How to Become a Sheriff in British Columbia
How to become a deputy sheriff in British Columbia through the BC Sheriff Service, from the mandatory criteria to recruit training.
How to Become a Notary in British Columbia
The BC notary route: the SFU Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies, the six-month Notary Education Program, mentorship, and commissioning.
Applies in: British Columbia
British Columbia has its own notary profession, and it is not the Ontario appointment system and not the Quebec civil-law notariat. BC notaries are members of the Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia, a self-regulated legal entity, and they practise under the Notaries Act. Members of the Law Society of BC are lawyers and notaries public; members of the Society are non-lawyer notaries public. This guide covers the BC route only, as the Society states it.
Step 1: Understand what a BC notary does
The scope of practice of notaries in British Columbia is much broader than that of notaries public in other provinces. BC notaries provide legal advice and legal services in areas of non-contentious law, similar to the services lawyers provide in those areas, and notaries and lawyers are held to the same standards by the Supreme Court of British Columbia. That breadth is why the education route is long and why a notary from another province cannot transfer in on the strength of an out-of-province commission. Notaries from other provinces would be required to complete the SFU Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies program, the Notary Education Program, and the statutory examinations in order to be commissioned and become a member. Labour mobility provisions exist under the Agreement on Internal Trade, but the Society states that, given the scope of practice of notaries in BC, it is unlikely that equivalency can be met.
Step 2: Complete the SFU Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies
Completion of the SFU Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies program is the prerequisite for the Notary Education Program, and no other educational institution provides a similar program. All initial applications are made directly to Simon Fraser University for the Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies. The Society also recognizes degrees obtained from other Canadian law schools: only a common-law Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws is equivalent to the Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies. A Master in Laws degree does not meet the minimum requirement, and a person with an LLM who wishes to pursue a career as a member should apply to the SFU Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies program. If you hold a foreign degree, you apply directly to Simon Fraser University and must meet its graduate studies requirements for international credentials. You must also complete a university-level accounting course, and a course taken as part of your degree counts if you provide the transcript. Persons with civil law degrees are required to complete the SFU Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies program or a common-law degree.
Step 3: Apply to the Notary Education Program
Applications for the Notary Education Program starting in January 2027 are being accepted through the application portal. If you have completed a Canadian law degree, or are an international applicant who has completed a common-law degree, create an account on the portal. The application portal opens in September, and students in the final semester of the Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies program can complete the application process before they graduate, using an unofficial transcript downloaded from the SFU site. All applicants are subject to law enforcement and criminal record background verification, a credit and financial background check, and identification verification. Three letters of reference are required, and they cannot be provided by friends or family members. For the notary reference, contact and engage with notaries in your area and request appointments; the reference must come from a notary who is currently in active practice, and lawyers may provide personal references only. Having a criminal record or being bankrupt may affect your application, and each case is evaluated individually, so disclose both during the application process.
Step 4: Complete the six-month Notary Education Program
The Notary Education Program is a six-month program running from January to June, offered on an annual basis. It is delivered through a combination of in-person and hybrid learning formats. Students can expect to spend approximately two blocks of four weeks, eight weeks in total, in Vancouver for in-person training, with the two blocks separated by a mentoring period. Other components may be conducted online. All in-person classes are held in Vancouver. The Society does not provide living arrangements for students during the in-person training, so arrange your own stay. The program covers in-person classes, online training, mentorship, and preparation for the statutory examinations. You cannot skip the in-class training and challenge the statutory examinations, unless you are a lawyer who graduated from a recognized Canadian law institution and has relevant experience in notary practice. Conveyancing experience does not earn an exemption from any part of the program.
Step 5: Complete the six-week mentorship
The mentoring requirement involves spending six weeks in a notary practice under the supervision of an approved notary public. The mentorship must be done in person, and it must be fulfilled as part of the Notary Education Program, so previous or current employment at a notary public office does not count toward it. The Society provides a list of approved mentors, and it is your responsibility to initiate contact and conduct interviews with the notaries you are interested in mentoring with. If a notary you are interested in is not on the list, they can apply to the Society for approval as a mentor. To be eligible to act as a mentor, a notary must have been in active practice for at least five years, be in full-time practice at the time of the application, and be approved by the Society. The Society suggests that you start building your contacts and networks before the Notary Education Program starts. Whether you are paid during the mentorship is a matter to discuss and agree on with your mentor.
