How To Become A Notary In South Africa (2026)

Becoming a notary in South Africa is not an entry-level profession. It is a specialisation that you add to an existing legal career. This means you must first qualify as an attorney before you can become a notary. The pathway requires dedication, additional examinations, and a specific application to the High Court.

This guide explains every step of the journey, from your first law degree to receiving your designation as a notary. It covers the educational requirements, the attorney admission process, the notarial examinations, the application to court, and the associated costs. By the end, you will have a clear roadmap for adding this prestigious qualification to your legal career.

How To Become A Notary In South Africa

Step 1: Complete a Law Degree

The foundation of any legal career in South Africa is a recognised law degree. You have two main options at the undergraduate level.

Option A: Four-Year LLB DegreeThe most direct route is the four-year Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree. This is an undergraduate degree that you can enrol in directly after completing high school. The LLB covers all the core areas of law and is designed to lead directly to legal practice.

To gain admission to an LLB programme, you typically need a National Senior Certificate (NSC) with a Bachelor’s pass. Each university has its own specific entry requirements, including minimum subject requirements and achievement levels. It is important to check the entry requirements for the LLB programme with the institution of your choice before you apply.

Option B: Three-Year BA or BCom plus Two-Year LLBThe alternative pathway is to complete a three-year Bachelor’s degree (such as a BA or BCom) followed by a two-year graduate LLB. This route takes five years in total, one year longer than the four-year LLB, but allows you to study a broader range of subjects before specialising in law.

This pathway is popular for students who want a broader undergraduate education before committing to law. It is also the route for graduates who decide to pursue law after completing a degree in another field.

Regardless of which pathway you choose, the destination is the same: an LLB degree from a South African university recognised by the Legal Practice Council.

Step 2: Complete Practical Vocational Training (Articles or Service Contract)

After obtaining your LLB degree, you must complete practical vocational training. This is a period of supervised practical work, commonly known as “articles of clerkship” or a “service contract”.

Duration of Training

The duration of your practical training depends on your qualifications. If you have a four-year LLB degree, you typically need to complete two years of practical vocational training. If you have a five-year combination (BA/BCom plus LLB), you may also need two years, though some pathways offer reduced periods depending on the specific programme.

During this period, you work under the supervision of a qualified attorney or at a Legal Aid clinic. You gain hands-on experience in legal practice, including client consultations, drafting legal documents, court appearances, and general law office management.

Learnership Registration

Your practical vocational training is registered as a learnership. The “Candidate Attorney Learnership” is a Level 7 qualification. This learnership requires that you have an employer, meaning you must find a law firm or legal institution willing to take you on as a candidate attorney.

The learnership can be done either under a contract of articles (service at a private law firm or state attorney) or as a service contract (community service at a legal aid institution or law clinic).

Step 3: Pass the Attorneys Admission Examination (Board Exam)

During or after your practical vocational training, you must pass the Attorneys Admission Examination, commonly known as the Board Exam.

This practice-oriented examination is registered as a learnership. Your earliest opportunity to write this exam is six months after starting your practical vocational training, and your last opportunity is three years after completion.

The Board Exam tests your knowledge and competence in areas essential to legal practice, including:

– Attorneys’ practice and ethics
– Legal writing and drafting
– Court procedure
– Estate administration
– Contracts and delicts
– Criminal procedure

Passing this examination is a prerequisite for admission as an attorney. You must also have completed your full period of practical vocational training before you can apply to court for admission.

Step 4: Apply to the High Court for Admission as an Attorney

Once you have completed your practical vocational training and passed the Board Exam, you must apply to the High Court of South Africa to be admitted as an attorney.

Your application must be supported by one of the statutory law societies that regulate the profession. Upon admission, a High Court official enters your details in the Roll of Attorneys.

This step grants you the designation of “Attorney”. You are now a fully qualified legal practitioner. You cannot become a notary before completing this step. Notary is an additional qualification that builds on your attorney status.

After admission, you must also complete practice management training. This is compulsory training offered through the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA). Issuing of your first Fidelity Fund Certificate, which is necessary to practice as an attorney, will only be done once you have successfully completed your practice management training.

Step 5: Complete the Course in Notarial Practice

With your attorney qualification secured, you can now pursue notarial specialisation. The official Course in Notarial Practice is offered through the training division of the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA).

