Last Updated On 27 May, 2020
Notary Public or Notary is an experienced and qualified lawyer appointed by the Central or State government on the recommendation of courts. The duty of a notary public is to provide an oath to an individual and to declare documents as authentic after verifying them. A notary public affixes his/her stamp and seal on the documents as a proof of originality of the documents. As an impartial state agent, a notary verifies the identity of the person signing a written instrument or an official document. Demand for notary public has increased in the last few years which implies that it is a lucrative career option.
Some notaries work full-time while others part-time at law offices, bank or educational institutes. A notary public must have a clear understanding and a deep knowledge of laws and legal norms. The career asks for utter dedication and commitment and only people with the right skills and adequate knowledge can sustain for long being a notary public.
Before considering to start a career as a notary public check out the minimum eligibility criteria mentioned below.
Educational Qualification:
It does not require any formal or specific degree. Although, those with an associate’s degree or a certificate might encounter professional advancement sooner than the rest.
In order to be a notary public through a legal profession, an aspirant must be a withholder of either a 3 years long or 5 years long LLB degree.
Work Experience:
After possessing a degree in law, the applicant must apply for an advocate in any of the state bar council as length experience and years of practice is required in order to be a notary public.
Candidates with a minimum of 10 years of practice as an advocate can apply for notary public through the legal profession. It should be noted that reserved category candidates require only 7 years of experience or practice.
If the aspirant is not a legal practitioner, he/she must either be a member of the Indian Legal Service or must have an experience of 10 years as a member of the Judicial Service.
You can also apply for the position of a notary public if you held an office under the Central or State Government, Department of the judge, in the armed forces or Advocate- General.
A notary public can perform many job roles and are suitable for many job profiles. Check out a few of them listed below.
Freelancer: A freelancer for notary public can open his/her own office and offer services to people who need services pertaining to the notary.
Advocate General: An advocate general is posted as the highest law officer in the state level. The duty concerts assisting the state government on legal matters and issues.
Oath Commissioner: It is of utmost importance for an oath commissioner to verify that the oath, declaration or affirmation are authentic and administered properly under his/her surveillance.
Notary Public: The duty of a notary public is to keep fraud at bay by verifying the documents presented by the public.
Legal Advisor: A legal advisor offers assistance on legal matters, organises legal activities, formulate legal documents and advises the client on the relevant legal issues.
Law Inspector: A law inspector examines and investigates that the departments are abiding and adhering to the legal matters.
Staff in Company Office Registrar: The staff ensures that the guidelines issued by the company are being followed or not. They make sure that the company does not face any legal issues or damages.
A notary public finds opportunities lying in diverse fields and firms. They are required almost everywhere for authentication and verification of documents. Check out the sectors with employment opportunities for notary public as mentioned below.
Banking Sector
Educational Institutes
Courts
Travel & Tourism Department
Income Tax Department
Real Estate Firms
Sales Department
Excise Department
Embassy
A notary public can work as a freelancer or with various companies across the nation. Check out the names of top recruiting companies hiring notary public for employment opportunities
Colleges/Universities
Department of Income Tax
High Court
Supreme Court
Banks
Tourism Agencies
Firms for Real Estates
Find out the pay scale or the possible salary you would receive as a notary public by checking the tabulated data mentioned below.
Job Profile | Starting Salary per annum (in INR) | Mid Level Salary per annum (in INR) | Senior Level Salary per annum (INR) |
Freelancer | 1,00,000 | 3,00,000 | 6,00,000 |
Notary Public | 2,95,000 | 4,62,383 | 6,00,000 |
Advocate General | 2,37,000 | 6,00,000 | 9,00,000 |
Oath Commissioner | 1,80,000 | 4,00,000 | 6,00,000 |
Legal Advisor | 2,33,000 | 12,00,00 | 30,00,000 |
Law Inspector | 3,00,000 | 5,04,000 | 8,52,000 |
Staff in Company Office Registrar | 2,64,000 | 4,00,000 | 6,00,000 |
Note: The figures mentioned aforehand vary from person to person and place to place. They are subject to change.
To become a notary public, a wide range of legal knowledge is required by an individual. Go through the books mentioned below to gain knowledge and brush up your skills.
Law Relating to Notaries by S K Sarvaria
Bare Acts of Indian Constitution
The Law of Affidavits by John Levingston
Notaries Power of Attorney and Affidavit by Pradeep V. Tapase Patil
Legal Awareness and Legal Aptitude by AP Bhardwaj
A notary public gets opportunities arising from multiple sectors such as banks, income tax, travel and tourism, courts, real estate etc.
If an individual has sufficient experience and sound knowledge of legal laws related to a notary public, he/she can earn a handsome amount of money and will get exposed to bright career opportunities.
After practising a Notary Public for a while, an individual gets hang of the profession easily.
A professional individual working as a notary public must always stay updated with the developments in the legal norms and laws.
After a while, following the same procedure might become monotonous and you would lose the excitement as you would not face many challenges.
An eye to detail is very important for a notary public professional. Any sort of carelessness might result in misleading or incorrect document submission.
Take our test and find out if it suits your strengths.
The basic difference between an Oath Commissioner and a Notary is that the job of an oath commissioner is to attest only those affidavits or documents which are to be presented in the court in judicial proceedings while a Notary is not restricted to any such boundaries.
The biggest merit of being a Notary is that with a little bit of work experience and practice, an individual gets a clear idea about the duties and responsibilities. There are not many developments and changes in the profession.
The salary of a Notary starts from Rs.2,95,000 per annum and goes up to Rs.6,00,000 per annum. It may increase even further depending on the capabilities and skills of an individual.
Yes, Notary Public is free to work as an independent professional.
The employment firms that offer career opportunities to a Notary Public are Banking Sector, Courts, Travel & Tourism Department, Income Tax Department, Educational Institutes, Real Estate Firms, Excise Department, Sales Department and Embassy.
The job roles that are suitable for a Notary Public are Advocate General, Oath Commissioner, Legal Advisor, Law Inspector, Staff in Company Office Registrar etc.
To be a Notary Public, an aspirant must possess at least a 3 years long LLB or 5 years long integrated LLB degree.
The responsibilities that a Notary Public have are to declare documents as authentic and to provide a verified oath.
Yes, Notary Public and Notary are interchangeable words. Both of them mean the same.