Título VI. Legalizaciones

Notaries may legalize signatures when they are affixed or acknowledged in their presence. Likewise, they may legalize photocopies, photostatic copies and other reproductions made by analogous procedures, provided that the same are processed, copied or reproduced from the original, as applicable, in the presence of the authorizing notary.

The Record of Legalization shall contain:

a)When it relates to signatures: The place and the date; the names of the signatories; their identification by means established in subsection 4 of Article 29 of this law, if they are not known to the Notary; attestation that the signatures are authentic; signatures of the signatories; and the signatures of the witnesses, if any;

b)When it relates to photocopies, photostatic copies or other reproductions made by analogous procedures: The place and the date; attestation that the reproductions are authentic and a brief account of the data appearing on the sheets preceding that on which the record is entered or of the entire legalized document, when it is materially impossible to draw it up on the document itself. All sheets preceding the last one must be signed and sealed by the Notary.

In both cases the record must bear the signature and seal of the Notary preceded, in the first case by the words: “before me” and in the second case by the words: “by me and before me”.

If the signature shall have been affixed by a person at the request of another who does not know how to sign or is unable to sign, both shall appear at the act; in the case of recognition, the attendance of the obligor shall be sufficient, which the notary shall certify. The person who does not know how to sign or is unable to sign shall place his fingerprint at the foot of the record.

The authentication does not prejudge the validity of the document, nor the capacity or representative authority of the signatories or signers.

The Notary shall sign and seal the sheet or sheets preceding that on which the record of authentication is subscribed, stating this circumstance therein.

If the record of authentication is written on a sheet separate from the document, reference shall be made thereto in the record.

Of each record of legalization the Notary shall make an entry in his own protocol, within a term not to exceed eight days, setting forth:

1st Place and date;

2nd Name and surnames of the signatories;

3rd Brief and substantial description of the content of the document bearing the signature or signatures being legalized, which he authenticates, indicating the value, numbers and five-year periods of the stamped-paper sheets on which both the document and the record of authentication are written, or mention of the class of paper on which they are written.

These entries shall be recorded following the order and numbering of the protocol and shall be signed solely by the Notary.