How to Become a Notary in Virginia: Application, Oath, and Seal

To become a notary in Virginia, you file an application and a $45 fee with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, wait about three weeks for approval, then appear at your local circuit court within 60 days to take the oath of office and pick up your commission. The commission lasts four years and lets you notarize documents anywhere in the Commonwealth.¹

Who Qualifies

Virginia sets five baseline requirements. You must be at least 18, a legal resident of the United States, able to read and write English, in compliance with Virginia’s notary title, and free of any felony conviction unless you have been pardoned, had the conviction vacated, or had your civil rights restored.²

You do not have to live in Virginia. A nonresident who is regularly employed in the Commonwealth qualifies, and active-duty service members stationed in Virginia qualify regardless of their home state.²

The felony rule is a disqualification, not just a disclosure. If your rights have not been restored and your conviction has not been pardoned or vacated, you cannot hold a Virginia commission, no matter how long ago the conviction occurred.

Filling Out and Submitting the Application

Applications come from the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website, from most circuit court clerks’ offices, or from the Secretary’s office directly.³ Enter your full legal name exactly as it appears on your state-issued ID, along with your residential and business addresses. Whatever name you use here becomes the name on your commission and on the seal you will later order, so match your ID precisely.

The application itself contains a sworn oath. You sign it in front of an officer authorized to administer oaths, affirming that your answers are true and that you meet the qualifications set by law.⁴ This is not the oath of office; that one comes later at the circuit court.

A $45 non-refundable fee goes with your application. Online applicants pay by credit card. Paper applicants send a check or money order payable to “Treasurer of Virginia” to the Notary Office at P.O. Box 1795, Richmond, Virginia 23218.⁵⁶ Clerks and deputy clerks of Virginia circuit or district courts do not pay the fee.⁴

What Happens After You Apply

The Secretary of the Commonwealth reviews the application, and if everything is in order, registers and commissions you as a notary. Your commission certificate is then sent to the circuit court you named on the application, not to you.³

Turnaround is generally about three weeks for a completed application.⁵ Watch your email; the Secretary uses it for approvals and for requests to fix anything missing. Incomplete applications and incorrect fees are the usual sources of delay.

Taking the Oath at Circuit Court

Once your commission reaches the circuit court, you have 60 days to appear in person at the clerk’s office, present valid photo ID, and take the oath of office. The oath is a sworn statement that you have read Virginia’s notary laws, are familiar with their provisions, and will faithfully perform the duties of a notary public while upholding the constitutions of the United States and Virginia.⁷

You sign the oath in front of the clerk, who attests it, records your official signature, and hands you your physical commission certificate. The clerk charges $10 for this.⁸

Miss the 60-day window and the clerk sends your unclaimed commission back to the Secretary, who cancels it. Starting over means a new application and another $45 fee.⁷

Getting Your Seal

Virginia law requires you to affix a seal on every document you notarize, and the impression must be sharp, legible, permanent, and photographically reproducible.⁹ You buy the seal yourself, from any vendor you choose, after you take the oath.

Your seal must include:

Your name exactly as it appears on your commission certificate
Your commission expiration date
Your registration number
The words “Notary Public”
The words “Commonwealth of Virginia”

Order from a reputable notary supply vendor and check every element against your commission before you use the seal for the first time.³ If your seal is ever lost or stolen, notify the Secretary of the Commonwealth right away to help prevent fraudulent use.

What It Costs

The government fees are fixed. The supply costs vary.

Application fee: $45, non-refundable, to the Secretary of the Commonwealth⁶
Circuit court oath fee: $10, paid to the clerk⁸
Notary seal or stamp: typically $15 to $40 from a supply vendor
Notary journal: optional but strongly recommended, typically $10 to $25

Minimum out-of-pocket for a standard commission is $55 in government fees, plus the seal.

Electronic and Remote Online Notaries

Standard commissioning does not cover electronic notarization or remote online notarization. Those require a separate registration, and you can only apply for it after you already hold a Virginia notary commission.¹⁰

The electronic notary application is online and carries its own $45 non-refundable fee. You supply your commission number, your name as it appears on your commission, and a description of the technology you will use to create your electronic signature. The registration form itself must be signed with that electronic signature and submitted electronically to the Secretary. If you switch technology during your term, you have 90 days to notify the Secretary and describe the change.¹¹

How Long the Commission Lasts

A Virginia notary commission runs for four years. It expires on the last day of the month you were born, in the fourth calendar year after issuance.¹

To keep serving past that date, submit a recommission application and another $45 fee. You can file in person, by first-class mail, or online. If you are in good standing and have never been removed or investigated, you do not need to redo the sworn oath on the application itself, but you still appear at the circuit court to take the oath of office and collect your new commission, and you will need a new seal reflecting the updated expiration date.⁷

1
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 47.1-21 – Commission as Notary
2
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 47.1-4 – Qualification for Appointment
3
Secretary of the Commonwealth. A Handbook for Virginia Notaries Public
4
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 47.1-5 – Application
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Secretary of the Commonwealth. Notary Application Process
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Secretary of the Commonwealth. Notary Commissions
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Title 47.1 – Notaries and Out-of-State Commissioners
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Virginia’s Judicial System. Circuit Court Fee Schedule
9
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 47.1-16 – Notarizations to Show Date of Act, Official Signature and Seal
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Secretary of the Commonwealth. Learn About Becoming an Electronic Notary
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 47.1-7 – Additional Requirements for Performing Electronic Notarial Acts