Notaries
Applies to: Germany
Encrypted file exchange for notarial offices
Drafts to parties, documents from parties: encrypted, without anyone needing an account, and with proof of when they were downloaded.
- Developed & operated in Germany
- End-to-end encrypted
- Contractual confidentiality (§ 203 StGB)
- Signed proofs of delivery
What your professional rules require and how TEPHIA SECURE meets them
| Requirement | How it is met |
|---|---|
| § 18 BNotO, § 203 StGB Confidentiality regarding everything that has become known to you in the exercise of your office. | Encrypted before it leaves the office The file is encrypted in the browser and stored on the server without a key. |
| § 26a BNotO For service providers, a contract in text form with a duty of confidentiality, notice of criminal liability, limitation of access and rules for further parties involved. If a service is used for a single notarial transaction, the consent of the party concerned is required. | The contract under § 26a Abs. 3 BNotO The duty of confidentiality and the notice of criminal liability are set out in clause 5a of the data processing agreement, which you conclude electronically, in text form, with a copy as a PDF. |
How your proofs are secured
| In every planSignature with our certificate | Add-on · coming soonQualified electronic seal | |
|---|---|---|
| Any change to the PDF invalidates the signature | included | included |
| Timestamp from an independent authority | included | included |
| Hash chain with daily chain seal | included | included |
| Checksum (SHA-256) of every file, confirmed by the recipient | included | included |
| Verifiable online, without an account | included | included |
| Display in Adobe Reader | “Validity unknown”1 | Valid |
| Legal presumption of authenticity (Art. 35(2) eIDAS) | not included | included |
| Useful for | Your records, clients | Courts, authorities, the other party |
1 Not an error: our certificate is not on the EU trust list that Reader recognises. You can check integrity online or using the certificate fingerprint.
- Signature: any change is detected
- Timestamp from an independent authority
- Hash chain with daily chain seal
- Checksum of every file, confirmed by the recipient
- Verifiable online, without an account
- Adobe Reader shows “Valid” instead of “Validity unknown”
- Legal presumption of authenticity (Art. 35(2) eIDAS)
- Useful for courts, authorities, the other party
What else TEPHIA SECURE offers
No account needed for parties
A link, and a password sent through a separate channel. In the other direction, documents arrive through an upload box.
Proof for your records
A signed PDF/A with a timestamp from an independent time-stamping authority.
Frequently asked questions
What must the contract with the service provider contain?
Under § 26a Abs. 3 BNotO, a contract in text form: a duty of confidentiality with notice of criminal liability, access only as far as the assignment requires, and rules for further parties involved. This is in clause 5a of the data processing agreement, which you conclude electronically during setup. Choosing the provider with care remains your duty.
Do I need the consent of the parties involved?
Only where a service serves one individual notarial transaction (§ 26a Abs. 4 BNotO). A file exchange service is, as a rule, general infrastructure of the notary’s office, like e-mail, not a service for one particular transaction. Whether anything different applies in an individual case is for you to assess.
There is no certification of services like this by a professional body, and carefully selecting a service provider remains your responsibility under your professional rules.
The information on the legal position on this page is general information, without any warranty as to completeness or currency, and does not constitute legal advice. Only our contracts are binding.