Code of Virginia
Title 47.1 - Notaries and Out-of-State Commissioners

Chapter 1 - General Provisions

§ 47.1-1. Short title - This title may be cited as the "Virginia Notary Act."...

§ 47.1-2. Definitions - As used in this title, unless the context demands a...

Chapter 2 - Appointment

§ 47.1-3. Power of appointment - The Governor may appoint in and for the Commonwealth as...

§ 47.1-4. Qualification for appointment - To be qualified to be commissioned as a notary in...

§ 47.1-5. Application - No person shall be commissioned as a notary public or...

§ 47.1-5.1. Application for recommission - Persons already commissioned as notaries public or electronic notaries public...

§ 47.1-6. Reserved - Reserved.

§ 47.1-6.1. Standards for electronic notarization - The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall develop standards for electronic...

§ 47.1-7. Additional requirements for performing electronic notarial acts - A. An applicant shall submit a registration form established by...

§ 47.1-8. Commission to be issued, etc. - Upon receipt of a completed application and the correct fee,...

§ 47.1-9. Oath of notary; duties of clerks - Before receiving his commission, each person appointed a notary shall...

§ 47.1-10. Records of the Secretary - The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall keep a record of...

§ 47.1-11. Reference materials - The Secretary shall prepare, from time to time, reference materials...

§ 47.1-11.1. Evidence of authenticity of electronic notarial act - A. Form of evidence of authority of electronic notarial act....

Chapter 3 - Powers and Duties

§ 47.1-12. Powers - Each notary shall be empowered to perform the following notarial...

§ 47.1-13. Jurisdiction; Virginia notarial powers outside the Commonwealth - A. The powers of any notary commissioned pursuant to this...

§ 47.1-13.1. Notarial powers outside the Commonwealth for use in the Commonwealth - A. Notarial acts may be performed outside the Commonwealth for...

§ 47.1-14. Duty of care - A. A notary shall exercise reasonable care in the performance...

§ 47.1-15. Prohibitions - A notary shall not: 1. Notarize a document if the...

§ 47.1-15.1. Additional prohibition on advertising; penalties - A. A notary public shall not offer or provide legal...

§ 47.1-16. Notarizations to show date of act, official signature and seal, etc. - A. Every notarization shall include the date upon which the...

§ 47.1-17. Change of name - Any notary duly registered and commissioned in this Commonwealth, who...

§ 47.1-18. Notice of change of address; etc. - A. Any notary public who changes the address of his...

§ 47.1-19. Fees - A. A notary may, for taking and certifying the acknowledgment...

§ 47.1-20. Fee agreements with employer - A. Any employer, as a condition of employment of a...

§ 47.1-20.1. Validation of certain acts - Oaths of office administered by a notary public on or...

Chapter 4 - Term of Office

§ 47.1-21. Commission as notary - The commission of a notary public shall be four years,...

§ 47.1-22. Resignation; removal from Commonwealth; etc. - A. A notary may resign his commission by mailing or...

§ 47.1-23. Grounds for removal from office - The Secretary may revoke the commission of any notary who:...

Chapter 5 - Removal

§ 47.1-24. Removal of notary by administrative process; surrender of commission; penalty - A. Whenever the Secretary shall have reason to believe that...

§ 47.1-25. Disqualification from office - Any notary removed from office under the provisions of §...

Chapter 6 - Civil and Criminal Liability

§ 47.1-26. Civil liability of notary - A notary public shall be liable for all damages proximately...

§ 47.1-27. Civil liability of employer of notary - The employer of a notary public shall also be liable...

§ 47.1-28. Willful misconduct a misdemeanor - A. Any notary who knowingly and willfully commits any official...

§ 47.1-29. Impersonation of notary a felony - Any person who shall willfully act as, or otherwise impersonate,...

§ 47.1-29.1. Wrongful possession of software or hardware - Any person who knowingly obtains, conceals, damages, or destroys the...

§ 47.1-30. Conflict of interests - No notary shall perform any notarial act with respect to...

Chapter 7 - Out-of-State Commissioners

§ 47.1-31. Repealed - Repealed by Acts 2007, cc. 269 and 590, cl. 2.