Members of the Bermuda Bar who wish to make an application to become a Notary Public are asked to make the application directly to the Registrar of the Supreme Court. Once approved, each Barrister & Attorney is issued a Case No. and a date of enrolment. The Courts will then provide the Bar Association with the updated list of Notaries.
Given that the Order appointing Barristers and Attorneys as Commissioners for Oaths and Notaries is a separate Order from that which admits them to the Bar i.e. it is an additional relief that is granted, a non-practicing Barrister or Attorney is entitled to continue to administer oaths even if their status with the Bar Association is inactive.
Commissioners for Oaths & Notaries Public Act 1972, and Commissioners for Oaths & Notaries Public Rules 1973 apply. Please visit www.bermudalaws.bm to download.
Amendments to Section 4 of the Commissioners of Oath Act Notary & Public Act 1972 were published in March 2015 removing the requirement for the applicant to be Bermudian Barrister & Attorney with 5 years call to the Bermuda Bar and any person entitled to practice as a Notary Public in a Commonwealth Jurisdiction. Please note that a Notary Public entitled to practice in a Commonwealth Jurisdiction and who is gainfully employed as a Barrister & Attorney in Bermuda is still required to submit an application for review and approval to the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Bermuda. Upon approval, the Notary Public will be issued a Case No. and a date of enrolment.
The following link provides an up to date list of Notaries enroled and permitted to notarise documentation by the Supreme Court of Bermuda:
Roll of Notaries Public in Bermuda July 2024
Listing of documents to file as Notary Public (provided by the Registrar of the Supreme Court)
Certified documents: A 'certified copy' is a copy of an original document such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate or proof of identity such as a Drivers licence or Passport that has been authorised (or stamped) as being a true copy of the original, by a qualified individual which includes Commissioners for Oaths, Notaries Public and any other as specified in the (Commissioners for Oaths and Notaries Public Act 1972).
Notarized documents: A ‘notarized document’ is a document that has been certified by a notary public. The notary public is an official who verifies the identities of everybody signing the document, witnesses the signatures, and marks the document with a stamp (or “seal”). A list of Notaries in Bermuda can be found at the Public Resource Tab.
Apostille: Definition and purpose to follow