{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/55.1-617.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/55.1-617.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/55.1-617.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/55.1-617.html"}],"law_id":79509,"edition_id":1,"section_id":79509,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-617","catch_line":"Proof of authority of person performing notarial act","history":"1970, c. 719, \u00a7 55-118.2; 2019, c. 712.","full_text":"A\n\nIf the notarial act is performed by any of the persons described in subdivisions B 1 through 4 of § 55.1-616 other than a person authorized to perform notarial acts by the laws or regulations of a foreign country, the signature, rank, or title and serial number, if any, of the person are sufficient proof of the authority of a holder of that rank or title to perform the notarial act. Further proof of his authority is not required.B\n\nIf the notarial act is performed by a person authorized by the laws or regulations of a foreign country to perform the notarial act, there is sufficient proof of the authority of that person to act if:1\n\nEither a foreign service officer of the United States resident in the country in which the notarial act is performed or a diplomatic or consular officer of the foreign country resident in the United States certifies that a person holding that office is authorized to perform the notarial act;2\n\nThe official seal of the person performing the notarial act is affixed to the document; or3\n\nThe title and indication of authority to perform notarial acts of the person appears either in a digest of foreign law or in a list customarily used as a source of such information.C\n\nIf the notarial act is performed by a person other than one described in subsections A and B, there is sufficient proof of the authority of that person to act if the clerk of a court of record in the place in which the notarial act is performed certifies to the official character of that person and to his authority to perform the notarial act.D\n\nThe signature and title of the person performing the notarial act are prima facie evidence that he is a person with the designated title and that the signature is genuine.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":284886,"text":"If the notarial act is performed by any of the persons described in subdivisions B 1 through 4 of § 55.1-616 other than a person authorized to perform notarial acts by the laws or regulations of a foreign country, the signature, rank, or title and serial number, if any, of the person are sufficient proof of the authority of a holder of that rank or title to perform the notarial act. Further proof of his authority is not required.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":284887,"text":"If the notarial act is performed by a person authorized by the laws or regulations of a foreign country to perform the notarial act, there is sufficient proof of the authority of that person to act if:","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"B1"},"2":{"id":284888,"text":"Either a foreign service officer of the United States resident in the country in which the notarial act is performed or a diplomatic or consular officer of the foreign country resident in the United States certifies that a person holding that office is authorized to perform the notarial act;","type":"section","prefixes":["B","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"B1","prefix_anchor":"B1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"B2"},"3":{"id":284889,"text":"The official seal of the person performing the notarial act is affixed to the document; or","type":"section","prefixes":["B","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"B2","prefix_anchor":"B2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B1","next_prefix":"B3"},"4":{"id":284890,"text":"The title and indication of authority to perform notarial acts of the person appears either in a digest of foreign law or in a list customarily used as a source of such information.","type":"section","prefixes":["B","3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"B3","prefix_anchor":"B3","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B2","next_prefix":"C"},"5":{"id":284891,"text":"If the notarial act is performed by a person other than one described in subsections A and B, there is sufficient proof of the authority of that person to act if the clerk of a court of record in the place in which the notarial act is performed certifies to the official character of that person and to his authority to perform the notarial act.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B3","next_prefix":"D"},"6":{"id":284892,"text":"The signature and title of the person performing the notarial act are prima facie evidence that he is a person with the designated title and that the signature is genuine.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15221,"edition_id":1,"name":"Uniform Recognition of Acknowledgments Act","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13525,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:53:08","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:53:08","permalink":{"id":245529,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15221,"identifier":"3","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3","url":"\/55.1\/II\/6\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13525,"edition_id":1,"name":"Recordation of Documents","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13524,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","permalink":{"id":245459,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13525,"identifier":"6","token":"55.1\/II\/6","url":"\/55.1\/II\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13524,"edition_id":1,"name":"Real Estate Settlements and Recordation","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12707,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","permalink":{"id":245369,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13524,"identifier":"II","token":"55.1\/II","url":"\/55.1\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12707,"edition_id":1,"name":"Property and Conveyances","identifier":"55.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":244769,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12707,"identifier":"55.1","token":"55.1","url":"\/55.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":57962,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-616","catch_line":"\"Notarial acts\" defined; who may perform notarial acts outside the Commonwealth for use in the Commonwealth","url":"\/55.1-616\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-616","metadata":false},{"id":79509,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-617","catch_line":"Proof of authority of person performing notarial act","url":"\/55.1-617\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-617","metadata":false},{"id":86563,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-618","catch_line":"What person taking acknowledgment shall certify","url":"\/55.1-618\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-618","metadata":false},{"id":75765,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-619","catch_line":"When form of certificate of acknowledgment accepted","url":"\/55.1-619\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-619","metadata":false},{"id":62752,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-620","catch_line":"Meaning of \"acknowledged before me.