New Delhi: Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State, Ministry of Law & Justice (Independent Charge), launched the new Notary Portal (https://notary.gov.in) in a function organised by the Department of Law & Justice in New Delhi on September 3, 2024.

The Notary Portal provides an online interface between notaries and the Government for various services, including submission of applications for appointment as notaries, issuance and renewal of Certificates of Practice, change of practice area, submission of annual returns, etc. With the launch of the Notary Portal, Central Notaries will no longer be required to submit applications or requests in physical form. They can now submit applications online, monitor their progress, and download digitally signed Certificates of Practice from their DigiLocker accounts.

Addressing the officers on the occasion, Arjun Ram Meghwal hailed the launch of the dedicated Notary Portal as an important step towards providing a paperless, faceless, and efficient system, aligning with the goal of Digital India as envisioned by the Prime Minister. The Minister further stated that this portal has been designed to be user-friendly, which will benefit both Notaries and the public when all the intended features are activated over time.

After the inauguration of the portal, the first Certificate of Notary Practice was digitally issued to Bhura Ram, a resident of Bikaner, Rajasthan.

Outlining the salient features of the new Notary Portal, Rajiv Mani, Law Secretary, informed that the initiative will not only make the system of selection and appointment of Notaries across the country faster, more efficient, and transparent, but will also create a digital storage facility for all notary-related records. He further noted that the new portal comes with several novel features beyond those of the earlier notary online applications portal. Once fully operational, the portal will ensure the seamless administration of the Notary Act, benefiting citizens across the country’s vast geographical expanse.

The Notary Portal, launched today in association with NIC, has been designed and developed with different modules that will be rolled out in phases. In the first stage, the module relating to the issuance of Certificates of Practice to provisionally selected Notaries has been launched. It is envisaged that modules relating to the renewal of Certificates of Practice and submission of Annual Returns will be rolled out later in the year. /BI