Contact details including name, date of birth and residential address will be required. Note: employers address not to be provided, suburb/city cannot be a capital city unless you live in the capital.

If you change your name and it differs from that on your documentation (transcript, ID etc.) and you wish to be appointed in your new name, a certified copy of either your marriage certificate or your change of name certificate is to be uploaded in the online portal.

Supplementary collection of personal information such as ancestry and languages spoken are optional questions listed in the online portal. 

Applicant consent is required for all applications made via the online portal.  Questions will relate to VLAB sharing information or making enquiries from third persons for the purpose of applying for admission.  This can include health information and identification verification.

If you do not agree to consent, an application cannot be commenced, and you must make contact with VLAB.

You may wish to make an affirmation or take the oath of office at your appointment ceremony.  Please consider your response carefully as you will not be able to change it in the future.  The oath of office will be read aloud, and you will be asked to say "I swear by all mighty God to do so" on your chosen religious text.  If you are making an affirmation of office however, you will be asked to say "I do so declare and affirm."  See Form 2-15E Oath of Office. (External link)

To assist in determining what maters should be disclosed, you must read the Suitability Guidelines for Public Notaries.

Disclosure Statement

You must make full disclosure of any relevant matters in a statutory declaration and exhibit documentary evidence to support the essential details of the matter/s you are disclosing.  A disclosure is only required if you have a matter to disclose as per the Suitability Guidelines for Public Notaries.  Do NOT attempt to upload a Disclosure Statement that states there are no disclosures. In the event that you have nothing to disclose, it is not a requirement that you upload a declaration.  All disclosures are to be uploaded in the online portal.

The Public Notary disclosure statement template can be found here.

Nil Disclosure

If you have no matters relating to suitability you will be provided with a statement to attest to nil disclosure.

To be eligible for appointment as a Public Notary, we must confirm your identity.  Two forms of identification must be provided, one must include a name and address which must match that on your application. 

All ID docs are to be uploaded in the online portal.

The list of acceptable forms of ID can be found here.

To apply for a Certificate of Eligibility from the Victorian Legal Admissions Board, the following documents must be completed and uploaded to the VLAB portal:

1. Form 2-15A Application for a Certificate of Eligibility Affidavit (External link);
2. Notarial Practice Certificate; and
3. Certificate of Fitness. 

A certified copy of the Certificate of Completion of an approved Public Notaries course is to be uploaded to the VLAB portal.

Certificates of Fitness must be ordered from the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner.  Further information can be found on their website (External link).  A certified copy is to be uploaded to the VLAB portal.

The Certificate of Fitness must include the following content:

• that you are in good standing and are not subject to any current or pending disciplinary matters;
• the date on which you were admitted;
• the historical record of practising certificates held by you, including specifically any duration when you have held a Principal Practising Certificate; and
• must be issued within 28 days of the date your application for appointment is received. 

Prior to submitting your application for the Certificate of Eligibility, you will need to make payment of the Certificate of Eligibility fee to the Prothonotary’s Office of the Supreme Court at admissions@supcourt.vic.gov.au (External link).  

The Court will contact you to take payment over the phone.  Please ensure you keep the receipt that is emailed to you.

The following documents are required:

1. an Originating Motion:  Form 5D of Chapter I of the Supreme Court Rules; (External link)
2. an Affidavit in support:  Form 2-15C Affidavit In Support Of Application For Appointment (External link);
3. a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility should be exhibited to your Affidavit in support; and
4. the required fees must be paid:  filing fee on Originating Motion AND Authentication of Order fee. 

The RedCrest (External link) portal will prompt you to pay the relevant fees (External link). 

Your completed Form 2-15D Notice of Intention to Apply for Appointment as a Public Notary (External link) must be uploaded to the VLAB online portal. (External link)  VLAB will publish your notice of intention on your behalf.

Within one month after appointment, a Public Notary must file notification of particulars and specimen seal using Form 2-15F Notification After Appointment (External link).  The completed form must be addressed to:

• Prothonotary's Office of the Supreme Court:  210 William Street, Melbourne 3000; and
• Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner:  GPO Box 492 Melbourne 3001

Once you have filed the Form 2-15F Notification After Appointment with the Supreme Court of Victoria and the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner, you must log back into the VLAB client portal here (External link) to finalise your appointment as a Public Notary. 

This is done by ticking the relevant acknowledgements AND clicking the finalise and submit button.  Only once you have completed this step will your application for appointment as a Public Notary be finalised.