Virginia Notary 2026: No Exam, No Bond ($45 Total)

How to Become a Notary Public in Virginia

Virginia is a self-certifying state, meaning you do not need to pass an exam, complete a course, or obtain a surety bond to become a notary public. You simply need to meet the eligibility requirements and certify that you understand your duties when applying.

Virginia Notary Requirements at a Glance

Why Become a Virginia Notary?

• No exam required - Self-certifying state
• No bond required - One of few states without bond requirement
• No course required - No mandatory education
• Pioneer in RON - Virginia was the first state to authorize Remote Online Notarization (2012)
• Income potential - Charge up to $10 for traditional acts, $25 for electronic/RON

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Looking for notary study materials or guides for other states? Check out our comprehensive resources. The National Notary Association is also an excellent resource for notary education and supplies.

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Step-by-Step: How to Become a Virginia Notary

Step 1: Meet Eligibility Requirements

To become a Virginia notary public, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a legal resident of the United States
• Be a resident of Virginia OR regularly employed in Virginia
• Be able to read and write English
• Have no felony conviction (unless pardoned or civil rights restored)

Non-Resident Note: Non-residents may be appointed if they are regularly employed in Virginia and perform notary services in connection with their employment. Non-resident notaries who cease regular employment in Virginia must surrender their commission.

Step 2: Apply Online Through the Secretary of the Commonwealth

Virginia processes notary applications online:

1. Visit the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website
2. Complete the online Notary Public Application
3. Pay the $45 non-refundable application fee
4. Self-certify that you understand your duties as a notary public
5. Submit your application

Processing Time: Applications are typically processed within a few weeks.

Step 3: Receive Your Commission

Once approved:

• You will receive your notary commission certificate
• Your commission is issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth
• You have 60 days to complete the oath of office

Step 4: Take Oath of Office at Circuit Court

Within 60 days of receiving your commission, you must:

1. Visit your local Circuit Court Clerk's office
2. Present your commission certificate
3. Take the Oath of Office
4. Pay the $10 oath fee
5. Receive your stamped commission certificate

Important: If you fail to complete the oath within 60 days, your commission becomes void.

July 2024 Update: If you are renewing your commission before expiration and are in good standing, you are no longer required to take your oath at the courthouse. Digital copies of renewal commissions are provided once approved.

Step 5: Purchase Notary Supplies

After completing your oath, purchase required supplies:

Official Notary Seal/Stamp (Required):

Virginia law requires a seal or stamp on every notarized document:

• Must be sharp, legible, permanent, and photographically reproducible
• Must contain your name exactly as on your commission
• Must include "Notary Public"
• Must include "Commonwealth of Virginia"
• Cost: $25-$50

Note: The Secretary of the Commonwealth's office does NOT sell notary stamps/seals. You must purchase from an outside vendor.

Notary Journal (Recommended for traditional, Required for electronic):

• Not legally required for paper notarizations
• Required for electronic notarizations (kept 5+ years)
• Strongly recommended for your protection
• Cost: $15-$30

Virginia Notary Fees (Effective July 1, 2024)

Important Notes:

• Fees were increased effective July 1, 2024 (from $5 to $10 for traditional acts)
• These are maximum fees - you may charge less
• Per notarial act, not per document or signature
• Notaries are not required to charge a fee
• Charging more than the legal maximum is unlawful

Virginia-Specific Requirements

Seal Requirements

Your notary seal/stamp must:

• Be sharp, legible, permanent, and photographically reproducible
• Contain your name exactly as it appears on your commission
• Include "Notary Public"
• Include "Commonwealth of Virginia"

Prohibited Acts

Virginia notaries may NOT:

• Notarize their own signature
• Notarize when they have a direct financial interest
• Provide legal advice
• Notarize incomplete documents
• Charge more than the statutory maximum fees

Jurisdiction

• Virginia notaries may only perform notarial acts within Virginia
• For electronic/RON acts, the notary must be physically located in Virginia

Remote Online Notarization (RON) in Virginia

Virginia was the first state to authorize Remote Online Notarization in 2012, making it a pioneer in this field.

Becoming a Virginia Electronic/Remote Notary

To perform electronic notarization or RON in Virginia:

1. First obtain a traditional VA notary commission
2. Obtain electronic seal and signature technology (digital certificate from approved provider)
3. Complete the electronic notary application
4. Pay the $45 application fee for electronic notary
5. Receive your electronic notary commission

Electronic Seal Requirements

Your electronic seal must:

• Be purchased before applying for electronic notary status
• Include all required elements of a traditional seal
• Be from an approved technology provider

RON Requirements

• Notary must be physically located in Virginia
• Must use approved audio-visual technology
• Must maintain electronic journal for 5+ years
• Signer can be located anywhere
• Must verify signer identity through knowledge-based authentication (KBA) or other approved methods

RON Fees

You may charge up to $25 for electronic notarial acts, including RON.

Total Cost to Become a Virginia Notary

Additional Electronic Notary Costs

Timeline: How Long Does It Take?

Errors & Omissions Insurance

While not required, Errors & Omissions (E&O) Insurance is highly recommended:

• Protects you from liability for unintentional errors
• Typical coverage: $10,000-$25,000
• Annual cost: $20-$50

Commission Renewal

Renewal Process:

• Apply for renewal before your commission expires
• Pay $45 renewal application fee
• As of July 2024, renewing notaries in good standing no longer need to take oath at courthouse
• Digital commission copies are provided upon approval

Start Your Virginia Notary Career Today

Virginia makes it easy to become a notary public as a self-certifying state with no exam, no course, and no bond requirements. Simply apply online, take your oath at the circuit court, and begin serving clients.

