Privacy Policy – Dominican College of Notaries

Welcome and Overview of Privacy Policy

“The Dominican College of Notaries fully abides by the principles of integrity, transparency, and professionalism in all the services it renders as a public moral institution with legal personality. The privacy and protection of personal data is essential to our members, users, and the general public. The present Privacy Policy sets out our practice regarding the collection, use, storage, disclosure, and protection of personal information when you use our website, request services, or other functions or services rendered by the Dominican College of Notaries. We are able to provide security to your personal data thanks to the principles established by Law 140-15, in accordance with which our history since 1967 is founded. Please review this document carefully so that you are aware of how we manage your data, what rights you have, and how you may reach us for any request or inquiries concerning your personal data.”

The Dominican College of Notaries and Public Attorneys Society

The Dominican College of Notaries is an institution legally and publicly recognized, serving Notaries, law students, public and private entities, and citizens residing in the United States of America. Headquartered at 501 W Broadway Ste 17, San Diego CA 92101, the organization has branches around multiple locations. We offer notarial directories, notarial security paper, ECANOT continuing education programs, as well as cooperative benefits NOTACOOP and legal publication access. Our goal is to promote transparency, professionalization, and defense of the notarial function; and that all personal information held in our institution is respected and treated with privacy and security.

Types of Personal Data We Process

We gather the following categories of personal data, depending on your relationship with the Dominican College of Notaries and your use of our services:

Identification data: Full name, surname(s), birth date, gender, National Identification Number (Cédula) or passport number;
Contact details: Physical address, email address, phone number;
Professional data: Notarial License Registration or Incorporation number, professional history, academic background, affiliation;
Payment and billing information: Payment method number(s), billing address, transaction information;
Technical information: IP address, hardware details, web browser, access registry, and cookies;
Usage data: History of your use of our website, service request history, document download history, seminar attendance history, and communication preferences;
Sensitive data: Only upon a strict and extremely necessary use, based on your explicit consent (such as certification information or disciplinary actions).

We only use the strictly necessary means to collect the former information for the purposes of providing our services, fulfilling our legal obligations, or for clearly defined legitimate institutional purposes.

How We Collect Personal Data

Your data is collected by us through various means, primarily:

Direct means: when you fill in forms on our websites, apply for membership, request a notarial act or notarial study/training service, sign up for courses in ECANOT, contact us by email or phone, etc.;
Automatic means: when you browse our websites, we collect technical data and data relating to use of our websites (access data) via cookies and similar technologies for analytics and security functions;
Third parties: occasionally we may receive your information from publicly-accessible sources, cooperative partner organizations (e.g., NOTACOOP) or other third-party records, always in full compliance with legal requirements.
Events and trainings: when you register for and/or attend one of our seminars, workshops or events, we collect the information needed for your attendance and to obtain your certification.

We are transparent as to where your data originates and you can simply ask us at any time.

Purpose of Processing

We use your personal data for the following purposes, always in compliance with the law and within the framework of our institutional objectives:

Membership management: Processing applications and renewals, member communications.
Provision of services: Providing access to notarial directories, security paper, publications, advisory services, other services and resources.
Event and training management: Registration and attendance management, certification and follow-up for ECANOT and other educational services.
Communication: Sending information on notifications, newsletters, legal status or legal notices and other relevant information from our institution pertaining to the notarial sector.
Financial management: Processing payments, invoicing, billing and issuing invoices or receipts.
Security and anti-fraud measures: Protecting notarial documents, verifying user ID, maintaining security of systems against unauthorized access.
Legal compliance: Fulfilling obligations to Law 140-15, Law 89-05 or other applicable regulations.

We won’t use your personal data for automated decisions without human involvement or for incompatible purposes to those set out above.

Basis for Processing

“We process your personal data based on one or more of the following legal grounds:

Consent: Where you have given specific, explicit consent (e.g. by subscribing to newsletters, enrolling on individual courses or submitting online applications).
Contract necessity: Where processing is necessary in order for us to comply with our contractual obligations to our members, users or partners.
Legal compliance: To comply with any legal obligation that requires it to do so according to law, regulation or a court order.
Legitimate interest: In the pursuit of our legitimate interests, including but not limited to our institutional goals of notarial transparency, professionalization and member support, it is necessary and your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms do not override those interests.

Where the basis for processing your personal data is your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing prior to its withdrawal.”

Storage and Retention Period

The Dominican College of Notaries keeps personal data as long as is needed to pursue the purposes for which data was collected, to meet legal obligations or to resolve disputes. Retention periods are determined based on both the type of data and the context of its collection.

