Can you obtain a copy of a document drawn up by a notary?
Verified 02 September 2021 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Justice
Documents drawn up by the notary may sometimes be kept in the national or departmental archives. They can also be subject to land advertising, which is a formality allowing to give a certain date to the document.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
General case
The notary shall be bound by professional secrecy. However, he must provide a copy of the act he draws up to the persons or businesses concerned and to their heirs or rights-holders. If you are involved in the signature of a deed, or if you are the heir or the beneficiary of a participant in the signature of the deed, you can request a copy from the notary.
A copy of a notarial deed (marriage contract, will, inventory after death, etc.) may be issued to the parties involved in the case, to the heirs or their successors in title in paper or electronic version.
You must make the request directly to the notary who drew up the document, in writing.
The notary may charge you a fee.
In the event of a refusal or failure to reply, you may make a request to the president of the court of the place where the notary is located. This magistrate can order the notary to deliver you the copy of the deed.
Who shall I contact
Deed preserved in the national or departmental archives
If you did not participate in the signature of the deed or if you are not the heir or the beneficiary of a person who participated in the signature of the deed, the notary will refuse to issue you a copy. But if the document is kept in the national or departmental archives, you can request a copy from this service. The procedure varies according to the place of installation of the notary who signed the deed, and the conditions of issue depend on the date of its signature. Fees may be charged by the departmental or national archives.
General case
If the document is less than 75 years old (100 years old if it concerns a minor), a copy of the document will be issued to you with the agreement of the notary from whom the document originates, or his successor.
Act under 75 years of age (or under 100 if it concerns a minor)
A copy of the document will be issued to you with the agreement of the notary from whom the document originates or his successor.
You must make the request in writing and the Archives must respond within 2 months of your request.
Who shall I contact
Older Act
A copy of the document will be issued to you. The agreement of the notary from whom the document originates is not necessary in this case.
You must make the request in writing and the Archives must respond within 2 months of your request.
Who shall I contact
Deed produced by a notary of Paris
If you wish to obtain a copy of a notarial act that has been drawn up by a notary in Paris, you must contact the Department of the Central Minutier of Notaries in Paris, which is part of the National Archives.
Act under 75 years of age (or under 100 if it concerns a minor)
A copy of the document will be issued to you with the agreement of the notary from whom the document originates, or his successor.
You must make the request in writing and the Archives must respond within 2 months of your request.
Who shall I contact
Older Act
A copy of the document will be issued to you. The agreement of the notary from whom the document originates is not necessary in this case.
You must make the request in writing and the Archives must respond within 2 months of your request.
Who shall I contact
Deed subject to publication in the register
You can also ask the land advertising a copy of a document that has been submitted to this formality, even if it does not concern you. This service can also provide you with information about a property (identity of the owner, existence of a mortgage, etc.).
The request for a copy of documents or information differs depending on whether the act or information sought was entered in the mortgage registers before or after 1er January 1956.
In the 2 cases, you have to pay a tax called security contribution to real estate.
The amount of this fee varies according to the act concerned:
- €6 for a registration form
- €30 for a divisional descriptive statement or a co-ownership settlement
- €15 for any other document
The procedure is different depending on whether the document was published before 1956 or after 1956.
Act published since 1956
You can send the property advertising service the following 3 types of request:
- Request for information: allows you to know the situation of a real estate
- Supplementary Request for Information: to update information that has been obtained for some time
- Request for copy of documents: provides a copy of the documents relating to the immovable property which have been the subject of a land advertisement
Applications must be sent to the land advertising office of the location of the building.
Request for information
You can request the following two types of information from the property advertising service:
- Information on one or more properties
- Information about one or more properties on which you have a right in rem in immovable property
The request must be made using the following form:
The information delivered shall take the form of a copy of one or more handwritten forms or a computer response report from the date of computerization.
Supplementary request for information
If you have already obtained information and would like to have it updated, you can make a supplementary request for information.
The request must be made using the following form:
Request for copies of documents
You can request a copy of the following documents:
- Acts establishing the transfer of ownership of a built or non-built property (sale, donation, sharing, transfer by death...)
- Open Mortgage Registration Slips
- Co-ownership Regulations and Divisional Descriptive Reports
The request must be made using the following form:
Act published before 1956
You can address to the property advertising service 2 types of request:
- Request for a record of formalities before 1956: allows to obtain the references of the acts listed in the name of a person
- Request for a copy of documents: provides a copy of documents whose references were received via the request for a record of formalities before 1956
Applications must be sent to the land advertising office of the location of the property.
Request for a record of formalities before 1956
In advance, if you do not know the references given to the publication of a document, you can request the issuance of a record of formalities listed on behalf of an individual.
The request must be made using the following form:
Request for copies of documents
You can request a copy of the following documents:
- Acts establishing the transfer of ownership of a built or non-built property (sale, donation, sharing, transfer by death...)
- Open Mortgage Registration Slips
- Co-ownership Regulations and Divisional Descriptive Reports
The request must be made using the following form:
Act which has been the subject of the formality of registration
You can find the procedure for requesting the disclosure of a registered document on the dedicated page of the tax administration:
Application for the communication of a document which has been registered
Issuance of copies of documents and records
Authenticity of documents
Articles 32 and 37
Article L213-2: period for free consultation of notarial acts