplete fields, text it cannot read, and structural problems with the file itself.
You do not have to start it and there is nothing to configure — it runs on every upload. It usually finishes within a minute or two of the upload completing.
Seeing the result
Open the sparkle icon (tooltip: View AI pre-check) on a document row, in My Documents or in the document list on an upcoming appointment. The eye icon beside it opens the document itself, not the pre-check. The pre-check result opens in a panel showing one of four states:
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| Clear | Nothing found. No action needed. |
| Issues Flagged | Something worth looking at, but not serious. Read the notes and decide whether to re-upload. |
| Flagged | A significant problem — for example a page the platform cannot read, or a structure that will not seal correctly. Fix it and upload a fresh copy. |
| Review Pending | The check has not returned a verdict yet, or could not complete. Nothing is wrong with your document; wait and reopen it, or carry on. |
Each issue comes with a short description and, where the check can offer one, a suggested remedy. Your notary sees the same result when they review your documents before the session, and may contact you about anything serious before the session begins.
You will also see the notary's own progress: a "Notary reviewed 1 of 1 document" line and an ALL REVIEWED chip on the session card once they are done.
What the pre-check is not
It is an advisory check, not a gate, and not a substitute for your notary's professional judgement. A Flagged result does not cancel your booking or stop you attending — it is a warning that the document as uploaded is likely to cause a problem on the day. Your notary always reviews your documents themselves, before and during the session.
If the check cannot run at all, your booking is unaffected.
Document statuses
These are the labels on a document's badge:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Uploaded | Uploaded and available to attach to a session |
| Pending | Awaiting processing or notary review |
| Signed | Digitally signed during a session |
| Previously used | The session is complete. The sealed copy now lives on the session page; this original is removed about an hour later |
| Notarised | Sealed by a notary. Retained for six years under the Notaries Public Professional Practice Regulations 2026 and cannot be deleted |
| In Use | Not a status of its own — a badge over Uploaded, shown when the document is attached to an active booking so you can see why its bin icon is disabled |
Filtering by status
The Status filter offers Uploaded, In Use, Previously Used, Pending, Signed and Notarised — every badge in the table above.
In Use is worth knowing about: it is not a stored status but a badge over Uploaded, applied when the document is attached to an active booking. Picking it lists exactly the documents you cannot delete right now, and the table above says why.
Document locks
If a document shows In Use, it is currently attached to a confirmed booking. You cannot delete it until the session is completed or the appointment is cancelled. This protects your notarisation from accidental data loss.
The sealed copy is not in this list
My Documents holds the files you uploaded. The signed and sealed PDF the notary produces is not one of them, so it does not appear in that list — it lives on the session page under Dashboard → Sessions, and in the email sent to you when the session completed.
A notarised document does, however, carry a certificate action on its row in My Documents, which takes you straight to the session holding its sealed copy and certificate. So you can start from either place.
Verification documents (Verification IDs)
What are verification documents?
Your notary may require you to prove your identity before the session begins. This is a legal requirement under the Notaries Public Act 2023 — your notary must be satisfied that you are who you say you are before notarising any document.
The upload form offers these types:
- International Passport
- National ID Card
- Driver's Licence
- Voter's Card
- NIN Slip
- Other government-issued ID
Proof of address is not one of them — this is an identity check, not an address check, so a utility bill or bank statement will not satisfy it.
Uploading a verification document
You can submit your identity document directly from the Upcoming Appointments section:
- Go to Dashboard → Appointments.
- Find your upcoming appointment and click the Verification ID button (shield icon).
- Select the document type from the dropdown.
- Choose your file — PDF, JPG, or PNG are all accepted (max 10 MB).
- Click Submit document.
Your notary is notified immediately and can view the document before the session begins.
Viewing your submitted verification documents
All identity documents you have submitted appear under Dashboard → Documents → Verification IDs.
Each entry shows:
- Document name and type
- Upload date
- Current status (e.g. uploaded, flagged)
What happens to your verification document
- Your personal copy in the Verification IDs tab is removed once the session is completed.
- A secured copy is retained as part of the official session record — alongside the signed document and notarial certificate — for legal and compliance purposes in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
- If your notary flags your document (e.g. asks for a clearer photo), you will receive an in-app notification and email explaining what to correct. Re-upload the corrected version and your notary will be notified automatically.
Accepted file formats
Identity documents can be uploaded as PDF, JPG, or PNG. A clear photo taken on your phone is perfectly acceptable.
Downloading your sealed document and certificate
Both live on the session page, not in your document library:
- Go to Dashboard → Sessions and open the completed session.
- Under Notarised documents, click View Signed Copy to open it, or Download to save it.
- Under Certificate of Notarisation, click View Certificate or Download.
Both are available here for 14 days after the session — see Document storage and retrieval.
What the file is called
The sealed document downloads as finalised-on-<date and time>.pdf — for example finalised-on-202608181432.pdf, meaning 18 August 2026 at 14:32 (West Africa Time). The stamp is there so that copies from different sessions never overwrite one another and sort in the order they were notarised. Rename it to whatever suits you once you have saved it; the seal, the signature and the document hash are unaffected.
