Corporate Affairs 

The Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office Act, Cap. 21A is the enactment which formally established the Department under the law. Passed in 1988, the Act provides, inter alia, that the Registrar is responsible for the administration of the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office, assisted by the Assistant Registrar and such other officers as are necessary "...for the purpose of carrying out the functions of the Registrar under the Act and under any other enactment vesting duties, authority and responsibility in the Registrar". Currently, the Registrar is responsible for administering some twenty-nine (29) enactments. (See LEGISLATION)

These are official acts of a Notary Public. In Barbados, a Notary Public is a public officer whose function it is to administer oaths, to attest and certify by his/her hand and official seal, certain classes of documents in order to give them credit and authenticity in foreign jurisdictions. These functions are performed by five (5) senior officials of the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office who are authorized by law to perform notarial acts.

A fee of BDS $20.00 is charged for a single notarial act involving the signature of the notary public and the affixing of the official seal. If the document to be notarized also has exhibits attached, an additional fee of BDS $5.00 is charged for each exhibit which is required to be marked as such by the notary public. Occasionally, the notary public is required to prepare a certificate verifying certain information or certifying certain facts. In this event, a fee of BDS $50.00 is charged for the preparation and issuance of the certificate of the notary public. Government stamp duty of BDS $10.00 (in adhesive stamps) is also payable on every occasion when the official seal is to be affixed. The necessary stamps should be purchased beforehand and taken to the Department along with the documents which require notarization.