SEC Now Accepts Electronically Notarized Documents: What SC-SEC Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2026 Means for Your Company
You can now notarize SEC registration and amendment documents online through a Supreme Court-accredited platform. Here is who it covers, how it works on eSPARC and eAMEND, what is excluded, and what to check before you file.
On October 13, 2026, the Supreme Court and the SEC signed Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2026, Acceptance and Integration of Electronically Notarized Documents in SEC Systems and Transactions. The SEC now accepts documents notarized electronically through a Supreme Court-accredited Electronic Notarization Facility (ENF), including forms filed through eSPARC (new company registration) and eAMEND (amendments). The Supreme Court’s eNotarization service went live nationwide on October 19, 2026. Traditional notarization is still accepted. E-notarized filings remain subject to SEC post-audit.
For most corporations, notarization is the slowest part of an SEC filing. Officers sign in different places, someone has to find a notary in the right city, and originals get couriered back and forth. This circular lets you skip the trip for many SEC documents, as long as you use the right platform and file the right format. Here is what changed and how to use it safely.
What the circular says
- Scope (Section 1). It covers electronically notarized documents submitted for SEC applications, petitions, filings, and other transactions, across departments including the Company Registration and Monitoring Department, Corporate Governance and Finance Department, Financial Analysis and Audit Department, Financing and Lending Companies Department, Markets and Securities Regulation Department, and the SEC Extension Offices.
- Acceptance (Section 2). The SEC recognizes documents electronically notarized under the Supreme Court’s Rules on Electronic Notarization (A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC). This is without prejudice to traditional notarization under the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice.
- Internal guidelines (Section 3). The SEC will issue its own procedures and security protocols for processing these documents.
- Submission and post-audit (Section 4). The circular sets the steps for eSPARC and eAMEND, and e-notarized documents are subject to post-audit and review of their embedded digital security features.
- Effectivity. Immediately after publication in two newspapers of general circulation.
How it works on eSPARC and eAMEND
- Open the portal. For a new company, use eSPARC. For amendments to articles of incorporation or by-laws, log in to eAMEND through your eSECURE account.
- Download and sign the system-generated forms. Accomplish them exactly as generated; the file must stay a PDF or PDF/A.
- Have them electronically notarized by a commissioned Electronic Notary Public through a Supreme Court-accredited ENF, either in person (In-Person Electronic Notarization) or by videoconference (Remote Electronic Notarization).
- Upload the e-notarized PDF and finalize the application in the same portal.
Which ENF providers are accredited?
Check the current list on the Supreme Court eNotarization registration portal before you book. Only documents notarized through an accredited ENF qualify.
What is not covered
- Paper documents with handwritten (wet-ink) signatures. These stay under the 2004 Notarial Rules.
- Notarial wills and depositions, which the Supreme Court rules exclude from e-notarization.
- Land and property transactions. These fall under a separate SC-LRA joint circular, not this one.
Before your next SEC filing: a checklist
- Decide per document whether e-notarization or traditional notarization is faster for your signatories. Both are valid.
- Keep the document digital end to end. Do not print, wet-sign, and rescan a form you plan to e-notarize.
- Prepare valid IDs and a stable video connection for every signatory if you use remote notarization.
- Read the SEC filing instructions for that specific form, since the SEC is still issuing its internal guidelines.
- Keep the ENF records, the final notarized PDF, and the portal confirmation, in case of SEC post-audit.
- Check documentary stamp tax (DST). If the document is subject to DST, confirm how it will be paid before you file.
When to get help
If you are registering a new corporation, increasing capital, changing your name, address, or purpose, or amending your by-laws, BGB can prepare the forms, coordinate signatories, and guide you through eSPARC or eAMEND. For the cost of your specific filing, call us at (02) 8631-8618.
Frequently asked questions
Does the SEC now accept e-notarized documents?
Yes. Under SC-SEC Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2026 (October 13, 2026), the SEC recognizes and accepts documents electronically notarized under the Supreme Court’s Rules on Electronic Notarization (A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC). It took effect after publication in two newspapers of general circulation.
Is traditional (wet-ink) notarization still accepted?
Yes. Electronic notarization is optional. Documents notarized under the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice continue to be accepted by the SEC.
Which SEC portals are covered?
The circular sets out the steps for the eSPARC portal (new company registration) and the eAMEND portal (amendments of articles of incorporation or by-laws). It also applies to filings with other SEC departments and extension offices listed in the circular.
Who can e-notarize my documents?
Only a commissioned Electronic Notary Public using a Supreme Court-accredited Electronic Notarization Facility (ENF). The Supreme Court publishes the list of accredited ENF providers on its eNotarization registration portal.
Can the signatory be outside Metro Manila or abroad?
Remote Electronic Notarization uses videoconferencing, and electronic notaries are not limited to one territory, so signatories in other cities can take part. For signatories abroad, check the Supreme Court’s rules and your ENF provider’s requirements first.
Can the SEC still question an e-notarized document?
Yes. E-notarized submissions are subject to post-audit and review of their embedded digital security features. Keep the ENF records and the final signed PDF on file.
Official sources & references
- SC-SEC Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2026 (October 13, 2026), Acceptance and Integration of Electronically Notarized Documents in SEC Systems and Transactions: Supreme Court announcement
- A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC, Rules on Electronic Notarization: Supreme Court · eNotarization registration portal
- Securities and Exchange Commission: eSPARC · eAMEND · sec.gov.ph
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