Notaries and PI insurance: what the Faculty Office requires

Reviewed by Matthew Bartlett, Director, Apex Insurance Brokers Limited · Last reviewed 2026-08-05

Who regulates notaries public?

Notaries public are a distinct and ancient branch of the legal profession. In England and Wales they are not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar. Instead, the regulator is the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury — the body through which the Master of the Faculties exercises statutory functions over the notarial profession. This authority is long-established and is recognised in legislation governing notaries.

The Master of the Faculties sets the qualification route, admits notaries, issues the annual practising certificate and makes the rules that govern how notaries practise. Those rules — principally the Notaries Practice Rules — are where the professional indemnity insurance obligation sits.

A quick point on scope: this page concerns notaries in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate arrangements for notaries, so the detail below should not be applied outside England and Wales.

Why notaries must carry professional indemnity insurance

A notary’s core work — notarising and authenticating documents, administering oaths, certifying copies and preparing documents for use overseas — carries real professional risk. An error in a certificate, a missed identity check, a defect in an apostille-bound document or negligent advice can cause a client significant financial loss, and can have consequences in foreign jurisdictions where the document is relied upon.

Professional indemnity insurance (PII) exists to meet those liabilities. It responds to claims that a client, or sometimes a third party, has suffered loss because of the notary’s negligence, error or omission in carrying out notarial acts. For the regulator, mandatory PII is a consumer-protection measure: it means a valid claim can be met even if the individual notary could not personally pay.

Because of this, holding adequate PII is a condition of practising. A notary who lets cover lapse is not merely uninsured — they may be in breach of the practice rules and their practising certificate.

How the requirement is structured

Rather than fixing on a single figure that changes over time, it helps to understand the shape of the obligation. The Faculty Office’s rules set the framework; you then confirm the current numbers with the regulator before you rely on them.

• Cover is compulsory for practising notaries. You cannot practise notarial work without PII in force.
• A minimum limit of indemnity applies. The rules set a floor for the sum insured per claim. This is a minimum, not a recommendation — many notaries carry more, in line with the value and volume of documents they handle.
• The policy must meet the regulator’s terms. The Faculty Office expects appropriate wording — for example civil liability cover for notarial acts — not just any professional policy bought off the shelf.
• Cover is confirmed at practising-certificate renewal. PII is checked as part of the annual cycle, so it must be in place and evidenced when you renew.
• Run-off matters. Because PII is written on a claims-made basis, a notary who stops practising needs run-off cover so that claims arising from past work can still be met.

Important: we deliberately do not quote a specific minimum limit here. Required figures can be reviewed and updated by the regulator, and stating an out-of-date number would be worse than useless. Always confirm the current minimum limit of indemnity and policy conditions directly with the Faculty Office before you renew or change insurer.

Notaries’ PII compared with other legal PII

Many notaries also qualify as solicitors, which can cause confusion about which insurance applies. The two obligations are separate.

The key takeaway: if you act as a notary, you need PII that specifically responds to your notarial acts. Do not assume a solicitors’ policy, or an employer’s cover, automatically extends to that work — check the wording, or ask a broker to check it for you.

Choosing a limit above the minimum

The regulatory minimum is a floor, not a target. When deciding on your limit of indemnity, weigh factors such as:

• The value of the transactions your documents support — cross-border property, corporate and financing work can be high-value.
• The volume of notarial acts you carry out each year.
• Whether documents are relied on in overseas jurisdictions with their own liability rules.
• Any additional services you provide alongside notarial work.

Common illustrative options run at £1m, £2m or £5m of cover, but the right figure is the one that reflects your actual exposure. A broker who understands the notarial market can help you size this sensibly and confirm the wording meets Faculty Office expectations. Start a quote and tell us about your practice.

Common questions

Do I still need notarial PII if I’m already an insured solicitor?

Usually yes. Solicitors’ PII is arranged for practice as a solicitor and does not automatically cover notarial acts. Check whether your existing policy extends to notarial work; if it does not, arrange separate or endorsed cover.

What is the exact minimum limit the Faculty Office requires?

We do not publish a figure here because required minimums and conditions can be reviewed by the regulator. Confirm the current minimum limit of indemnity and policy terms directly with the Faculty Office before you renew.

What happens to cover when I stop practising?

Because notarial PII is claims-made, claims can arise after you retire. You should arrange run-off cover so that liabilities from past notarial acts remain insured once your active policy ends.

Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 724952). This guide is general information, not advice on a specific policy or a substitute for your policy wording.