国务院


中华人民共和国公证暂行条例(附英文)

1982年4月13日，国务院

第一章 总 则
第一条 为健全国家公证制度，以维护社会主义法制，预防纠纷，减少诉讼，特制定本条例。
第二条 公证是国家公证机关根据当事人的申请，依法证明法律行为、有法律意义的文书和事实的真实性、合法性，以保护公共财产，保护公民身份上、财产上的权利和合法利益。
第三条 公证处是国家公证机关。公证处应当通过公证活动，教育公民遵守法律，维护社会主义法制。

第二章 公证处的业务
第四条 公证处的业务如下：
（一）证明合同（契约）、委托、遗嘱；
（二）证明继承权；
（三）证明财产赠与、分割；
（四）证明收养关系；
（五）证明亲属关系；
（六）证明身份、学历、经历；
（七）证明出生、婚姻状况、生存、死亡；
（八）证明文件上的签名、印鉴属实；
（九）证明文件的副本、节本、译本、影印本与原本相符；
（十）对于追偿债款、物品的文书，认为无疑义的，在该文书上证明有强制执行的效力；
（十一）保全证据；
（十二）保管遗嘱或其它文件；
（十三）代当事人起草申请公证的文书；
（十四）根据当事人的申请和国际惯例办理其它公证事务。

第三章 公证处的组织和领导
第五条 直辖市、县（自治县，下同）、市设立公证处。经省、自治区、直辖市司法行政机关批准，市辖区也可设立公证处。
第六条 公证处受司法行政机关领导。
公证处之间没有隶属关系。
第七条 公证处设公证员、助理公证员。根据需要，可以设主任、副主任。
主任、副主任由公证员担任。主任、副主任领导公证处的工作，并且必须执行公证员职务。
主任、副主任、公证员、助理公证员分别由直辖市、县、市人民政府依照干部管理的有关规定任免。
第八条 有选举权和被选举权的公民，符合下列条件之一的，可以被任命为公证员：
（一）经见习合格的高等院校法律专业毕业生，并从事司法工作、法律教学工作或者法学研究工作一年以上的；
（二）在人民法院、人民检察院曾任审判员、检察员职务的；
（三）在司法行政机关从事司法业务工作两年以上，或者在其他国家机关、团体、企业事业单位工作五年以上，并具有相当中等法律学校毕业生的法律知识的；
（四）曾任助理公证员职务二年以上的。
第九条 经见习合格的高等、中等法律学校毕业生，以及具有同等学历的国家工作人员，可以被任命为助理公证员。

第四章 管 辖
第十条 公证事务由申请人户籍所在地、法律行为或者事实发生地的公证处管辖。
第十一条 涉及财产转移的公证事务由申请人户籍所在地或者主要财产所在地的公证处管辖。
第十二条 申请办理同一公证事务的若干个当事人的户籍所在地不在一个公证处辖区，或者财产所在地跨几个公证处辖区时，由当事人协商，可向其中任何一个公证处提出申请。如当事人不能达成协议，由有关公证处从便民出发协商管辖。
第十三条 公证处之间如因管辖权而发生争议，由其共同上级司法行政机关指定管辖。
第十四条 司法部是各省、自治区、直辖市司法行政机关有权指定某项公证事务由某一公证处办理。
第十五条 我国驻外国大使馆、领事馆可以接受在驻在国的我国公民的要求，办理公证事务。

第五章 办理公证的程序
第十六条 当事人申请公证，应当亲自到公证处提出书面或口头申请。如果委托别人代理的，必须提出有代理权的证件。但申请公证证明委托、声明书、收养子女、遗嘱、签名印鉴的，不得委托别人代理，当事人确有困难时，公证员可到当事人所在地办理公证事务。
国家机关、团体、企业事业单位申请办理公证，应当派代表到公证处。代表人应当提出有代表权的证件。
第十七条 公证员不许办理本人、配偶或本人、配偶的近亲属申请办理的公证事务，也不许办理与本人或配偶有利害关系的公证事务。
当事人有申请公证员回避的权利。
第十八条 公证员必须审查当事人的身份和行使权利、履行义务的能力；审查当事人申请公证的事实和文书以及有关文件是否真实、合法。
第十九条 公证处对当事人提供的证明，认为不完备或有疑义时，有权通知当事人作必要的补充或者向有关单位、个人调查，索取有关证件和材料。有关单位、个人有义务给予协助。
第二十条 公证员应当按照司法部规定或批准的格式制作公证文书。
第二十一条 公证文书办理完毕后，应留存一份附卷。根据当事人的需要，制作若干份副本连同正本发给当事人。
第二十二条 公证处办理公证事务，应当按规定收费。公证费收费办法由司法部另行制订。
第二十三条 公证人员对本公证处所办理的公证事务，应当保守秘密。
第二十四条 依照第四条第十款规定，经过公证处证明有强制执行效力的债权文书，一方当事人不按文书规定履行时，对方当事人可以向有管辖权的基层人民法院申请执行。
第二十五条 公证处对不真实、不合法的事实与文书应拒绝公证。公证处拒绝当事人申请办理公证时，应当向当事人用口头或者书面说明拒绝的理由，并且说明对拒绝不服的申诉程序。
当事人对公证处的拒绝不服或者认为公证员处理不当，可以向公证处所在地的市、县司法行政机关或者上级司法行政机关申诉，由受理机关作出决定。
第二十六条 公证处或者它的同级司法行政机关、上级司法行政机关，如发现已经发出的公证文书有不当或者错误，应当撤销。
第二十七条 当事人申请办理的公证文书如系发往国外使用的，除按本章程规定的程序办理外，还应送外交部或者省、自治区、直辖市外事办公室和有关国家驻我国大使馆、领事馆认证。但文书使用国另有规定或者双方协议免除领事认证的除外。

