Vocational and Professional Law

As independent holders of public office, notaries are appointed for the certification of legal transactions and other tasks in the field of the preventive administration of justice (Section 1 BNotO [National Rules and Regulations for German Notaries]).

This includes all types of notarisations, the certification of attested copies, the issuing of legal certifications and the official custodianship and surrender of money and securities.

In the notarization of declarations of intent the notary acts as a qualified, impartial authenticator in the determination of the situation as desired by the contracting parties, the provision of instructions on the legal consequences and risks and the contractual embodiment of the economic and transactional intent of the parties.

The authoritative professional rules for notaries are:

• National Rules and Regulations for German Notaries (BNotO)
• Notarization Act (BeurkG)
  Guidelines of the notary associations
• Official regulations for notaries (DNotO)
  Scale of costs (GNotKG)
• European code of conduct etiquette for notaries.

These regulations are accessible online on the homepage of the Federal Chamber of German Notaries under the heading “Professional Regulations”: www.bnotk.de.

Responsible Notary Association:
Notarkammer Berlin
Littenstrasse 10
10179 Berlin
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)30 / 246290-0