According to NationalNotary.org, a notary public is someone who is approved by the state government to administer oaths and witness the signing of documents. A notarized signature is required for documents such as deeds, powers of attorney, divorce paperwork and affidavits.

Types

In addition to traditional notary public appointments, Virgina approves eNotaries. Virginia's Secretary of the Commonwealth states that an approved Virginia notary public can also become an eNotary, a person who electronically notarizes documents. A Virginia notary public is not automatically an eNotary. To become an eNotary, an applicant must first be a commissioned notary public capable of supplying her notary registration number and a valid email address. An eNotary's commission is earned through a separate application process.

The Facts

A Virginia notary public applicant must be 18 and must not have been convicted of a felony crime. An applicant may apply if his felony conviction has been pardoned or if his rights have been restored. ENotary applicants must have a verifiable email address and create a digital signature using the exact name listed on their active notary commission. The technology or technologies accepted by Virginia for its eNotary requirements include public key infrastructure, root certificates, ITU-T X.509 and certificate authority.

Process

Notary candidates must complete a notary public application and submit it to the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Applications for notary public and eNotary can be downloaded via the Secretary's website. Traditional notary applications can be retrieved from a candidate's local circuit court.

Cost

A notary candidate must pay a $45 filing fee to the treasurer of Virginia. After notary appointment has been approved, the notary must report to a court of her choosing to swear an oath; she pays a $10 filing fee to the clerk of that court. Notaries who choose to become eNotaries must pay an additional $45 filing fee.

Considerations

If a Virginia notary public or eNotary applicant has been approved for appointment, then he should be notified after a period of three weeks. Traditional notary applicants are notified of approval via post mail, and eNotary applicants are notified via email. A notary public's commission expires after four years. An eNotary's commission ends at the same time as her pen-and-paper notary commission.

Fun Fact

According to Virginia.gov, at any point in time there are approximately 120,000 commissioned notaries in Virginia.

Source:

Virginia.gov: Notary

Virginia.gov: Electronically-enabled Notary Public Instructions and Application

NationalNotary.org: Become a Notary State Requirements

More Information:

Virginia.gov: Notary Public Handbook