Qualifications For Appointment As A Notary Public
Unlimited number of notaries can be appointed
Qualifications For Appointment As A Notary Public
Unlimited number of notaries public can be appointed
Under the laws of Virginia, an unlimited number of notaries can be appointed. According to the Notary Division there are approximately 120,000 notaries at any given time. The eligibility requirements are:
1) A notary must be at least 18 years old.
2) A notary must be able to read and write English.
3) There is no minimum residency requirement.
4) No felony conviction unless pardoned or vacated by the granting of a writ of actual innocence.
The requirement to be a U.S. citizen is no longer in effect due to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1984 (Bernal v. Fainter, 467 US 216).
Non-residents may be appointed as notaries if they are regularly employed in the state and performs notary services in connection with their employment. Refer to 2008 Virginia Notary Handbook
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| Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) |
I am ready to order my new notary seal. Is there a required color for the seal ink?
There is no required ink color for your self-inking, pre-inked/hand stamp official notary seal. The most popular ink choices are black or blue. On occasion, notaries have ordered purple, red or green. The notary seal must be photographically reproducible.
There is a color requirement for the official notary signature. You must use black or blue ink. 
Are there any items that Virginia notaries are strictly forbidden from notarizing?
Virginia notaries are not authorized to notarize or certify true copies of birth, death or marriage certificates. Only the Division of Vital Records/Statistics may perform such a certification. Refer to Office of Vital Records in Richmond, VA at 804 662-6200 or visit their website at www.vdh.state.va.us/Vital_Records/index.htm. |
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| Notary Spotlight
Allen Evans
I have been a Notary Public in the Commonwealth of Virginia since 2003. My full time occupation is law enforcement which I been in since 1987, currently serving in the capacity of a street level uniform officer and a forensic evidence specialist, along with being a police training instructor, private security services instructor, certified homeland security specialist and certified property & evidence specialist.
Having the Notary Public Commission has been very helpful in my position in law enforcement, especially with notarizing legal documents such as Destruction Orders on Evidence that the Court signs off on granting authority to a law enforcement officer to legally destroy seized evidence after a court trial, Search Warrants after they have been executed and evidence seized, concealed weapon permit applications, confessions & dying declarations for other law enforcement officers investigating cases that I am not involved in and other forms used in property and evidence management in a police department.
I recently took a notary class from Bryce Hall in August of 2008 and I really learned a lot about the duties & legal responsibilities of being a Notary Public in VA. I have performed other notarial acts since taking this course and I exercise the same due care as I do in my occupation of being a law enforcement officer, because negligence can be very costly. I recommend this type of training to anyone who has the interest in becoming a notary and I also recommend this training as a refresher to experience notaries to keep up with current changes in VA Laws so that it protect notaries from liability suits and criminal prosecutions. I wish notary training was mandated by the Commonwealth of Virginia in the same manner as my Police Certification Training is which I required by law every 24 months.
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| Reminder from the Notary Division:
Every notarial act must contact seven items of standard information:
1) Notarial statement 2) The date of notarial act
3) The place of notarial act 4) The expiration date of the notary's commission 5) Notary's signature 6) Notary's registration number 7) Notary's seal/stamp
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