# What Is an Electronic Notarization Facility (ENF)? Accreditation and Requirements


An **Electronic Notarization Facility (ENF)** is a technology platform accredited by the Supreme Court of the Philippines -- through the Electronic Notary Administrator (ENA) -- to facilitate electronic notarial acts. Under [A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC](/blog/glossary/am-no-24-10-14-sc/), all electronic notarization must be performed through an accredited ENF.

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## Role of the ENF

The ENF is the technology layer that makes [e-notarization](/blog/glossary/e-notarization/) possible. It provides the tools and infrastructure that [Electronic Notary Publics (ENPs)](/blog/glossary/electronic-notary-public/) use to:

- **Verify identity** of principals through multi-factor authentication
- **Present documents** in the required electronic format (PDF/PDF-A)
- **Facilitate signing** with [electronic](/blog/glossary/electronic-signature/) or [digital signatures](/blog/glossary/digital-signature/)
- **Apply notarial seals** in [electronic format](/blog/glossary/electronic-notarial-seal/)
- **Record notarial acts** in the electronic [notarial book](/blog/glossary/notarial-book/)
- **Upload records** to the Supreme Court's centralized database
- **Maintain audit trails** for compliance and verification

For [Remote Electronic Notarization (REN)](/blog/glossary/remote-electronic-notarization/), the ENF also provides the audiovisual communication system that connects the ENP with the principal.

## Accreditation Requirements

To be accredited as an ENF, a platform must demonstrate compliance with the technical and security requirements established by the Supreme Court. While the specific technical standards are to be published by the ENA, the Rules indicate that an ENF must:

### Security Requirements
- Use secure encryption for data transmission and storage
- Implement [PKI-based](/blog/glossary/public-key-infrastructure/) cryptographic methods for signature security
- Protect against unauthorized access, tampering, and data breaches
- Provide tamper-evident logging for all system activities

### Identity Verification Capabilities
- Support multi-factor authentication (government ID, facial recognition, OTP)
- Record and securely store identity verification evidence
- Flag identity verification failures for ENP review

### Document Management
- Support PDF and PDF/A document formats exclusively
- Maintain document integrity throughout the notarization process
- Generate and preserve complete [audit trails](/blog/glossary/document-audit-trail/)

### Record-Keeping and Reporting
- Maintain the electronic notarial book for each ENP
- Upload notarial records to the Supreme Court's centralized database
- Provide data access for regulatory oversight and investigation

### Audiovisual Capabilities (for REN)
- Provide secure, reliable audiovisual communication
- Record the entire REN session (with appropriate privacy safeguards)
- Ensure sufficient audio and video quality for identity verification

## ENF vs. General E-Signature Platforms

Not every e-signature platform qualifies as an ENF. The distinction is important:

| Feature | General E-Signature Platform | ENF |
|---------|------------------------------|-----|
| E-signatures | Yes | Yes |
| Notarization | No | Yes |
| SC accreditation | Not required | Required |
| Identity verification | Basic | Multi-factor (ID + biometrics + OTP) |
| Notarial seal | N/A | [Electronic notarial seal](/blog/glossary/electronic-notarial-seal/) |
| SC database upload | No | Required |
| ENP integration | No | Built for ENP workflows |
| Audit trail | Varies | Court-admissible, tamper-proof |

Global platforms like DocuSign or Adobe Sign provide e-signatures but are not accredited as ENFs and cannot facilitate Philippine e-notarization.

## Why ENF Accreditation Matters

Using an accredited ENF ensures:

1. **Legal validity** -- Notarial acts performed through an accredited ENF have full legal effect
2. **Regulatory compliance** -- The platform meets SC standards for security and record-keeping
3. **Court admissibility** -- Documents notarized through an accredited ENF are supported by proper audit trails under the [Rules on Electronic Evidence](/blog/glossary/rules-on-electronic-evidence/)
4. **Fraud prevention** -- Multi-factor identity verification and tamper-proof logging reduce fraud risk
5. **Centralized records** -- All notarial acts are recorded in the SC's database, enabling verification by any party

## Related Terms

- [E-Notarization](/blog/glossary/e-notarization/)
- [Electronic Notary Public (ENP)](/blog/glossary/electronic-notary-public/)
- [A.M. No. 24-10-14-SC](/blog/glossary/am-no-24-10-14-sc/)
- [Remote Electronic Notarization (REN)](/blog/glossary/remote-electronic-notarization/)
- [Electronic Notarial Seal](/blog/glossary/electronic-notarial-seal/)

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[NotarialOS](https://notarialos.com) is built from the ground up to meet ENF accreditation standards, providing the complete technology platform that ENPs need to perform SC-compliant electronic notarization.