Interim Regulations of the People's Republic of China Concerning Notarization

Interim Regulations of the People's Republic of China Concerning Notarization

April 13, 1982

Chapter I General Provisions
　
Article 1
These Regulations are formulated to strengthen and perfect the state notarial system, to uphold the socialist legal system, to prevent disputes and to reduce the number of lawsuit cases.
　
Article 2
Notarization means that the state notarial department, upon application of any party concerned, gives testimonial, according to law, to the authenticity and legality of legal actions, legal documents and legal facts, so as to safeguard public properties, and to safeguard citizens' status, and property rights as well as their lawful interests.
　
Article 3
The notary office is the state notarial department. The notary office should, through its notarial activities, educate citizens in abiding by the law and upholding the socialist legal system.

Chapter II Scope of Business of Notary Office
　
Article 4
The notary office shall handle the following items of business:
(1) to give a testimonial to contracts (legal deeds), powers of attorney, wills;
(2) to give a testimonial to right of inheritance;
(3) to give a testimonial to donation of property and to partition of property;
(4) to give a testimonial to the relationship of adoption;
(5) to give a testimonial to family relationship;
(6) to give a testimonial to identity (status), record of education, and personal experience;
(7) to give a testimonial to a person's birth, marital status, existence and death;
(8) to give a testimonial to the authenticity of signatures and seals on documents;
(9) to give a testimonial to the conformity of duplicates, abridged versions, translations, and photo offset copies to the original;
(10) to give a testimonial to the effect of compulsory execution of documents concerning the claim for repayments of debt and articles in the event that such documents are considered to be unequivocal;
(11) to be responsible for the preservation of evidence;
(12) to be responsible for the safekeeping of wills or other documents;
(13) to draft, on behalf of the party concerned, a document of application for a notarial deed;
(14) to handle other notarial affairs in accordance with the application of the party concerned and international practice.

Chapter III Organization and Leadership of Notary Office
　
Article 5
The notary office shall be set up in municipalities directly under the Central Government, counties (or autonomous counties, and the same below), and municipalities.
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