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Registration & Approval
Notary registration on NotariseIt is a multi-step credential verification process to ensure compliance with the Notaries Public Act 2023 (Nigeria).
Using the platform as a client too
You do not need a second account. Your notary account can book notarisations for you, from Appointments → My Client Bookings — the same five-step wizard a client uses, with none of your notary powers carried into it.
This used to say the opposite
Earlier versions of this guide told notaries to open a separate Individual Client account on a different mobile number. That is no longer necessary, and you should not do it: identity verification is now a condition of booking, and verifying a second account against a number that is not yours would put someone else's identity behind bookings made in your name.
See Booking a session for how the wizard works.
The registration wizard
Once your email is verified and two-factor authentication is set up, NotariseIt takes you straight into the Notary Registration Wizard — there is nothing to click to find it. Your progress is saved automatically at every step, so you can close the page and pick up where you left off.
Accuracy of your registration information
The credentials and details you submit here are used to verify your standing as a commissioned notary public and are embedded in the notarial certificates you issue. Certificates are legal instruments that may be presented in court, used for land registry transactions, and relied upon in regulatory or compliance reviews. Submit only accurate, current information. Any material inaccuracy — particularly in your SCN, commission number, or date of call to bar — may affect the validity of certificates you issue and could constitute a professional or criminal offence under the Notaries Public Act 2023 and applicable Nigerian law.
Fields required
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court Number (SCN) | Yes | Format: SCN + 6 or more digits (e.g. SCN000001) |
| Commission State | Yes | The state you are commissioned in |
| Date of Call to Bar | Yes | The day you were admitted to the Nigerian legal profession |
| Year Appointed Notary | Yes | Four-digit year — must be at least seven years after your call to the Bar |
| NPN Consent | Yes | You must consent to the NPN registry lookup to submit |
| Commission Number | Optional | As issued by the Supreme Court |
| Commission Date | Optional | See the note below — this is not the same as your date of call |
| Specialisations | Optional | Your practice areas — Real Estate, Corporate Law, Admiralty and so on. Not the same as the document types you accept, which are set separately under Document Settings |
| Languages | Optional | Languages you can conduct sessions in |
| Bar Enrolment Number | Optional | |
| Practising Certificate Number | Optional |
Seven years at the Bar
The Notaries Public Act 2023 requires seven years' standing at the Nigerian Bar before appointment as a notary public. NotariseIt checks this as you fill the form: as soon as both your date of call and a four-digit appointment year are entered, it checks the gap between them and tells you against the field if it is short. Correcting either date clears the message immediately. Pressing Continue also lists everything outstanding at the top of the step, so nothing is missed below the fold.
It also checks that the dates are possible — a call date in the future, or an appointment before your call, is refused.
Commission date and date of call to bar are different events
Your Date of Call to Bar is the day you were formally admitted to the Nigerian legal profession. Every notary has one, and it is required here.
A Commission Date only applies if you were appointed to a specific statutory office or joined the armed forces. A lawyer does not acquire a commission date simply by becoming a lawyer, so this field is optional and most notaries will leave it blank.
Your practice name is not part of this wizard. Set it later under Dashboard → My Profile; it appears on your public profile and on the certificates you issue.
Your NPN consent is recorded
When you tick the consent box, NotariseIt stores your answer together with the date and time you gave it and the exact wording you were shown. If that wording is ever revised, your record continues to resolve to the version you actually agreed to — as required under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
Submitting
Click Submit for Review on the final step. This locks your draft and submits your credentials.
What happens after submission
Automatic NPN verification
The platform immediately cross-checks your SCN and credentials against the Nigerian Notary Public (NPN) registry.
- NPN match found: Your account is approved immediately and you will receive a confirmation email. Two things then stand between you and your first session — your digital seal and your identity verification. The email lists both.
- No NPN match found: Your application is placed in the manual review queue (Stage 1).
Manual review stages (if NPN match not found)
| Stage | Description | Your action |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 — Credential Review | Admin reviews your submitted documents | None — await email |
| Stage 2 — Additional Documentation | Admin may request supporting documents | Upload what is requested |
| Stage 3 — Identity Confirmation | Admin confirms your NPN registry identity and commission status | None — await email |
| Approved | Profile activated and visible to clients | Complete seal setup |
| Rejected | Application not approved (reason provided) | Contact support to appeal |
You will receive an email at every stage transition. Manual review typically takes 1–3 business days.
Ongoing NPN re-verification
NotariseIt re-checks manually-approved notaries against the NPN registry on a nightly basis. If a record stops matching, your profile is flagged for a compliance officer to review and you will be contacted by email.
NotariseIt does not track a commission expiry date and will not ask you to renew one here.
Suspension and appeals
If your notary profile is suspended by the platform:
- You will receive an email with the reason.
- You will be removed from search results immediately.
- You may submit a written appeal via Dashboard → My Profile → Submit Appeal.
- A NotariseIt compliance officer will review your appeal and notify you of the outcome.