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How to Turn This Virginia Notary Guide Into a Passing Study Plan

A notary exam or appointment review is not just a vocabulary test. It measures whether you can protect the signer, the document, the public record, and your own commission when the facts are messy. Read the rules above once for orientation, then convert them into a procedure checklist you can apply to acknowledgments, jurats, oaths or affirmations, copy certifications if allowed, and any remote or electronic notarization rules that apply in Virginia.

Your first checklist should follow the order of a real appointment. Confirm that the requested act is one you are authorized to perform. Confirm personal appearance under the rules that apply to the act. Identify the signer using the acceptable evidence described in your Virginia materials. Screen for willingness, awareness, and basic communication. Complete the notarial certificate with the correct venue, date, signer name, notarial wording, signature, seal, and commission information. Record the act in your journal if required, or keep a careful voluntary record when allowed and appropriate.

That sequence is important because many exam questions describe a signer who appears at the wrong time, presents weak identification, asks for legal advice, wants a blank document notarized, or asks the notary to choose the certificate. In those scenarios, memorizing definitions is not enough. You need to know the next lawful step. Usually the safest exam answer is the one that preserves impartiality, requires proper identification and personal appearance, refuses unauthorized practice of law, and follows the certificate requirements exactly.

Virginia Commission Workflow and Documents to Verify

Before relying on any checklist, verify the current Virginia commissioning process with the Secretary of State, commissioning authority, approved education provider, or official handbook named in your materials. Administrative steps can change even when the core notary duties stay the same. Confirm the current application form, training or exam requirement, bond requirement if any, oath filing, seal requirements, commission term, renewal timing, and whether remote online notarization has separate registration rules.

Keep a small commissioning file with your application confirmation, education certificate, exam result if applicable, bond or insurance documents, oath filing receipt, commission certificate, stamp order, and journal purchase record. If you plan to offer loan signing or mobile notary services, keep those business records separate from your official notary records. Your commission duties come first; marketing, travel fees, and signing-agent assignments never expand what state law allows you to notarize.

When you review fees, separate maximum notarial fees from optional charges such as travel or business service fees. If the article above lists a fee cap, treat it as a rule to verify and apply carefully. Fee questions often test whether the candidate can distinguish a notarization fee from a separate travel agreement, whether the fee must be disclosed in advance, and whether remote online notarization has a different fee structure.

Procedure Drills That Build Exam Readiness

The fastest way to improve is to practice short appointment scenarios. Write five columns on a page: requested act, signer identity evidence, document condition, certificate wording, and notary action. Then create examples. A signer wants an acknowledgment but has not signed yet. A signer wants a jurat but refuses an oath. A signer brings an expired ID. A spouse asks you to notarize for an absent signer. A customer asks whether a power of attorney is legally sufficient. A remote signer passes credential analysis but cannot communicate clearly. For each scenario, write what you would do and why.

Focus especially on the difference between acknowledgments and jurats. In an acknowledgment, the signer acknowledges signing willingly; the document may have been signed before appearing if state law and the certificate allow it. In a jurat, the signer swears or affirms the truth of the document and usually signs in the notary's presence. Exam questions often hide the correct answer in those verbs. If the certificate says subscribed and sworn, think oath or affirmation. If it says acknowledged before me, think acknowledgment and voluntary execution.

Also drill refusal rules. A notary should refuse when the signer is not properly identified, does not personally appear as required, appears unwilling or unaware, asks the notary to perform an unauthorized act, presents a document with blanks that cannot be completed, or asks for legal advice. A refusal should be calm, specific, and tied to the rule. On the exam, avoid answers that make the notary a document adviser, immigration consultant, attorney, or party to the transaction.

Recordkeeping, Seal, and Certificate Traps

Recordkeeping questions are easy points if you learn the pattern. The journal entry, when required or recommended, should document the date and time, type of act, document description, signer identity method, fee, and any signature or thumbprint requirement that applies. Do not invent information after the fact. Do not share journal details casually. Do not let an employer take control of official records unless your state rules clearly allow a specific arrangement.

Seal questions usually test completeness and control. Keep your stamp secure, use the exact name and commission information required, and never let another person use your seal. If a stamp is lost, stolen, damaged, or replaced after a name or commission change, follow the reporting and replacement process in your Virginia rules. If a certificate has an error, correct it only in the manner allowed by your commissioning authority; do not backdate or attach a loose certificate unless the facts and state rules support that action.

Certificate wording is another common trap. A notary may identify the type of notarial act requested, but should not choose the legal effect of a certificate for a signer. If the document lacks a certificate, the signer or document recipient may need to choose or provide the wording. Your role is to complete the notarial act correctly, not to decide which form gives the document legal effect.

If You Miss Questions in Practice

Use missed questions as a routing tool. If you miss identification questions, reread acceptable ID, credible witness, and personal knowledge rules. If you miss jurat questions, drill oath language and signature timing. If you miss fee questions, build a small chart of allowed fees and when they apply. If you miss remote notarization questions, separate traditional personal appearance from remote appearance, credential analysis, audio-video session rules, electronic journal requirements, and technology-provider rules.

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