All notaries and junior notaries in the Netherlands are automatically members of the Royal Dutch Association of Civil-law Notaries. This professional body for the notarial profession ensures that notaries and junior notaries perform their duties expertly, independently and with integrity.

Monitoring quality

The KNB promotes the provision of an accessible and quality service by the Dutch notarial profession. It ensures that notaries and junior notaries are trained to a good standard and receive further training through the KNB’s continuous professional development programme. This helps them to keep abreast of developments and learn new skills. The KNB assists notaries and junior notaries in performing their day-to-day professional duties. It does this by keeping them informed about developments in their area of expertise and answering questions about the law of persons, family law, property (real estate) law, business law and notarial practice in general. Finally, the KNB mediates in disputes between client and notary.

Regulation and supervision

The KNB draws up rules and regulations to be observed by notaries and junior notaries. Where these rules of professional practice and conduct are breached, disciplinary proceedings are conducted through the disciplinary boards. Furthermore, a system of peer review ensures that every notary’s office is assessed once every three years by a fellow notary. Finally, the Financial Supervision Office is responsible for supervising notary’s offices.

More information:

Peer review within the notarial profession in the Netherlands (pdf, 935 kB) 
Brochure Evaluation par les pairs dans le notariat néerlandais (pdf, 911 kB)            

Policy Effects of peer reviews in the notarial profession (pdf, 1,1 MB)


The KNB communicates with the general public, the business community, politics, stakeholders and media about its policy and views and about developments in the notarial profession. It also sees it as its duty to inform consumers about the services provided by notaries and the importance of consulting them.


The KNB strengthens the position of notaries in society and projects a profile of them as reliable advisers. Another important task of the KNB is to defend the interests of Dutch notaries and junior notaries in politics The KNB also wishes to make the notarial profession more attractive for potential recruits.