Terms of Use

1. What ElNotaryo does

ElNotaryo is an online platform for electronic notarization in the Philippines. It lets you prepare a request, upload a PDF, verify your identity, book a commissioned Electronic Notary Public (ENP), and meet them for the notarial act.

ElNotaryo is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. ElNotaryo does not perform notarial acts. The ENP you choose decides whether to accept, reject or ask for more information about your request, and whether to complete the notarial act. The ENP is responsible for that decision under the notarial rules that apply to them.

2. Who can use ElNotaryo

You may create a client account if you can enter into a binding agreement under Philippine law. Detailed eligibility requirements are pending legal review.

Electronic Notary Public accounts are created by our team after we check the notary's commission. An ENP may act only while their commission and access are valid.

3. Your account and its security

• Give accurate details when you register, and keep them up to date in your profile.
• Keep your password private. Don't share your account or let anyone else sign in as you.
• Each sign-in asks for a code sent to your email, unless you chose to trust that device. Only trust devices you control.
• Repeated wrong passwords or codes pause sign-in for a while to protect your account.
• Tell us at once at support@elnotaryo.com if you think someone else has used your account.

4. Acceptable use

When you use ElNotaryo, you must not:

• pretend to be someone else, or use another person's identity documents;
• submit a document that is forged, altered without authority, or meant for an unlawful purpose;
• add a signatory, or share another person's details, without their knowledge and authority;
• pressure an ENP or a signatory, or try to get round the identity checks;
• disrupt, probe or overload the platform, or reach data that isn't yours.

5. Documents you submit

You are responsible for the content of the documents you upload and for having the right to submit them. ElNotaryo accepts PDF files within the size limit shown on the upload step and checks each file before it is used. ElNotaryo does not change your document's content. The ENP may decline a document that isn't ready for notarization.

6. Identity verification and sessions

• Before a session, each signatory completes identity verification through an identity verification provider. We ask for your consent first.
• The ENP confirms the identity of each signatory again during the session and may stop the session if they can't.
• Sessions take place by video in the ElNotaryo Session Room or in the mode shown on your request, at the time you booked in Philippine Standard Time.
• ElNotaryo does not currently record session video or audio.
• If you miss a session or it ends early, you can choose a new time where your request allows it.

7. Electronic signatures and notarized documents

Signatories sign electronically during the session. When the ENP completes the act, they apply their electronic notarial seal and the notarized PDF is made available in your account. Each notarized document carries a verification code and QR code, and anyone holding the document can check it on the Verify Document page. A notarized document may be shown as revoked if it is later withdrawn.

Whether a particular office or person accepts an electronically notarized document is their decision. Check their requirements before you rely on it.

8. Fees and payment

The fees for your request are shown before you submit it: the ENP's fee, the ElNotaryo platform fee and VAT where it applies. ElNotaryo does not collect payment online. Payment arrangements and refund terms are pending confirmation and will be stated before they apply to you.

9. Service limitations

• ElNotaryo may be unavailable during maintenance. We show a notice when planned maintenance is coming.
• Appointment times depend on each ENP's availability. Booking a time doesn't guarantee that the ENP will accept the request.
• Further limits on our responsibility are pending legal review.

10. Suspension and closing your account

We may suspend an account that breaks these terms or puts other users or the platform at risk. You can close your client account from the Privacy section of your profile once you have no requests in progress. Your drafts are then deleted. Completed notarizations are kept as official notarial records, as the Privacy Notice explains.

11. Changes to these terms

We will post any new version of these terms on this page with a new "Last updated" date. If a change needs your agreement, we will ask for it before the change applies to you.

12. Contact and disputes

Contact us at support@elnotaryo.com with any question or complaint about these terms, and quote your request reference if you have one. How disputes are resolved and which law and courts apply are pending legal review.