Anti-money laundering, notaries remain guardians of legality and integrity of the system

Italian notaries remain sentinels protecting transparency and the regularity of corporate transactions and real estate deeds. This is confirmed by the Gafi (Financial Action Group) which, in its new Mutual Evaluation Report Italia 2026, in addition to promoting Italy's system of prevention of money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the notary profession was included among the Dnfbp (Designated non-financial businesses and professions), confirming the role of professionals as guardians of legality. Real key figures in the non-financial sector who, by exercising a preventive control function, act as a filter to counter criminal infiltration of the legal economy.

As emphasised by the study, the Notariat - in its capacity as a self-regulatory body - has distinguished itself among the professional orders for its commitment to training on measures against financial crimes, the dissemination of technical-legal guidelines, participation in the national risk assessment process and understanding of the same. This is a skill that, numbers in hand, has been assessed as solid and effective: proof of this is the improvement in quality, the increase in the number of suspicious transaction reports (Uif 2025 data show that more than 96% come from notaries) and their timeliness.

In an uncertain framework due to the temporary suspension of the Register of Beneficial Owners, it is to notaries that the authorities refer to gather accurate information on the legal ownership and ownership structures of legal entities.