How to Become an Online Notary in Virginia

Steps to Become an Electronic Remote Notary in Virginia

In 2013, Virginia pioneered remote online notarization (RON) services. However, before a Notary Public can offer such services, they need to be commissioned as an electronic Notary (eNotary) by the state. Here are the necessary steps to achieve this status in Virginia:

Maintain an active commission as a standard Notary Public.
Obtain an electronic seal or stamp from a recognized Notary provider (BlueNotary provides these for free)
Choose your RON technology vendor(s) for crafting your electronic signature for both online notarizations and eNotarizations.
Fill out the Virginia eNotary Application, signing it with your electronic signature and seal. (The Digital Certificate used will need to be provided by Identrust)
Pay the $45 application fee online to Virginia’s Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Await an email notification from the Secretary of the Commonwealth confirming the approval of your application.



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How to Become a Traditional Notary Public in Virginia

The following steps explain the steps you need to take if you want to become a Traditional Notary Public in Virginia:

Make sure you meet all of the state’s requirements.
Complete and print an application form, using the Virginia Online Notary Application Wizard.
Pay the $45 application fee online. You’ll be given an online receipt with an invoice number matching the barcode number on your application. You can also pay via check or money order.
Have your signature on Part 3 of the application notarized.
Mail your notarized application and receipt — or check or money order — to the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
When approved, a notice will be sent to you as well as the Circuit Court clerk in 2-3 weeks.
Contact the Circuit Court to take your Oath of Office and pay the $10 fee within 60 days.
Obtain your state-required seal.
Get E&O insurance (optional, but strongly recommended).

Once these requirements are met, you can begin offering your services as a Traditional Notary in Virginia.

Requirements to Become a Notary in Virginia

In order to become an online notary in Virginia, you must first meet the following criteria:

Be a Virginia resident.
Be at least 18 years old
Be able to read and write English
Be a legal resident of the U.S.
Be a resident of or have a place of employment in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Additionally, applicants unable to become notaries if they have become convicted of a felony under the laws of the United States or in the Commonwealth of Virginia, or the laws of any other state, unless their rights are restored.

Updated on: 24/07/2024