Notarial Practice Course

The UCL Laws Notarial Practice course is designed to enable legally qualified applicants to fulfil the professional stage of the three stages to becoming a Notary Public

A Notary Public is a legal officer of ancient standing. The functions of Notaries include the preparation and execution of legal documents for use abroad, attesting the authenticity of deeds and writings, and protesting bills of exchange. Notaries in England and Wales may also provide any non-contentious legal service, including Conveyancing and Probate activities.

Notaries are admitted and regulated in England and Wales by The Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The process of qualification and appointment as a Notary consists of three stages:

  1. Academic Training
    Before commencing the Notarial Practice Course, applicants must hold a valid certificate issued by the Faculty Office exempting them from all 8 modules which comprise the ‘Academic’ stage of training. Applicants will not be able to commence the Notarial Practice Course until a Certificate of Exemption has been granted, although the provider may give a place to an applicant conditional upon obtaining a Certificate of Exemption.
  2. Professional Training
    This is a two-year mostly distance learning course, with minimum attendance requirements, run on the Faculty Office’s behalf by an academic provider, to train candidates in Notarial Practice. The academic provider for the Notarial Practice Course is currently University College, London (UCL).
  3. Admission
    Upon successful completion of the Notarial Practice Course applicants will need to apply to the Faculty Office for appointment as a Notary and admission to the Roll of Notaries.

About the UCL Notarial Course structure

The course is normally completed within two years on a part-time basis, starting in late September of each year, and includes three modules of study:

  1. Year 1 – September to December 2026
    Roman Law as an Introduction to Modern Civil Law Systems (“Roman Law”)
  2. Year 1 – January to March 2027
    Private International Law
  3. Year 2 – September 2027 to March 2028
    Notarial Practice

All first year courses must be passed before students can begin Year 2 of the course.

Teaching

The majority of the course is delivered through electronic learning, which allows you to study at home or in the workplace. Your learning is also supported by an introductory workshop and 12-hours of workshops each year over the two years of the course. Some workshops are held in-person on Saturdays and some are held as 2-hour tutorial sessions online on weekday (either daytime or evenings).

Throughout the course, you will have access to UCL’s Virtual Learning Environment (Moodle), where you can find information about your weekly learning schedules, written assignments, interactive activities, and links to recommended reading and other study materials held on within UCL’s digital library collections.

We estimate that the time commitment to studying for this course is around 10-12 hours per week.

You will be assessed by written examinations, taken at the end of each module.

Since applicants cannot commence the Notarial Practice Course until a Certificate of Exemption has been granted, all applicants are encouraged to apply for a Certificate at the earliest possible opportunity.

The Certificate is the single entry requirement for the course and you will need to make an application to the the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Information about Notaries, including a full information pack on the qualification requirements, appointment procedures and the application form for the Certificate of Exemption from the academic stage of qualification required prior to enrolment on the postgraduate stage of training, is available from the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury website.

NB for September 2026 start:
The last meeting of the Faculty Office’s Notarial Qualification Board (NQB) where applications for Certificates of Exemption are considered is in early July 2026 - previous meetings are held in October, December, January, March, June. We strongly recommend that you get your application for your Certificate of Exemption in place for early consideration (October - March) to avoid the later rush. The Faculty Office will not make any exceptions for last-minute or late applications for the Certificate of Exemption and if you do not have your Certificate in place you will NOT be able to join the course in September 2026.

If your application has been considered at an earlier NQB and you have been asked to complete additional training to fulfil your exemption requirements then we will hold a place for you on the course (provided you have made an application to us using the link below).

As agreed with the Faculty Office, applicants must notify us that they have received a certificate of exemption, or that they have completed any qualifications required by the Qualifications Board as a condition for obtaining a certificate of exemption, by 15 August 2026.

The Open Day gives prospective students the opportunity to find out about the role and function of Public Notaries, including how they are trained, how they practice and how they are regulated. Student have the opportunity to meet formally and informally with the UCL course tutors as well as representatives of the regulatory body, The Faculty Office, and the Notary Society.

The next open day takes place on Saturday 6th December 2026. 
Sign up for the open day (£15) by clicking here

Watch the previous open day recordings from November 2024 on our Vimeo Site

How to apply

Please make your application using the online form below. We will contact you for any other necessary documents, and will contact the Faculty Office for a copy of your Certificate of Exemption. 

Queries: lisa.penfold@ucl.ac.uk


Click here to Apply for September 2026 

Deadline: 
The application deadline for entry in September 2026 is close of business on Friday 17 July 2026. Please also note the deadline for receiving your Certificater of Exemption from the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the section above on applying for your Certificate.  

Course fees for 2026-7 (including examination fees):
£9,950 for the full two-year course.
Please note that the curriculum is currently being reviewed, in consultation with the Faculty Office, and a new module may be added, incurring additional fees.

Monthly payment option
For individuals self-financing their course fees it will be possible to pay via 20 x monthly interest free instalments between September 2026 to April 2028. Details will be provided on this option when students are admitted to the course.

UCL graduates receive a 15% discount on the fees.

NB: As agreed with the Faculty Office, applicants must notify us that they have received a certificate of exemption, or that they have completed any qualifications required by the Qualifications Board as a condition for obtaining a certificate of exemption, by 15 August 2026.

The Notaries Society has published two useful leaflets on becoming a Notary, intended for law graduates and for legal practitioners:
Becoming a Notary – An alternative legal career: A guide for law graduates
Becoming a Notary – A complementary legal career: A guide for legal practitioners

Queries

If you have any questions or queries about this course, please email UCL Laws Events & CPD Manager, Lisa Penfold.