Membership and professional data: Held for the duration of your membership and for up to a period of ten years thereafter to meet regulatory obligations.
Financial data: Maintained for a minimum period of seven years in accordance with tax and accounting requirements.
Usage and security technical data: Typically kept for a minimum period of two years for analytics and security purposes.
Event and training data: Kept as long as is needed to issue certifications or to satisfy educational requirements.

After the expiration of retention periods, data is deleted or anonymized to protect your privacy and confidentiality. If you wish to instruct the early deletion of your data we invite you to contact us using the information provided within this policy.

Security and Protection of Personal Data

Your personal information is protected by the Dominican College of Notaries. We have used strong technical, organizational, and administrative protections to help safeguard data from unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosure.

Some examples of our security practices include:

Protections for sensitive data in transit and in storage.
Strong access controls and authentication safeguards for staff and system users.
Security training for staff with access to personal information.
Regular audits and checks to ensure our data protection security measures are effective.
Physical protections for our headquarters and branch offices against unauthorized physical access.
Incident response procedures that allow us to quickly address any behavior or activity that suggests a breach or data loss may have occurred.

We know that no system is 100% risk-free. But we are always looking for ways to improve and assess risks in order to protect your privacy.

Third Party Sharing and Disclosure of Personal Data

We do not sell or rent personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes, and may share information only in the following ways:

With service providers: We may share your information with trusted partners who provide services to us, such as website hosting companies, payment processors, and event co-sponsors or any unit which carries out these services on the Foundation’s behalf. These service providers may only use your information in connection with the services they provide to the Foundation under strict confidentiality provisions.
With other cooperatives or affiliated organizations: We may share information with members of NOTACOOP or ECANOT and affiliates solely to deliver cooperative services and education programs.
With law enforcement agencies or public authorities: We may share your personal data with law enforcement agencies or public authorities when required by law, regulation, court order, or to protect our legal rights.
With other notary or institutions: We may share your personal data with other institutes or notary organizations solely as needed for fulfillment of institutional purpose under strict confidential terms, such as verification of membership qualification or qualification of professional interaction.

We take measures that all these third parties maintain sufficient data protection standards. We do not transfer data outside the United States unless necessary for delivery of services and with sufficient safeguards.

International Data Transfers

“The Dominican College of Notaries traditionally stores and processes personal data in the territory of the United States. If in exceptional circumstances there is a need to transmit data internationally as part of the activities such as participation in international notary conferences and conventions or collaboration with foreign notary entities, such transmission will be conducted in accordance with applicable data protection law and only to countries which guarantee adequate protection levels. Prior to transmission, persons will be given notice and, where applicable, explicit consent may be required.”

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our site employs cookies and other tracking software in order to operate the site properly, as well as improve your experience with the site. Cookies are small text files that your browser places on your device when visiting our site. Cookies allow us to remember your choices, secure our site’s sessions, and obtain anonymous website intelligence.

The cookies that we use include:

Critical – These cookies are required for basic website functionality.
Analytical – These cookies allow us to learn more about our visitors’ site interactions.
Functional – These cookies are used to remember your choices.

You can control or disable cookies in your browser settings. Please note that some elements or features of our site may not work correctly if you choose to do so. By remaining on our site you agree to our use of cookies as described above. For more details, please review our Cookie Policy.

Your Rights Under Data Protection

You, as a User, Member or Participant, have the following rights with regard to your personal information being processed by Dominican College of Notaries:

Right of access – You have the right to ask us whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of the relevant personal data;
Right of rectification – You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information;
Right of deletion – You have the right to request deletion or removal of your personal information where there is no need for the relevant personal information held by us to be processed any longer;
Right of restriction – You have the right to request that we limit the processing of your personal information in restricted circumstances;
Right of data portability – You have the right to request receipt of your personal information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format;
Right to object – You have the right to request that we not process your personal information based on legitimate interest grounds as well as for purposes provided direct marketing activity; and
Right to withdraw consent – To the extent the processing of your personal information is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us by using the contact details provided at the end of this policy. We will reply to any such requests in accordance with applicable laws and within any deadlines set by regulation.

Children’s and Minors’ Privacy

“This site and our services are not directed to children under the age of 16. We do not collect personal information from children without verifiable parental consent. If we should inadvertently receive personal information from a child under age 16, we will delete such information as soon as practical. Parents or guardians of children who believe that their child has submitted personal data to us without their consent may contact us to request its deletion.”

Individual Requests, Rights and Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise data rights with respect to your information, or wish to report a privacy issue, please contact the Dominican College of Notaries at:

Mail: 501 W Broadway Ste 17, San Diego CA 92101

Phone: (619) 442-6852

E-mail: [email protected]

We will try to respond to all inquiries and concerns in a timely manner, and strive to be transparent. For security reasons we may need to verify your identity before the requests are processed.