Every certificate includes:
- Notary name and Supreme Court Number (SCN)
- Your name and the document details
- Date, time (West Africa Time), and session ID
- Jurisdiction (same-state, intra-Nigeria, or international)
- A QR code linking to the public verification page
- A SHA-256 hash of the notarised document — the sealed PDF you receive, not your original upload. Hash your copy and compare it with this value to prove the document has not been altered since it was notarised. On the rare occasion no hash was recorded, the certificate and the verification page both say so rather than implying one was checked.
If the certificate is not available
Occasionally, certificate generation can fail after a session completes — for example due to a transient server error. If you see "Certificate not available" where the download button should be, do the following:
- Go to Dashboard → Sessions and open the completed session.
- Scroll to the Certificate of Notarisation section.
- Click Request a copy (shown below the "Certificate not available" message).
- A confirmation message replaces the button: "Request submitted — we'll notify you when it's ready."
What happens next:
- The platform admin is notified immediately and can see your request in the admin dashboard.
- The admin reviews the session and triggers a regeneration.
- Once the certificate is ready you receive:
- An email to your registered address confirming it is available
- An in-app notification if you are logged in at the time
- Return to Dashboard → Sessions → [your session] to download the certificate.
No duplicate requests
Clicking Request a copy more than once has no effect — only one request is created per session. If you submitted a request and have not heard back within 24 hours, email [email protected] with your session date and reference number.
Verifying a certificate
Any person — including third parties such as banks, courts, or employers — can verify a NotariseIt certificate for free, without logging in:
Scan the QR code on the certificate, or open www.notariseit.com/verify/<certificate-id> using the certificate ID printed on the document. No account and no login is needed.
The verification page confirms:
- Certificate is authentic and untampered
- Issuing notary name, SCN, and licence status
- Document hash (confirms the document has not been altered since notarisation)
- Date and jurisdiction of the notarisation
Document storage and retrieval
Every signed and sealed document, and every certificate, is retained for a minimum of 6 years in accordance with the Notaries Public Professional Practice Regulations 2026 (Nigeria), Reg 14(3). You do not need to take any action — they are kept automatically for the full retention period.
Retention applies to the sealed output, not to the file you uploaded. Your original upload is removed shortly after the session (see Uploading a document above); the sealed version that replaces it is the record the law requires us to keep.
Retention and free retrieval are two different clocks, and it is worth being clear about which is which.
| Timeframe | What it means | |
|---|---|---|
| Free retrieval | 14 days from the end of the session | Download your notarised documents and certificate directly from the session page, free and instantly |
| Platform retention | 6 years minimum | The record continues to exist and remains legally retrievable long after the free window closes |
The completed session page shows your exact date — "Free document retrieval until [date]".
Your access to the portal does not end. The session page, the record of what happened, and your certificate stay available; only the free instant download stops. Your notary's free window runs on the same 14-day clock, so after that point either of you retrieves a copy by request rather than by clicking.
Save your certificate when it is issued
The notarised certificate and signed documents are emailed to all parties immediately after the session. Save that email. It is your primary record, it does not expire, and it costs nothing — whereas retrieving a copy after your 14-day free window has closed involves a fee.
Retrieving a document after the free window closes
The document has not been deleted and your access to the session has not ended — the free instant download has.
- On the document, choose the retrieval option and complete the payment — a small fee, shown before you are charged.
- Alternatively, email [email protected] with your session date and reference number.
- Once processed, a time-limited download link is provided.
Retrieval works the same way for everyone — for you, and for notaries, on every plan. After the free window it is a one-time paid request from your dashboard, with the amount shown before you commit to anything.
Your data rights (NDPA 2023)
Under the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023, you have the right to:
- Export your data: Request a full archive of all your personal data, documents, session records, and audit events. Open Profile Settings → Data & Privacy and click Request data export. A download link is emailed to you within a few minutes and expires after 24 hours. See Account & Security for what the export does and does not contain.
- Delete your account: See Account & Security for the deletion process.
NotariseIt retains notarisation records for the minimum period required by law — at least 6 years under the Notaries Public Professional Practice Regulations 2026 (Reg 14(3)), made under the Notaries Public Act 2023. Some records (such as audit logs and certificates) are retained even after account deletion, as required by that legislation.
Related
- Notarisation Types — what the type does and how it prices the act
- Session Audit Trail — the record behind the certificate
- Data & Privacy — how long each document is kept
The two forms of your document
While a notarisation is under way there are two different things called "your document", and telling them apart saves a good deal of confusion.
The working copy. What you and the signatories can see before the end. It is stamped DRAFT — NOT YET NOTARISED across every page and it cannot be downloaded — it is shown on screen and nowhere else.
It carries the signatures made so far, which is the point: somebody signing at the third sitting is entitled to see the document as it actually stands. It is also exactly why it is stamped and why there is no download button. A page carrying two real signatures looks like a deed to anybody who was not involved, and a file, once downloaded, travels.
The notarised document. Produced once, when the last signature is in and your notary applies their seal. It is not watermarked. It is emailed to you and to every party, with the notarial certificate — which names each sitting, who appeared at it and when.
Both are yours to keep and to send on. The certificate carries a reference and a way of checking that it is genuine, which is what somebody relying on the document will use.
Do not send a working copy to anyone
It has no legal effect, and it is stamped precisely so that nobody mistakes it for something that has. If you need to show somebody where things stand, send them the progress page's reference, not a screenshot of the document.