UAE Private Notary Fines: What the Law Says and What It Means for You

Who can be fined, and by whom

A private notary gets the right to act by being entered in the official register kept by the competent department (Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2022, Article 1). Because the authority to act comes from being on that register, the body that keeps the register also supervises the notary.

In Dubai, the private notary is an individual on the Dubai Courts roll who performs part of the work of the government notary. Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 places technical oversight of notaries with the court's President, or a judge acting on the President's authority. Disciplinary rules for Dubai private notaries come from that law and the decisions made under it. Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013 sets them in Article 42: a fine of AED 500 to AED 30,000 on the firm when the firm or any of its private notaries breaks the law, doubled for a repeat within one year up to AED 50,000, plus a warning, suspension for up to two years or removal from the roll. A disciplinary committee formed by Dubai Courts hears the case first, and the notary can file a grievance with the President of the Court within 30 days (Article 39).

Under the federal system, penalties are set by the federal rules on notary penalties.

What kind of conduct penalty rules usually cover

The duties the penalties protect are set out in the notary law itself. Under Article 7 of the federal law, a notary must:

Fees: the rule that matters most to clients

Fees are where a client can most easily check a notary. Article 2 of Cabinet Resolution No. 19 of 2024 lets a private notary on the federal schedule add 30 percent to the listed fee as a professional charge. For example, a power of attorney is AED 100 per party on that schedule, so AED 130 per party through a private notary.

Dubai private notaries follow a separate Dubai Courts fee decision. Its published figures include AED 100 per party registration, AED 100 per signature and AED 1,000 per trip outside the place of work.

A provider's own service charge, for drafting, translation, booking or a visit, is separate from the notary's fee, and you are entitled to see the two apart. See the notary fees page for the full breakdown.

How to protect yourself when you sign

If something went wrong

If you believe a private notary acted improperly, the complaint goes to the authority that supervises them: in Dubai, Dubai Courts. Under Article 36 of Dubai Law No. 4 of 2013, a person affected by a notary's action may send a written grievance to the President of the Court within one week of that action. Keep your receipt, a copy of the document and the date and place of signing.

If your concern is about a provider's service rather than the notarial act, raise it with the provider first.