The Use of Information Collected for Applicants

Links and Third Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party sites, information or services such as government agencies, partner sites and legal information bases. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such external sites and our inclusion of links is not considered an endorsement on our part. You should read the privacy policies of third-party websites you visit before providing personal information. The presence of external links is not in any way indicative of our endorsement or adoption of content contained in those third-party sites.

Modifications to this Policy

The Dominican College of Notaries (“DCN”) may, in its discretion, amend or update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected as applicable per legal or regulatory requirements, institutional policy, or relevant technology. When there is a substantial change in the Policy DCN will notify the users via the website, and/or e-mail, if applicable. The most recent revision is marked on this Policy page. We recommend that you review this page periodically to ensure that you are up to date on the use of your information. For the latest version, please refer to our Privacy Policy page.

The Board of Directors and the Role of Governance

Our board of directors (which includes highly regarded notaries and recent presidents John Richard Paniagua and Dr. Laura Sánchez Jiménez) implements our privacy and data protection rules. The board ensures compliance with national and international standards, monitors employee training, and audits our data protection and privacy practices on an ongoing basis. Policy reviews or material breaches are our board’s responsibility, recognizing our commitment to good data compliance.

Protection and Privacy of Personal Data in Our Services and on our Limited Cooperative Activities

We understand that many of our services – including the notary directory, the provision of notarial security paper, and even ECANOT’s continuing education – involve the processing of sensitive and professional data. We apply additional protection procedures to such activities, limiting access to authorized staff members, encrypting all digital records, and maintaining strict confidentiality protocols. Cooperative activities through NOTACOOP are subject to similar attention to privacy; member data may only be shared for the provision of legitimate cooperative services, and never for other purposes.

Privacy of Publications, Information and Resources

As an integral part of our transparency policy, we publish the legal documents, decisions in cases and notarial publications. In publishing information relating to personal data, we anonymise or otherwise mask all identifying particulars unless there is a clear legal basis and overriding public interest in the publication of the information. News, events and successes of our members are published only upon consent or where they have been made public already. We welcome comments from members or users on the publication of their personal data in our publications.

Privacy of Members and User Accounts

Members of the Dominican College of Notaries have access to special resources and training, and to cooperative services, all of which require secure user accounts. We secure member logins with multi-factor authentication, routinely monitor access permissions, and believe our strong password practices are best accomplished through user education. Never do we share personal account data without prior consent, and members may – at any time – update or review their data by contacting our support team or visiting the designated website.

Your Privacy and Data Protection Responsibilities

The Dominican College of Notaries goes to great lengths to safeguard your personal information. But, privacy is a two-way street. We ask all users/members to:

Select strong, unique passwords and keep them secret.
Log out from personal accounts if using a shared device.
Immediately report any real or suspected unauthorized use of your account or any security breach.
Regularly check and update your personal information for accuracy.
Be judicious in the information that you disclose in public areas of the Site such as posting comments or submissions.

By being diligent about good privacy hygiene you help ensure that we maintain a safe and secure place for all of our users.

Filing a Complaint or Reporting a Breach

If you have reason to believe your personal information was misused or compromised, or are otherwise affected by a breach of data security under the terms of this policy, please report such incidents or suspected events immediately using the contact information listed in this policy. We will treat all reports regarding incidents under this policy seriously and will undertake an inquiry into any alleged event. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may have legal rights to file a complaint with the appropriate regulatory authority within the United States of America. We will endeavor to fairly and equitably resolve all privacy disputes.

We have provided this explanation as a widely understood formulation of our intent and obligations.

Commitment to Openness, Transparency and Continous Improvement

“The Dominican College of Notaries diligently strives to promote a culture of transparency and constant improvement in the field of privacy practices. Our policies, member and staff training, and processes are reviewed on an ongoing basis; through recommendations by passionate members, users, and as a result of regulatory changes affecting our members. Our core mission of defending and professionalizing the notarial function embraces the responsible collection and stewardship of personal information. We welcome your thoughts and comments, including any requests for clarification or suggestions you may have, as their valued trust and confidence is critical to our continued success.”

Contact and Additional Information

If you would like to learn more about our privacy policy, data protection, membership requirements, or anything else, please reach out to us:

Dominican College of Notaries
501 W Broadway Ste 17, San Diego CA 92101
Phone: (619) 442-6852
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://colegiodominicanodenotarios.com

We invite you to check our website to learn the latest news, events and updates from the notarial community. You can track what is important to you on our website. Your privacy is important to us, and we’ll do our best to help you.