Article 19 of the Saudi Notarization Law

المادة 19 من نظام التوثيق · الفصل الثاني: مأذونو عقود النكاح

The article sets five conditions for the marriage officiant: Saudi nationality, good conduct with an exception for those 5 years past completing a sentence, medical fitness, a Sharia university degree, and passing a written exam.

Official text (Arabic)

This article has not been amended since the law was issued.

يُشترط في المأذون ما يأتي:

1- أن يكون سعودي الجنسية.

2- أن يكون حسن السيرة والسلوك، وألا يكون محكوماً عليه بجريمة مخلة بالدين أو الشرف، ما لم يكن قد مضى على انتهاء تنفيذ الحكم خمس سنوات على الأقل.

3- أن يكون لائقاً صحيًا، وسليم الحواس.

4- أن يكون حاصلاً على شهادة جامعية في العلوم الشرعية.

5- أن يجتاز امتحاناً تحريريًا تعده الإدارة المختصة.

This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers

Article 19 explained in plain English

This article sets out the conditions that must be met by the marriage officiant, who is a person who notarizes marriage contracts under a license under Article 1, and who, under Article 18, is entrusted with notarizing marriage contracts where both parties are Saudis or non-Saudis.

There are five conditions:

to be a Saudi national.
to be of good conduct and behavior, and not to have been convicted of an offense involving violation of religion or honor, unless at least 5 years have passed since completing the sentence.
to be medically fit with sound senses.
to hold a university degree in Sharia sciences.
to pass a written examination prepared by the competent department.

Note in the second condition that the bar resulting from a conviction for an offense involving violation of religion or honor is not permanent in the case of the marriage officiant; if at least 5 years have passed since the sentence was completed, the bar ends according to the text. The text on the marriage officiant also does not list a disciplinary dismissal from a public post among the bars.

The article does not require a particular grade in the degree, and does not mention a training course. The license is then issued by decision of the Minister on the recommendation of the competent department under Article 20. Anyone with a question about whether these conditions apply to their case can consult a lawyer specializing in notarization work.

Practical example

Yousef works as an imam of a mosque in Abha, holds a university degree in Sharia sciences, and wants to obtain a marriage officiant license. If he is a Saudi national of good conduct and medically fit, he must pass the written examination prepared by the competent department.

Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.

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