FINTRAC Compliance for Public Notaries in British Columbia

FINTRAC reporting obligations for BC notaries and notary corporations carrying out specific activities on behalf of clients. Comply+ automates your compliance requirements.

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When Do BC Notaries Have FINTRAC Obligations?

Public notaries and notary corporations of British Columbia are reporting entities under the PCMLTFA, but only when they carry out specific activities on behalf of their clients. Routine notarial services such as witnessing signatures, certifying documents, or administering oaths do not trigger FINTRAC obligations.

Your obligations are activated when you carry out any of the following on behalf of a client:

  • Receive or pay funds (other than fees for your own services)
  • Purchase or sell real property, securities, or business assets
  • Transfer funds or securities by any means
  • Give instructions on behalf of a client for any of the above
  • Act as a signatory on a client's account
  • Organize the incorporation of a company, limited partnership, trust, or similar entity

These triggering activities mirror those for accountants and lawyers in other provinces. The distinction is that BC notaries, who have broader powers than notaries in most other Canadian jurisdictions, frequently handle real estate transactions and financial arrangements that bring them into FINTRAC scope.

What You Must Do

When a triggering activity applies:

  • Verify client identity using government-issued identification and independent source documents.
  • File Large Cash Transaction Reports (LCTR) if you receive $10,000 or more in cash in connection with a triggering activity. Deadline: 15 calendar days.
  • File Suspicious Transaction Reports (STR) if you have reasonable grounds to suspect the transaction involves money laundering or terrorist financing. Deadline: as soon as practicable.
  • Maintain records of the triggering activity, client identification, and any reports filed for at least five years.
  • Operate a compliance program with written policies, a compliance officer, risk assessment, and staff training.

Compliance Challenges for BC Notaries

  • Distinguishing triggering from non-triggering work: BC notaries perform a wide range of services. Some engagements clearly involve triggering activities (real estate conveyancing, corporate organization) while others do not (witnessing, certifying). Maintaining clarity about which files carry FINTRAC obligations is essential.
  • Real estate conveyancing exposure: BC notaries frequently handle real estate closings, including the receipt and disbursement of funds. This directly triggers FINTRAC obligations and places notaries in a similar position to real estate professionals and lawyers.
  • Small practice constraints: Many BC notary practices are small operations with limited administrative resources. Building and maintaining a compliance program alongside day-to-day notarial work is challenging without the right tools.
  • Client identification in existing relationships: Long-standing clients may not have been formally identified to FINTRAC standards. When a triggering activity arises with an existing client, proper identification must be completed.

How Comply+ Helps BC Notaries

Triggering Activity Classification

Comply+ helps you determine which client engagements involve triggering activities. When an engagement is in scope, the platform guides you through your specific reporting and record-keeping obligations.

Automated LCTR Filing

When cash received in connection with a triggering activity meets the reporting threshold, Comply+ generates a pre-filled LCTR and submits it directly to FINTRAC.

STR Detection

Our aiSTR technology flags transaction patterns aligned with FINTRAC risk indicators for notarial activities: unusual fund flows, corporate structures that lack transparency, and transactions inconsistent with the client's profile.

Record-Keeping and Audit Trail

Comply+ organizes client identification, transaction records, and filed reports into a complete compliance file for each engagement. This makes FINTRAC examinations straightforward.

BC notaries who handle real estate and financial transactions have the same core FINTRAC obligations as other professionals in those sectors. Comply+ ensures you meet those obligations without adding unnecessary complexity to your practice.

Record Keeping Requirements

FINTRAC publishes official guidance on record keeping for British Columbia notaries. For full details and current requirements, see: Record keeping requirements for British Columbia notaries (FINTRAC).

Enforcement & Penalties

The Cost of Non-Compliance

FINTRAC enforcement is intensifying. Recent penalties demonstrate that compliance failures result in significant financial consequences, with Bill C-2 increasing maximum penalties to $20 million for entities.

Recent FINTRAC Penalties

FINTRAC has imposed significant Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) for compliance failures across multiple sectors.

Juba Express Inc. — $67,150

December 2025 — Toronto, Ontario

Multiple compliance failures including no effective compliance regime, no proper risk assessment, and failures to submit EFT and LCT reports.

Read case study

MP Technology Services Ltd. — $536,853.35

December 2025 — Foreign MSB (Seychelles)

Failed to submit STRs for transactions with exposure to darknet marketplaces, sanctioned entities, and child sexual abuse material.

Read case study

Xeltox Enterprises (Cryptomus) — $176,960,190

October 2025 — British Columbia

2,593 violations including 1,068 unreported STRs, 1,518 unreported LVCTRs, and failure to comply with Ministerial Directive on Iran.

