Notary Public

The Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth is responsible for the commissioning of Notaries Public in Virginia, pursuant to §47.1-8 of the Code of Virginia. Please visit their website for up-to-date information.

Commissions & Oath

By law, you must claim your commission within 60 days after it is issued. If you fail to do so, you must submit a new application and a new fee to become a Notary Public. Once you receive notice from the Secretary of the Commonwealth about your commission, please call us at 540-564-1164 to confirm that we have received it before coming in to take your oath. 

A fee of $10 is due when you take the oath and pick up your commission at the Clerk's Office. We accept cash, check, money orders or credit cards. All credit card transactions will include a 4% surcharge. Checks can be made payable to Clerk of Court. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, excluding holidays.

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Notary Application Eligibility 

To be eligible to apply for a Virginia Notary Public Commission, you must be: 

  1. at least eighteen years old 
  2. able to read and write the English language
  3. be a legal resident of the United States
  4. live or work in the Commonwealth of Virginia 
  5. have never been convicted of a felony. Any person who has ever been convicted of a felony under the laws of the United States or this Commonwealth, or the laws of any other state, shall not qualify to be appointed and commissioned as a Virginia Notary Public unless such person has had their rights restored.

Non-residents of Virginia may be appointed as notaries if they are regularly employed in the state and perform notary services in connection with their employment. A non-resident notary who ceases to be regularly employed in Virginia must surrender his or her commission.

Virginia is a “self certifying state” and does not require classes or testing to qualify to become a notary public.

Use the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Notary Management Accounts System to apply, renew in certain cases and for some name changes. Details are available on their site.