How to Become a Notary in Virginia: Requirements, Fees and Bond
Virginia notaries are commissioned through: Secretary of the Commonwealth (oath taken at a circuit court clerk's office). The commission term is 4 years. Whether a bond is required was not confirmed from the official source. The application fee is $45. The maximum notary fee is $10 for an acknowledgment and $10 for a jurat. Fields shown as not verified were not found on the official source; check the source page below.
| State | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | VA |
| Commissioning office | Secretary of the Commonwealth (oath taken at a circuit court clerk's office) |
| Commission term | 4 years |
| Surety bond required | Not verified from the official source |
| Bond amount | Not verified from the official source |
| Application fee | $45 |
| Maximum fee, acknowledgment | $10 |
| Maximum fee, jurat | $10 |
| Fee note | Non-refundable $45 application fee; $10 to the deputy clerk for the oath and commission. A notary may charge no more than $10 per notarial act (charging is optional). |
| Remote online notarization (RON) allowed | Not verified from the official source |
| Maximum RON fee | Not verified from the official source |
| Training required | Not verified from the official source |
| Exam required | Not verified from the official source |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Residency rule | Not verified from the official source |
| Official source | https://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/secretary-of-the-commonwealth/pdf/notary/Notary-Handbook_Final_4.7.2026.pdf |
| Additional official sources | https://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/secretary-of-the-commonwealth/pdf/notary/Important-Guidelines-for-Virginia-Notaries.pdf |
| Last verified | not re-fetched |
| Notes on how the row was compiled | not re-fetched; value from a search extract of the official page. Figures come from a search extract of the Secretary of the Commonwealth Notary Handbook (file dated 4.7.2026; text says revised 2024-07-01). Commissions are not renewable; a new application is needed every four years. Applicants must be legal U.S. residents who read and write English; this is not a state-residency rule, so residency_rule is null. Not found, so null: bond, RON status and fee cap, training, exam (only a third-party summary says none is required). |
Official source (plain text, copy into your browser): https://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/secretary-of-the-commonwealth/pdf/notary/Notary-Handbook_Final_4.7.2026.pdf
Last verified: not re-fetched