Faxing a notary's office
Fax speeds up the assembly of the file; signing the deed is another matter.
Notary practices gladly accept faxes that gather a file's documents: property sale, succession, loan, or a draft power of attorney. Identity papers, technical diagnostics, bank statements and tax notices reach them this way without any travel. The clerk following your file will supply the office's number; if not, the official notaires.fr directory lists all offices. See the send for what it is: the faxed copy prepares the deed, but signed originals — above all a power of attorney — must still be handed over or mailed.
Why a notary's office still accepts faxes
Notaries exchange a huge volume of documents among professionals — banks, real estate agencies, surveyors, other firms — and fax remains a reflex for circulating a signed or stamped document during the day. Most offices have therefore kept their fax line.
What clients gain is time. Picture a signing set for tomorrow with one document still missing: send it in the morning and the office has it on file that afternoon. The paper printout also suits staff who prefer to annotate and file on paper.
Where to find the valid number
- Look at the letter that opened your file, or at the e-mail signature of the clerk handling it; one or the other nearly always carries the firm's fax line.
- The official directory of French notaires on notaires.fr, which lists every firm along with its contact details.
- A quick call to the secretariat to find out the firm's preferred method: fax, encrypted messaging, or drop-off at reception.
What the cover sheet should say
- The identity of the notary and of the clerk working on the case.
- The file reference, or the nature of the transaction: purchase, inheritance, donation, loan.
- Your capacity: seller, buyer, heir, principal.
- The list of documents, the page count, and, if applicable, a note that an original will follow by mail.
The proof to archive
File the exact PDF next to its transmission report, then request confirmation of receipt at your next exchange with the firm. On the day of the signing, if a document is missing, you will be able to prove when it was sent and in what form.
Other channels, sometimes preferable
The firm's secure messaging
Many offices now offer an encrypted channel: a welcome discretion for bank statements as well as for a civil status document.
Drop-off at reception
Use only for original documents, signed proxy authorizations, or a visit to the firm before the appointment.
Tracked mail
When an original must arrive before a deadline, tracked delivery documents the drop-off and the distribution.
Other guides
- Procedure is won on details: the right department, the exact RG number, a time-stamped record.
- An overloaded diplomatic post processes first the transmissions it can identify at a glance.
- Health data is on the move: getting the right number matters even more here.
- Water damage, theft, accident: the reporting deadline is ticking, and proof of sending counts.
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