Step 6: Pass the statutory examinations and be commissioned
The statutory examinations are conducted before commissioning. Throughout the course, statutory skills assessments and examinations are held, and the specific timing for commissioning is determined by the Court's schedule. After you are commissioned by the Supreme Court of British Columbia and become a member, you can start practising as a notary public. If you choose not to apply for the Notary Education Program immediately after completing the SFU program, you can apply in the future. The Society's office is at P.O. Box 44, Suite 700, 625 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2T6, phone 604-681-4516, toll-free 1-800-663-0343.
Figures the opened Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia pages do not state
The opened Society pages state the education route, the program length and format, the mentorship, the reference and background-check requirements, and the commissioning step set out above. They do not state the tuition for the Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies program or the Notary Education Program, the application fee, or a total cost for the route. Those figures were cut from this guide rather than filled in from another source. Confirm the current fees with the Society and with Simon Fraser University before you apply.
Related guides:
- How to become a notary in Canada: the BC, Quebec, Ontario and Alberta routes: the national overview that compares the four routes, including the BC route summarized here in full.
- How to become a notary in Quebec: Quebec's civil-law notaire route, which is a different profession from BC's notary public.
The British Columbia notary path
- Complete the SFU MA ALS degreeThe Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies at Simon Fraser University, or a common-law law degree, is the prerequisite for the Notary Education Program
- Apply to the Notary Education ProgramApplications for the program starting in January 2027 are being accepted through the Society's application portal
- Complete the six-month programThe program runs January to June, with about eight weeks of in-person training in Vancouver and online components
- Complete the six-week mentorshipSix weeks in a notary practice under the supervision of an approved notary public, in person
- Pass the statutory examinationsStatutory skills assessments and examinations run through the course, and the examinations come before commissioning
- Be commissioned and join the SocietyCommissioning by the Supreme Court of British Columbia, then membership in the Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia
Questions people ask
Is a BC notary the same as a notary in Ontario or Quebec?
No. BC notaries are non-lawyer notaries public who give legal advice and legal services in non-contentious law, much like lawyers do in those areas, and the Supreme Court of British Columbia holds them to the same standards. Notaries in other provinces have a far narrower scope. A notary from another province must complete the full BC route, the SFU degree, the Notary Education Program, and the statutory examinations, to be commissioned here.
What education do I need to become a notary in BC?
The Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies at Simon Fraser University, or a common-law Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws from another Canadian law school. A Master in Laws does not qualify. You also need a university-level accounting course, and one taken during your degree counts if you send the transcript.
Do I need law or legal experience before applying?
No. SFU takes applicants from diverse academic backgrounds who meet the minimum admission standards, and no specific law or legal experience is required. Time in a law office helps but is not mandatory.
How long is the Notary Education Program, and where does it run?
Six months, January to June, offered once a year. About eight weeks are in person in Vancouver, in two four-week blocks separated by the mentoring period, and the rest runs online. Applications for the program starting in January 2027 are being accepted through the Society's portal, which opens in September.
What is the mentorship requirement for BC notaries?
Six weeks in a notary practice under an approved notary public, done in person as part of the program. Earlier or current work at a notary office does not count. The Society lists approved mentors, and a mentor must have five years in active practice plus full-time practice at the time of application. Start building contacts with local notaries before the program begins, since you arrange the mentorship yourself.
What checks and references does the application need?
Three reference letters, none from friends or family, and the notary reference must come from a notary in active practice; lawyers can only give personal references. Every applicant faces a law enforcement and criminal record check, a credit and financial background check, and an identification check. A criminal record or a bankruptcy may affect the application and must be disclosed, with each case judged on its own facts.
Sources
- Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia, Frequently Asked Questions — the SFU Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies prerequisite, the law-degree equivalences, the six-month program and its in-person blocks, the six-week mentorship, the three reference letters, the background checks, and the statutory examinations and commissioning.
- Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia, Application Information — applications for the program starting in January 2027, the law-degree and civil-law-degree routes, the lawyer and notary distinction, the background verification, the annual program, and the Society's contact details.