第六章 附 则
第二十八条 本条例适用于在中国居住的外国公民。
第二十九条 本条例由司法部负责解释。
第三十条 本条例自发布之日起施行。

INTERIM REGULATIONS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA CONCERNINGNOTARIZATION

Important Notice: (注意事项)
英文本源自中华人民共和国务院法制局编译, 中国法制出版社出版的《中华人民
共和国涉外法规汇编》(1991年7月版).
当发生歧意时, 应以法律法规颁布单位发布的中文原文为准.
This English document is coming from "LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA GOVERNING FOREIGN-RELATED MATTERS" (1991.7)
which is compiled by the Brueau of Legislative Affairs of the State
Council of the People's Republic of China, and is published by the China
Legal System Publishing House.
In case of discrepancy, the original version in Chinese shall prevail.

Whole Document (法规全文)
INTERIM REGULATIONS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA CONCERNING
NOTARIZATION
(Promulgated by the State Council on April 13, 1982)

Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1
These Regulations are formulated to strengthen and perfect the statenotarial system, to uphold the socialist legal system, to prevent disputesand to reduce the number of lawsuit cases.
Article 2
Notarization means that the state notarial department, upon application ofany party concerned, gives testimonial, according to law, to theauthenticity and legality of legal actions, legal documents and legalfacts, 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 officeshould, through its notarial activities, educate citizens in abiding bythe 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. With the approval of the judicial administrative
authorities of the province, autonomous region and municipality directly
under the Central Government, a municipal district may also set up the
notary office.
Article 6
The notary office shall be under the leadership of the judicial
administrative authorities. The subordinative relationship does not exist
between notary offices.
Article 7
The notary office shall have positions of notary and assistant notary.
When necessary, it may have positions of director and deputy director.
The positions of director and deputy director shall be assumed by
notaries. The director and deputy director shall direct the work of the
notary office, and must also execute the duties of notaries.
Directors, deputy directors, notaries, and assistant notaries shall be
appointed and removed respectively by the relevant people's government of
the municipality directly under the Central Government, of the county, or
of the municipality in accordance with the relevant provisions of the
administration of cadres.
Article 8
Any citizen who has the right to elect and stands for elections and who
meet one of the following qualifications may be appointed as a notary:
(1) graduates of law specialty of institutions of higher learning who have
passed the probation, and have engaged in judicial work, teaching of law,or research in law for 1 year or more;
(2) those who have served in a people's court or a people's procuratorate
as judges or procurators;
(3) those who have engaged in judicial work in the judicial administrativedepartment for 2 years or more, or who have worked in other statedepartments, public organizations, or enterprises and institutions for 5
years or more, and have the knowledge in law comparable to that ofgraduates from secondary law schools;
(4) those who have served as assistant notaries for 2 years or more.
Article 9
Graduates from law schools at the secondary and higher levels who havepassed the probation, and government functionaries with the equivalentrecord of education, may be appointed as assistant notaries.

Chapter IV Jurisdiction
Article 10
Notarial affairs shall be under the jurisdiction of the notary office at
the locality where the applicant has his/her residence registration, or
where legal actions or legal facts have occurred.
Article 11
Notarial affairs concerning transfer of properties shall be under the
jurisdiction of the notary office at the locality where the applicant has
his/her residence registration, or where principal properties are located.
Article 12
In the event that a number of persons concerned, who apply for the
handling of the same notarial affair, have their residence registration at
different localities that do not come under the jurisdiction of one and
the same notary office, or the properties are scattered in several areas
that come under the jurisdiction of different notary offices, these
persons concerned may, through consultation, make their applications to
any of those notary offices. In the event that the persons concerned fail
to reach an agreement, the different notary offices concerned shall
coordinate in jurisdiction out of consideration for the convenience of the
persons concerned.
Article 13
In the event that jurisdictional disputes arise among various notary
offices, their common superior - the judicial administrative authorities
at a higher level shall designate the jurisdiction.
Article 14
The Ministry of Justice and the judicial departments of various provinces,
autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central
Government shall have the authority to assign a certain notary office to
handle a particular notarial affair.
Article 15
The embassy or consulate of China in a foreign country may handle notarial
affairs at the request of a Chinese citizen residing in the foreign
country where there is Chinese embassy or consulate.

