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NEW Virginia Notary Statutes
Virginia Mandates Journal Use and Will Soon Require Notary Education and an ExamPublished August 26, 2026
The Old Dominion State's 2026 Legislature has amended several notary public statutes with House Bill 163.
Of note, Effective July 1, 2026, both traditional notaries and electronic notaries of the Commonwealth must keep, maintain, protect, and provide for lawful inspection of a “record of notarial acts or, in the case of an electronic notary,” an electronic record of notarial acts. Statute specifies what must be kept in the "record" or notary recordbook/journal and establishes that the record of any nonelectronic notarial act performed on or after July 1, 2026, must be maintained by a notary for a period of at least five years from the date of the transaction.
The "record of notarial acts" also referred to as a notary recordbook or journal must include:
• the date and time of day of the notarial act;
• the type of notarial act performed;
• the type, title, or a description of the document or proceeding;
• the printed name and address of each principal;
• how the individual was identified; and
• the fee charged, if any.
Effective July 1, 2027, all new and renewing Virginia notaries must take a course of instruction developed or approved by the Secretary of the Commonwealth and take and pass a written exam.
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