Notaries Public (Amendment) Bill, 2026
Government bill, sponsored by the Portfolio of Legal Affairs (PLA)
Deferred.
What this bill does
This bill tightens the rules for becoming and remaining a notary public, limiting appointments to Caymanians aged under 80 and raising the experience required. It separates notaries who are attorneys from those who are not, requiring non-attorney notaries to complete a training programme and hold professional indemnity insurance, and adds a confidentiality duty backed by criminal penalties.
- Only Caymanians are eligible (permanent residency no longer qualifies) and no one aged 80 or over can be appointed or reappointed; required experience rises to five years for attorneys and accountants and six years for managers
- Non-attorney applicants must be fit and proper, never convicted of an imprisonable offence and never have had a conviction spent or expunged; they must complete the notaries training programme, and existing non-attorney notaries must do so within six months of it starting
- The late fee for an appointment lapsed more than six months rises from CI$250 to CI$750, and appointments not completed within 30 days of authorisation lapse
- Disclosing clients' non-public personal information without lawful authority is an offence carrying CI$5,000 and 12 months' jail; regulation offences can carry up to CI$10,000 and two years
Who it affects: current and prospective notaries public, especially non-attorneys, attorneys-at-law, accountants, people using notarial services
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