Virginia is one of the easiest and cheapest states to become a notary — no exam, no course, no bond. They were also the first state to authorize remote online notarization, in 2012. Here's the actual process.
Virginia is a "self-certifying" state — you certify on your application that you understand notarial duties, but there's no mandatory training, exam, or bond. Eligibility requirements under Code of Virginia Title 47.1:
Virginia has one of the lowest startup costs in the country thanks to the no-exam, no-bond structure. Your only real costs are the state fee, the oath fee, and your seal.
| Item | Required? | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| State application fee | Required | $45 |
| Circuit Court oath of office fee | Required | $10 |
| Notary stamp/seal | Required | $15–$35 |
| Surety bond | Not required | $0 |
| Education course | Not required | $0 |
| Written exam | Not required | $0 |
| E&O insurance (recommended) | Optional | $25–$50/yr |
| Electronic notary registration (optional add-on) | Optional | $45 |
| Total to get commissioned | $70–$110 |
Important note: Virginia does NOT require E&O insurance or a bond, but the state explicitly notes you're personally liable for any errors or misconduct. E&O insurance is roughly $25-$50/year and well worth it — one mistake without insurance can be financially devastating.
Apply at the Secretary of the Commonwealth's notary portal: commonwealth.virginia.gov. The online application asks for your personal info, residency/employment status, and a self-certification that you've read and understand the Virginia Notary Handbook.
Print the completed online application. You must take it to a current Virginia notary (not an electronic notary) to have your signature notarized on the paper form. This is the only notarial act required as part of the process.
Mail your notarized application packet to: Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, P.O. Box 1795, Richmond, VA 23218-1795. Include the $45 non-refundable application fee. Processing typically takes 14-21 days.
The Notary Public Division reviews your application and forwards your commission certificate to the Circuit Court you selected during application. You'll receive a notice (email or mail) that your commission is ready for pickup.
Appear in person at your chosen Circuit Court within 60 days of issuance to take the oath of office. Pay the $10 oath fee. Miss the 60-day deadline and your commission becomes void — you'll need to restart the application and pay another $45 fee. Once sworn in, order your seal and you're ready to notarize.
Under Code of Virginia Title 47.1, you're authorized to perform these notarial acts anywhere in the Commonwealth:
Virginia caps notarial fees by statute:
Per-act fees are low, but Virginia mobile notary work is profitable because:
Virginia pioneered remote online notarization. The Commonwealth authorized RON in 2012 — a full decade before most states. To perform RON in VA:
Your Virginia commission is valid for 4 years, expiring on the last day of your birth month. This is a relatively short term compared to most states.
Renewal is the same process as initial application — no shortcut for renewals. You'll need to: If you let your commission lapse and don't renew before the expiration date, you cannot legally notarize during the gap — and you can't backdate any acts. Set a calendar reminder for 90 days before your birth-month expiration.
Virginia's self-certifying model relies on personal liability and the requirement that you appear at Circuit Court for your oath. The state assumes that the combination of personal financial liability for errors + the formality of the oath + the felony-disqualification rule is enough to prevent unqualified people from applying. In practice, most VA notaries do study the Handbook even though it's not required.
Virginia requires that your initial application be notarized by an existing Virginia notary public. This is the only "vetting" step before the state processes your application. Most people get this done at their bank, UPS Store, or county courthouse. Cost is typically free at your bank if you're a customer, or $5-$10 elsewhere.
The $5 fee is the maximum you can charge — not a required minimum. You can absolutely notarize for free, which most notaries do for family, friends, employees, or as community service. The cap only matters if you're charging.
Yes, but be aware that federal employees on military installations have specific rules about performing notarizations in their official duty capacity (covered by 10 U.S.C. § 1044a for military legal services). For your civilian notary commission, you can apply normally as long as you meet Virginia's residency or employment requirements.
RON pays $25 per act vs $5 for paper — 5x the per-act rate. However, RON requires investment in a platform subscription (Notarize/BlueNotary/OneNotary, $50-$300/mo), plus your time learning the technology and building client volume. Once established, RON-only operations can be highly profitable in Virginia because the regulatory framework is mature and lender acceptance is high.
Your VA commission is tied to you as an individual, not your employer. If you change jobs, your commission remains valid. However, if your commission is based on "regular employment in Virginia" (as a non-resident), you must notify the Secretary of the Commonwealth and may need to surrender the commission if you no longer work in VA. Resident notaries don't have this constraint.