Chapter V Procedures for the Handling of Notarial Affairs
Article 16
In applying for notarization, a party concerned shall go to the notary
office personally to make an application in writing or verbally. If the
application affair is entrusted to an agent, certifying documents of the
power of attorney shall be presented. However, the application affair
shall not be entrusted to an agent if the party concerned applies to the
notary office for a testimonial concerning a power of attorney, a
statement, adoption of children, a will, or signatures and seals; if the
party concerned has true difficulty in making the application, the notary
may go to the locality where the party concerned resides, to handle the
notarial affairs.
In the event that state organs, public organizations, enterprises and
institutions apply for notarization, they shall send their representatives
to the notary office. The representatives shall present their certifying
documents of the power of representation.
Article 17
Notaries shall not handle notarial affairs which they themselves or their
spouses, or which the near relatives of themselves or their spouses apply
for; in addition, they shall not handle notarial affairs that they
themselves or their spouses have interests in. The parties concerned shall
have the right to apply for the withdrawal of any of the notaries.
Article 18
The notaries must examine the status of the parties concerned and their
ability to exercise rights and to perform obligations; and must examine
the authenticity and legality of the facts, documents and other relevant
documents, with regard to all of which the persons concerned are applying
for a testimonial.
Article 19
In the event that the notary office holds that the evidence provided by
the persons concerned is not complete or is doubtful, it has the right to
notify the persons concerned that they make necessary additions to
complete the evidence, or it may consult the departments or individuals
concerned and ask them to provide certifying documents and materials. The
departments and individuals concerned shall have the obligation to render
assistance.
Article 20
Notaries shall prepare notarial documents in accordance with the format
prescribed or approved by the Ministry of Justice.
Article 21
After notarial documents have been processed, an additional copy of the
documents shall be kept on file. In accordance with the needs of the
persons concerned, duplicates may be prepared, which shall be issued to
the persons concerned together with the original documents.
Article 22
The notary office shall collect service charges for handling notarial
affairs. The measures for collecting notarial service charges shall be
formulated by the Ministry of Justice separately.
Article 23
The notarial affairs, as handled by the notary office, shall be kept
confidential by the notaries.
Article 24
If one party concerned refuses to act in accordance with the stipulations
of the document concerning creditor's rights which has been rendered
compulsory by the notary office in accordance with the stipulations of
Item 10, Article 4, the other party concerned may apply to a basic
people's court which has jurisdiction for execution.
Article 25
The notary office shall refuse to give a testimonial to false or illegal
statements and documents. When the notary office refuses to accept an
application of the party concerned for notarization, it shall explain,
verbally or in writing, to the party concerned the reason why his/her
application is rejected, and explain also the procedure for making an
appeal if the applicant is not satisfied with the rejection. In the event
that the party concerned is not satisfied with the rejection made by the
notary office, or thinks that the notary has handled the notarial affair
improperly, he/she may make an appeal to the municipal or county judicial
administrative department at the locality where the notary office is
located or to the judicial administrative department at a higher level,
and the department that accepts the appeal shall make a decision.
Article 26
The notary office, or the judicial administrative department at the same
level, or the judicial administrative department at a higher level, shall
rescind a notarial document which has already been issued, if they
discover that there are improper points or mistakes in it.
Article 27
In the event that notarial documents, processed in accordance with the
application made by the party concerned, are to be sent to a foreign
country for use, these notarial documents, apart from being processed in
accordance with the procedures as prescribed in this chapter, shall be
sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or to the foreign affairs office
of the province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the
Central Government, and also to the said foreign country's embassy or
consulate in China for confirmation. However, the aforesaid stipulations
shall not apply to such cases where a foreign country in which the
notarial documents are to be used prescribes otherwise in its relevant
provisions, or where an agreement has been signed between China and the
said foreign country on exempting the aforesaid confirmation of notarial
documents.

Chapter VI Supplementary Provisions
Article 28
These Regulations shall apply to foreign citizens residing in China.
Article 29
The right to interpret these Regulations shall reside in the Ministry of
Justice.
Article 30
These Regulations shall go into effect as of the date of promulgation.