Some notaries serve as identity verification agents (IVA). These agents are authorized by some government organizations to verify the identity of clients who want keys or certificates (digital signatures) to undertake electronic exchanges with them.

For these government organizations, it is important for the identity verification process for key and certificate holders to be carried out by a trusted person. Several organizations have chosen Québec notaries to verify the identity of their clients, because notaries have the status of public officers. Notaries who are accredited as identity verification agents can be found in every region of Québec working for the following organizations:

Register of Personal and Movable Real Rights
Clients of the Register of Personal and Movable Real Rights who want to submit registration requests to the Register electronically must first obtain a digital signature certificate from the Register’s officer. This certificate is issued after verification of the client’s identity by a notary who is an identity verification agent accredited to act for the Register.

Ministère des Ressources naturelles and Register of the domain of the State
The Ministère des Fôrets, de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP) uses digital signatures in some of its activities, notably in its computerized process for managing integrated forest management plans.

Forestry engineers who wish to submit their plans and reports electronically must first receive a digital signature from the certification service of the Ministère de la Justice (MJQ) . This signature is issued after verification of the client’s identity by a notary who is an identity verification agent accredited to act for the Governmental Public Key Infrastructure (GPKI).

The same goes for employees of government departments or public organizations (for example, the regional country municipalities) who have to register rights with the Register of the domain of the State.