Virginia is a "self-certifying" state — you certify on your application that you understand notarial duties, but there's no mandatory training, exam, or bond. Eligibility requirements under Code of Virginia Title 47.1: Be at least 18 years old. Be a legal resident of the United States. Be a resident of Virginia, OR reside out-of-state but be regularly employed in Virginia (with notary services connected to your employment). Be able to read and write English. Have no felony convictions unless your civil rights have been restored or you've been pardoned. What it actually costs, end to end Virginia has one of the lowest startup costs in the country thanks to the no-exam, no-bond structure. Your only real costs are the state fee, the oath fee, and your seal. Item Required? Cost State application fee Required $45 Circuit Court oath of office fee Required $10 Notary stamp/seal Required $15–$35 Surety bond Not required $0 Education course Not required $0 Written exam Not required $0 E&O insurance (recommended) Optional $25–$50/yr Electronic notary registration (optional add-on) Optional $45 Total to get commissioned (basic) $70–$110 Important note: Virginia does NOT require E&O insurance or a bond, but the state explicitly notes you're personally liable for any errors or misconduct. E&O insurance is roughly $25-$50/year and well worth it — one mistake without insurance can be financially devastating. The 5 steps to your Virginia commission 1 Complete the online application Apply at the Secretary of the Commonwealth's notary portal: commonwealth.virginia.gov. The online application asks for your personal info, residency/employment status, and a self-certification that you've read and understand the Virginia Notary Handbook. 2 Print and get your application notarized Print the completed online application. You must take it to a current Virginia notary (not an electronic notary) to have your signature notarized on the paper form. This is the only notarial act required as part of the process. 3 Mail the notarized application + $45 fee to Richmond Mail your notarized application packet to: Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, P.O. Box 1795, Richmond, VA 23218-1795. Include the $45 non-refundable application fee. Processing typically takes 14-21 days. 4 Receive commission certificate at the Circuit Court The Notary Public Division reviews your application and forwards your commission certificate to the Circuit Court you selected during application. You'll receive a notice (email or mail) that your commission is ready for pickup. 5 Take your oath within 60 days, order your seal Appear in person at your chosen Circuit Court within 60 days of issuance to take the oath of office. Pay the $10 oath fee. Miss the 60-day deadline and your commission becomes void — you'll need to restart the application and pay another $45 fee. Once sworn in, order your seal and you're ready to notarize. What Virginia notaries actually do Under Code of Virginia Title 47.1, you're authorized to perform these notarial acts anywhere in the Commonwealth: Acknowledgments — Confirming a signer voluntarily executed a document Jurats — Administering oaths and affirmations on signed statements Oaths and affirmations — Verbal swearings outside of document signing Verifications of fact — Confirming specific facts within the notary's personal knowledge Copy certifications — Of non-recordable documents only Witness signatures — In specific statutory contexts Electronic notarization — Requires separate eNotary registration ($45 additional fee) Remote online notarization (RON) — Virginia was the first state to authorize this in 2012 What you can actually make Virginia caps notarial fees by statute: $5 per paper notarial act $25 per electronic notarial act (including RON) Per-act fees are low, but Virginia mobile notary work is profitable because: Travel fees are unregulated — charge what the market supports Service fees are unregulated — flat-rate convenience charges are common Loan signing fees — typical $100-$200 per signing in NoVA/Richmond markets RON pays $25/act — 5x the paper rate Northern Virginia (Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun) is particularly lucrative because of the high real estate transaction volume, federal employee documents (security clearance forms, USPS power of attorney), and dense affluent population willing to pay convenience premiums. RON in Virginia Virginia pioneered remote online notarization. The Commonwealth authorized RON in 2012 — a full decade before most states. To perform RON in VA: Hold an active Virginia notary commission (the traditional one) Apply separately for an Electronic Notary commission ($45 additional fee) Re-read pages 6-9 of the 2024 Notary Handbook before applying Comply with the Electronic Notarization Assurance Standard (electronic seal/signature specs) Use an approved RON technology platform Maintain an electronic journal AND audio/video recordings of every RON session Verify signer identity via two-factor authentication Because Virginia was first to authorize RON, it has one of the most mature regulatory frameworks. If you plan to do significant RON work, Virginia is a foundational market — many national RON-only operations are based here. Renewing your Virginia commission Your Virginia commission is valid for 4 years, expiring on the last day of your birth month. This is a relatively short term compared to most states. Renewal is the same process as initial application — no shortcut for renewals. You'll need to: Submit a new $45 application via the online portal Get the application notarized (any current VA notary) Mail to Richmond, wait 14-21 days Appear at Circuit Court within 60 days for a new oath, $10 fee If you let your commission lapse and don't renew before the expiration date, you cannot legally notarize during the gap — and you can't backdate any acts. Set a calendar reminder for 90 days before your birth-month expiration. Questions Virginia notaries actually ask If there's no exam or course, what stops anyone from becoming a notary? Virginia's self-certifying model relies on personal liability and the requirement that you appear at Circuit Court for your oath. The state assumes that the combination of personal financial liability for errors + the formality of the oath + the felony-disqualification rule is enough to prevent unqualified people from applying. In practice, most VA notaries do study the Handbook even though it's not required. Why do I need to get my application notarized? Virginia requires that your initial application be notarized by an existing Virginia notary public. This is the only "vetting" step before the state processes your application. Most people get this done at their bank, UPS Store, or county courthouse. Cost is typically free at your bank if you're a customer, or $5-$10 elsewhere. Can I notarize for free? Do I have to charge $5? The $5 fee is the maximum you can charge — not a required minimum. You can absolutely notarize for free, which most notaries do for family, friends, employees, or as community service. The cap only matters if you're charging. I'm a federal employee at Quantico. Can I be a notary? Yes, but be aware that federal employees on military installations have specific rules about performing notarizations in their official duty capacity (covered by 10 U.S.C. § 1044a for military legal services). For your civilian notary commission, you can apply normally as long as you meet Virginia's residency or employment requirements. How does RON pay compared to in-person? RON pays $25 per act vs $5 for paper — 5x the per-act rate. However, RON requires investment in a platform subscription (Notarize/BlueNotary/OneNotary, $50-$300/mo), plus your time learning the technology and building client volume. Once established, RON-only operations can be highly profitable in Virginia because the regulatory framework is mature and lender acceptance is high. I'm changing jobs — does my commission travel with me? Your VA commission is tied to you as an individual, not your employer. If you change jobs, your commission remains valid. However, if your commission is based on "regular employment in Virginia" (as a non-resident), you must notify the Secretary of the Commonwealth and may need to surrender the commission if you no longer work in VA. Resident notaries don't have this constraint. Founding Smoothquill cohort Ready to start? The application is step one. Virginia is one of our priority markets — mature RON infrastructure, high federal/real estate transaction volume in NoVA, and low barriers to entry. We're recruiting founding-cohort Virginia notaries now — 10 spots, $10 platform fee for life.
Apply to Smoothquill →Founding cohort · 10 spots · $10 flat platform fee for life