{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/47.1-9.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/47.1-9.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/47.1-9.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/47.1-9.html"}],"law_id":63757,"edition_id":1,"section_id":63757,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-9","catch_line":"Oath of notary; duties of clerks","history":"1980, c. 580; 2007, cc. 269, 590; 2008, cc. 117, 814; 2012, c. 566.","full_text":"Before receiving his commission, each person appointed a notary shall appear before the clerk of the circuit court to which his commission has been sent, present sufficient satisfaction of evidence of identity as defined in \u00a7 47.1-2, and make oath as follows:\n\t\t“I,……………., solemnly swear (or affirm) under penalty of perjury, that I have carefully read the notary laws of this Commonwealth, and am familiar with their provisions; that I will uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia; and that I will faithfully perform, to the best of my ability, the duties of the office of notary public.”\n\t\tSuch oath shall be signed by the applicant and attested by the clerk. The clerk shall thereupon issue to the applicant his commission as notary public or electronic notary public. Within 14 days of such qualification, the clerk shall certify the fact of such qualification to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.\n\t\tNo person shall be permitted to qualify who does not appear before the clerk within 60 days of his appointment. The clerk of each circuit court shall, at least once each month, return to the Secretary all commissions which have not been claimed within such 60-day period, and the Secretary shall forthwith cancel the same.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":232266,"text":"Before receiving his commission, each person appointed a notary shall appear before the clerk of the circuit court to which his commission has been sent, present sufficient satisfaction of evidence of identity as defined in \u00a7 47.1-2, and make oath as follows:\n\t\t“I,……………., solemnly swear (or affirm) under penalty of perjury, that I have carefully read the notary laws of this Commonwealth, and am familiar with their provisions; that I will uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia; and that I will faithfully perform, to the best of my ability, the duties of the office of notary public.”\n\t\tSuch oath shall be signed by the applicant and attested by the clerk. The clerk shall thereupon issue to the applicant his commission as notary public or electronic notary public. Within 14 days of such qualification, the clerk shall certify the fact of such qualification to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.\n\t\tNo person shall be permitted to qualify who does not appear before the clerk within 60 days of his appointment. The clerk of each circuit court shall, at least once each month, return to the Secretary all commissions which have not been claimed within such 60-day period, and the Secretary shall forthwith cancel the same.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15929,"edition_id":1,"name":"Appointment","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13724,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:02:12","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:02:12","permalink":{"id":232937,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15929,"identifier":"2","token":"47.1\/2","url":"\/47.1\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13724,"edition_id":1,"name":"Notaries and Out-Of-State Commissioners","identifier":"47.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:41","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:41","permalink":{"id":232925,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13724,"identifier":"47.1","token":"47.1","url":"\/47.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":63019,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-10","catch_line":"Records of the Secretary","url":"\/47.1-10\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-10","metadata":false},{"id":64000,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-11","catch_line":"Reference materials","url":"\/47.1-11\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-11","metadata":false},{"id":76958,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-11.1","catch_line":"Evidence of authenticity of electronic notarial act","url":"\/47.1-11.1\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-11.1","metadata":false},{"id":61916,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-3","catch_line":"Power of appointment","url":"\/47.1-3\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-3","metadata":false},{"id":74388,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-4","catch_line":"Qualification for appointment","url":"\/47.1-4\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-4","metadata":false},{"id":74892,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-5","catch_line":"Application","url":"\/47.1-5\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-5","metadata":false},{"id":74778,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-5.1","catch_line":"Application for recommission","url":"\/47.1-5.1\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-5.1","metadata":false},{"id":85091,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-6","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/47.1-6\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-6","metadata":false},{"id":77120,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-6.1","catch_line":"Standards for electronic notarization","url":"\/47.1-6.1\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-6.1","metadata":false},{"id":86908,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-7","catch_line":"Additional requirements for performing electronic notarial acts","url":"\/47.1-7\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-7","metadata":false},{"id":70373,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-8","catch_line":"Commission to be issued, etc","url":"\/47.1-8\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-8","metadata":false},{"id":63757,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-9","catch_line":"Oath of notary; duties of clerks","url":"\/47.1-9\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-9","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":70373,"structure_id":15929,"section_number":"47.1-8","catch_line":"Commission to be issued, etc","url":"\/47.1-8\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-8","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/47.1-9\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1980. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 580 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1980 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2007, chapters 269<\/a> and 590<\/a>; in 2008, chapters 117<\/a> and 814<\/a>; in 2012, chapter 566<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":63282,"section_number":"47.1-2","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/47.1-2\/"}],"permalink":{"id":232983,"object_type":"law","relational_id":63757,"identifier":"47.1-9","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-9","url":"\/47.1-9\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/47.1-9\/","token":"47.1\/2\/47.1-9","dublin_core":{"Title":"Oath of notary; duties of clerks","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 47.1-9","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Before receiving his commission, each person appointed a notary shall appear before the clerk of the circuit<\/span> court<\/span> to which his commission has been sent, present sufficient satisfaction of evidence<\/span> of identity as defined in \u00a7 47.1-2<\/a>, and make oath<\/span> as follows:\n\t\t“I,……………., solemnly swear (or affirm<\/span>) under penalty<\/span> of perjury<\/span>, that I have carefully read the notary laws<\/span> of this Commonwealth, and am familiar with their provisions; that I will uphold<\/span> the Constitution of the United States<\/span> and the Constitution and laws<\/span> of the Commonwealth of Virginia; and that I will faithfully perform, to the best of my ability, the duties of the office of notary public.”\n\t\tSuch oath<\/span> shall be signed by the applicant and attested by the clerk. The clerk shall thereupon issue<\/span> to the applicant his commission as notary public or electronic notary public<\/span>. Within 14 days of such qualification, the clerk shall certify the fact<\/span> of such qualification to the Secretary<\/span> of the Commonwealth.\n\t\tNo person shall be permitted to qualify who does not appear before the clerk within 60 days of his appointment. The clerk of each circuit<\/span> court<\/span> shall, at least once each month, return to the Secretary<\/span> all commissions which have not been claimed within such 60-day period, and the Secretary<\/span> shall forthwith cancel the same.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nOATH OF NOTARY; DUTIES OF CLERKS (\u00a7 47.1-9)\n\nBefore receiving his commission, each person appointed a notary shall appear\nbefore the clerk of the circuit court to which his commission has been sent,\npresent sufficient satisfaction of evidence of identity as defined in \u00a7 47.1-2,\nand make oath as follows:\n\t\t“I,……………., solemnly swear (or affirm)\nunder penalty of perjury, that I have carefully read the notary laws of this\nCommonwealth, and am familiar with their provisions; that I will uphold the\nConstitution of the United States and the Constitution and laws of the\nCommonwealth of Virginia; and that I will faithfully perform, to the best of my\nability, the duties of the office of notary public.”\n\t\tSuch oath shall be signed by the applicant and attested by the clerk. The\nclerk shall thereupon issue to the applicant his commission as notary public or\nelectronic notary public. Within 14 days of such qualification, the clerk shall\ncertify the fact of such qualification to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.\n\t\tNo person shall be permitted to qualify who does not appear before the clerk\nwithin 60 days of his appointment. The clerk of each circuit court shall, at\nleast once each month, return to the Secretary all commissions which have not\nbeen claimed within such 60-day period, and the Secretary shall forthwith cancel\nthe same.\n\nHISTORY: 1980, c. 580; 2007, cc. 269, 590; 2008, cc. 117, 814; 2012, c. 566.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}