Article 9. Prohibited Acts
1. Notaries are strictly prohibited from committing the following acts:
a) Disclosing information on notarization contents, except where the requestor of notarization consents in writing or where otherwise provided by law; using information on notarization contents to infringe upon the lawful rights and interests of individuals, organizations, or the State;
b) Carrying out notarization in cases where the purpose, parties, or contents of the transaction violate the law or contravene social morals; instigating or facilitating parties to enter into sham transactions or commit other fraudulent acts;
c) Notarizing transactions related to property or interests of themselves or of their relatives, including: spouse; natural or adoptive parents; natural or adoptive parents of the spouse; natural or adoptive children, sons/daughters-in-law; paternal and maternal grandparents; siblings; siblings of the spouse; grandchildren being the children of their natural or adoptive children;
d) Harassing or causing difficulties for persons requesting notarization; accepting or demanding money or other benefits from persons requesting notarization beyond notarization fees, service charges as required for notarization, and other agreed lawful expenses; accepting or demanding money or other benefits from third parties in order to perform or not to perform notarization;
đ) Coercing individuals or organizations to use their services; colluding or conspiring with individuals or organizations to falsify the contents of notarization request files or notarization files;
e) Offering money or other benefits, exerting pressure, threats, or engaging in acts violating the law or contravening social morals in order to obtain advantages in notarization;
g) Advertising on mass media about notaries and notarial practice organizations;
h) Practicing simultaneously in two or more notarial practice organizations; concurrently serving as a bailiff, lawyer, auctioneer, insolvency practitioner, legal consultant, price appraiser; working under employment contracts or labor contracts in enterprises, cooperatives, unions of cooperatives, agencies, or other organizations, or participating in jobs that require regular working hours during office time;
i) Engaging in management of enterprises, cooperatives, or unions of cooperatives other than notarial practice organizations; engaging in brokerage or agency activities, or sharing profits in transactions notarized by themselves; conducting production, business, or providing services outside the scope of notarization and certification activities;
k) Allowing others to use their notary appointment decision or notary card;
l) Investing wholly or contributing capital together with other notaries to establish, or acquiring the entire capital contribution of all general partners of a Notary Office organized and operating as a partnership without personally participating as a general partner in such Notary Office; contributing capital, receiving capital contributions, or cooperating with organizations or individuals who are not notaries to establish or acquire the entire capital contribution of all general partners of a Notary Office organized and operating as a partnership; investing to establish or acquire a Notary Office organized and operating as a private enterprise without serving as its Head.
2. Notarial practice organizations are strictly prohibited from committing the following acts:
a) Committing acts specified at Points a, b, d, đ, e, g, i, and l of Clause 1 of this Article;
b) Establishing branches, representative offices, facilities, or transaction locations other than the head office of the notarial practice organization;
c) Allowing persons ineligible to practice notarization, or notaries temporarily suspended from practice, to perform notarization or certification at their organization;
d) Allowing notaries to perform notarization or certification at their organization when the notarial practice organization has been revoked of its establishment permit.
3. Individuals and organizations are strictly prohibited from committing the following acts:
a) Impersonating notaries, notarization requestors, witnesses, or interpreters;
b) Providing false information or documents; disclosing or using information obtained in the course of notarization as prescribed at Point a, Clause 1 of this Article; using forged, altered, or unlawfully modified papers or documents to request notarization or to apply for appointment or re-appointment as a notary;
c) Engaging in deceitful or dishonest acts in the course of requesting notarization, acting as a witness, or interpreting;
d) Obstructing notarization activities; refusing to provide information or documents necessary for notarization in contravention of law; refusing to perform legal procedures related to notarized transactions without lawful grounds;
đ) Individuals who are not notaries, and organizations that are not notarial practice organizations, engaging in the following acts: investing wholly, contributing capital, receiving capital contributions, associating, or cooperating to share profits in notarization activities; providing notarization services; naming organizations, enterprises, cooperatives, or unions of cooperatives, or displaying signboards or otherwise advertising services under contents indicating the provision of notarization services or contents likely to cause confusion with notarization services.