Read case study

KuCoin (Peken Global) — $19,552,000

September 2025 — Foreign MSB (Seychelles)

Unregistered foreign MSB, 2,952 unreported LVCTRs, and 33 unreported STRs linked to darknet marketplaces and illicit chemical trade.

Read case study

Bill C-2: Increased Penalties

Under Bill C-2 (tabled June 2025), maximum Administrative Monetary Penalties would increase dramatically:

  • Entities: Up to $20 million (previously $500,000) — a 40x increase
  • Individuals: Up to $4 million (previously $100,000)
  • Criminal penalties: Certain compliance failures can result in criminal prosecution
Learn more about Bill C-2

Enforcement Trends

  • 23 Notices of Violation issued in 2024–25, the highest annual volume since 2008
  • More than $25 million in total penalties in 2024–25
  • Over 150 penalties imposed since 2008 across all regulated sectors
  • FINTRAC is moving to a supervisory model anchored in credible deterrence

Why Choose Comply+

Purpose-built for Canadian FINTRAC compliance. Automate reporting, reduce risk, and scale your operations.

Comprehensive Reporting

Handle all FINTRAC transaction types with automated LCTR, LVCTR, EFTR, and STR detection and submission. Our system identifies reportable transactions across cash, virtual currency, and electronic funds transfers.

AI-Powered Detection

Our proprietary aiSTR™ technology automatically flags suspicious transactions and drafts FINTRAC-compliant narratives. Reduce false positives and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Scalable Operations

Scale your operations without increasing compliance overhead. Automate reporting workflows to handle growth from hundreds to thousands of transactions per month.

Platform Features

Complete FINTRAC Compliance Solution

From batch uploads to direct FINTRAC submission — everything you need in one platform

Direct FINTRAC Submission

Submit reports directly to FINTRAC securely. No need to log in to the FINTRAC website — everything is handled within Comply+.

Autopilot Mode for Connected Databases

For fully connected databases, enable autopilot for automatic submission of LCTRs, LVCTRs, and EFTRs. Our proprietary aiSTR™ technology handles suspicious transaction detection, requiring manual review only for STRs.

Intelligent Batch Processing

For non-connected databases, upload a CSV of transactions. Automatically detect required reports and generate draft LCTRs, LVCTRs, EFTRs, and STRs with AI-powered analysis.

AI-Driven STR Detection

Our proprietary aiSTR™ technology automatically flags high-risk transactions and drafts narratives aligned with FINTRAC risk indicators. You retain full control with manual overrides.

Customer & Location Management

Maintain complete customer and location data with direct integrations to providers like SumSub. Reports auto-populate with existing records.

Draft & Save Reports

Create and save draft reports — including AI-generated STR narratives — for later completion. Work at your own pace with automatic data preservation.

STR Extensions Made Simple

Add STR extensions to existing reports (LCTR/LVCTR/EFTR/CDR) with one click. Fill only additional fields — no separate forms.

COMING SOON

AI Model Configuration

Risk Detection Settings

Risk Indicator A
Identified: 87%
Risk Indicator B
Identified: 94%
Risk Indicator C
Identified: 82%
Overall Risk Rating78%

Recommended STR filing

aiSTR 2.0

Advanced risk flagging via AI. Machine learning flags suspicious transaction patterns — reducing false positives and helping teams act faster on STRs.

Direct Slack integration for no login STR review/submissions

Maximize risk detection with custom set, and AI-driven risk indicators

Set your risk indicator weightings, or let aiSTR optimize detection

Generate higher accuracy through reinforced learning

30-Minute Demo

FINTRAC Compliance for Public Notaries in British Columbia

In 30 minutes, walk through how Comply+ helps you move from transaction data to draft reports, STR review with your team, and FINTRAC API submission without logging into the Web Reporting System (FWR) for each filing.

1. Draft report preparation

Upload a CSV or connect your system and see how Comply+ helps surface reportable activity for LCTR, LVCTR, EFTR, and CDR workflows.

2. STR review path

See how aiSTR™ supports narrative drafts and how your team reviews and decides what is filed.

3. Submit and confirm

Follow submission through FINTRAC's API and where confirmations and status live in Comply+.

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Disclaimer

This page is provided for general informational purposes only and reflects our interpretation and opinions based on publicly available information at the time of writing. It does not constitute legal advice, financial advice, regulatory guidance, or a substitute for professional counsel. Reporting entities and businesses subject to FINTRAC obligations should consult qualified legal and compliance advisors before making decisions relating to FINTRAC, AML obligations, or compliance requirements.