This course covers the specialised knowledge and skills required for notarial practice, including:

– The law and practice of notaries
– Notarial bonds
– Antenuptial contracts
– Notarial execution of documents
– Authentication of copies
– International document legalisation

The course is designed specifically for qualified attorneys who wish to add notarial capabilities to their practice. It is not an undergraduate course and is not open to non-attorneys.

Step 6: Pass the Notarial Examinations

After completing the Course in Notarial Practice, you must pass the Notarial Examinations conducted by the Law Society of South Africa. These examinations test your knowledge of notarial law and practice to ensure you are competent to perform notarial functions.

The examinations are rigorous and require thorough preparation. They cover both theoretical knowledge and practical application of notarial principles. Successful completion of these examinations is a prerequisite for being designated as a notary.

Step 7: Apply to the High Court to Enter the Roll of Notaries

Once you have passed the Notarial Examinations, you must apply to the High Court to enter the Roll of Notaries. This is similar to your earlier application for admission as an attorney, but specifically for notarial designation.

Your application must be supported by the statutory law society where you are a current member. Upon approval, the High Court enters your name in the Roll of Notaries, granting you the designation of “Notary”.

You may now use the title “Notary” or “Notary Public” and perform all the specialised functions that notaries are authorised to perform, including certifying documents, authenticating signatures, preparing antenuptial contracts, and executing notarial bonds.

Step 8: Pay the Required Fees to the Legal Practice Council

Throughout this process, various fees are payable to the Legal Practice Council (LPC). Understanding these costs helps you budget for your legal career progression.

Attorney Admission and Practice Fees

When you register as a candidate attorney, there is a fee for the registration of your practical vocational training contract and the examination fee. The LPC charges R345 for the registration of a practical vocational training contract and the examination fee of any such contract.

When you are ready to be admitted as an attorney, you pay an enrolment fee. The LPC charges R530 for the enrolment of a legal practitioner (or re-enrolment of a person whose name was removed from the roll at their own request).

Once you are practising, you must pay annual fees to the LPC. For legal practitioners practising for 2 years and less, the annual fee is R1,985. For all practising legal practitioners (more than 2 years), the annual fee is R4,630.

Notary Enrolment Fee

To be enrolled as a notary, the LPC charges a specific enrolment fee. The fee for “enrolment as a notary” is R795. This fee is payable when you apply to the LPC in connection with your High Court application to enter the Roll of Notaries.

If you later need a certificate of good standing from the LPC (for example, for international practice or regulatory purposes), the fee is R200.

All these fees are inclusive of value-added tax (VAT).

Summary of the Complete Pathway

Here is a consolidated overview of the steps to becoming a notary in South Africa.

Step 1: Complete a recognised law degree (4-year LLB or 3-year BA/BCom plus 2-year LLB). Ensure your degree is from a South African university recognised by the Legal Practice Council.

Step 2: Complete practical vocational training (articles of clerkship or service contract) for two years. Register your candidate attorney learnership with the Legal Practice Council. The registration fee is approximately R345.

Step 3: Pass the Attorneys Admission Examination (Board Exam). You may write this exam from six months after starting your learnership.

Step 4: Apply to the High Court for admission as an attorney. Upon admission, your name is entered in the Roll of Attorneys. You pay enrolment fees to the LPC (approximately R530) and annual practising fees (R1,985 for the first 2 years, then R4,630 thereafter).

Step 5: Complete the Course in Notarial Practice, offered through the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA).

Step 6: Pass the Notarial Examinations conducted by the Law Society of South Africa.

Step 7: Apply to the High Court to enter the Roll of Notaries. Your application must be supported by your statutory law society.

Step 8: Pay the notary enrolment fee to the Legal Practice Council (R795).

Step 9: Practise as a notary, performing specialised legal functions including notarising documents, preparing antenuptial contracts, and executing notarial bonds.

Summary of LPC Fees

Fee Type | Amount (incl. VAT)
Registration of practical vocational training contract | R345
Enrolment as a legal practitioner (attorney) | R530
Enrolment as a notary | R795
Annual fee (practising for 2 years or less) | R1,985
Annual fee (practising for more than 2 years) | R4,630
Certificate of good standing | R200