\"","url":"\/55.1-620\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-620","metadata":false},{"id":60693,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-621","catch_line":"Statutory short forms of acknowledgment","url":"\/55.1-621\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-621","metadata":false},{"id":64006,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-622","catch_line":"Application of article; article cumulative","url":"\/55.1-622\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-622","metadata":false},{"id":65930,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-623","catch_line":"Uniform interpretation","url":"\/55.1-623\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-623","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":57962,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-616","catch_line":"\"Notarial acts\" defined; who may perform notarial acts outside the Commonwealth for use in the Commonwealth","url":"\/55.1-616\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-616","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":86563,"structure_id":15221,"section_number":"55.1-618","catch_line":"What person taking acknowledgment shall certify","url":"\/55.1-618\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-618","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-617\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1970. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 719 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 1970 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. 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. That modification is as follows: in 2019, chapter 712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":57962,"section_number":"55.1-616","catch_line":"\"Notarial acts\" defined; who may perform notarial acts outside the Commonwealth for use in the Commonwealth","order_by":null,"url":"\/55.1-616\/"}],"permalink":{"id":245535,"object_type":"law","relational_id":79509,"identifier":"55.1-617","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-617","url":"\/55.1-617\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-617\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/3\/55.1-617","dublin_core":{"Title":"Proof of authority of person performing notarial act","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-617","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> If the notarial act is performed by any of the persons described in subdivisions B 1 through 4 of § 55.1-616<\/a> other than a person authorized to perform notarial acts by the laws<\/span> or regulations of a foreign country, the signature, rank, or title and serial number, if any, of the person are sufficient proof of the authority of a holder of that rank or title to perform the notarial act. Further proof of his authority is not required. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> If the notarial act is performed by a person authorized by the laws<\/span> or regulations of a foreign country to perform the notarial act, there is sufficient proof of the authority of that person to act if: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Either a foreign service officer of the United States resident in the country in which the notarial act is performed or a diplomatic or consular officer of the foreign country resident in the United States certifies that a person holding that office is authorized to perform the notarial act; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> The official seal of the person performing the notarial act is affixed to the document; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> The title and indication of authority to perform notarial acts of the person appears either in a digest of foreign law<\/span> or in a list customarily used as a source of such information. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> If the notarial act is performed by a person other than one described in subsections A and B, there is sufficient proof of the authority of that person to act if the clerk of a court<\/span> of record in the place in which the notarial act is performed certifies to the official character of that person and to his authority to perform the notarial act. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> The signature and title of the person performing the notarial act are prima facie evidence<\/span> that he is a person with the designated title and that the signature is genuine. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPROOF OF AUTHORITY OF PERSON PERFORMING NOTARIAL ACT (\u00a7 55.1-617)\n\nA. If the notarial act is performed by any of the persons described in\nsubdivisions B 1 through 4 of § 55.1-616 other than a person authorized to\nperform notarial acts by the laws or regulations of a foreign country, the\nsignature, rank, or title and serial number, if any, of the person are\nsufficient proof of the authority of a holder of that rank or title to perform\nthe notarial act. Further proof of his authority is not required.\n\nB. If the notarial act is performed by a person authorized by the laws or\nregulations of a foreign country to perform the notarial act, there is\nsufficient proof of the authority of that person to act if:\n\n 1. Either a foreign service officer of the United States resident in the\n country in which the notarial act is performed or a diplomatic or consular\n officer of the foreign country resident in the United States certifies that a\n person holding that office is authorized to perform the notarial act;\n\n 2. The official seal of the person performing the notarial act is affixed to\n the document; or\n\n 3. The title and indication of authority to perform notarial acts of the\n person appears either in a digest of foreign law or in a list customarily used\n as a source of such information.\n\nC. If the notarial act is performed by a person other than one described in\nsubsections A and B, there is sufficient proof of the authority of that person\nto act if the clerk of a court of record in the place in which the notarial act\nis performed certifies to the official character of that person and to his\nauthority to perform the notarial act.\n\nD. The signature and title of the person performing the notarial act are prima\nfacie evidence that he is a person with the designated title and that the\nsignature is genuine.\n\nHISTORY: 1970, c. 719, \u00a7 55-118.2; 2019, c. 712.","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}}