{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/55.1-628.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/55.1-628.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/55.1-628.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/55.1-628.html"}],"law_id":59571,"edition_id":1,"section_id":59571,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-628","catch_line":"Validation of acknowledgments when seal not affixed","history":"1924, p. 359; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 5207a; Code 1950, \u00a7 55-123; 1964, c. 57; 1976, c. 685; 1984, c. 35; 1989, c. 602; 1995, c. 48; 2019, c. 712.","full_text":"When a certificate of acknowledgment was made prior to July 1, 1995, to any instrument in writing required by this chapter to be acknowledged and the notary or other official whether of this or some other state taking such acknowledgment failed to affix his official seal to such certificate of acknowledgment when a seal was necessary, the certificate of acknowledgment shall be as valid for all purposes as if such seal had been affixed, and the deed shall be, and shall since such date have been, notice to all persons as effectually as if such seal had been affixed, provided that such acknowledgment was in other respects sufficient.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":218234,"text":"When a certificate of acknowledgment was made prior to July 1, 1995, to any instrument in writing required by this chapter to be acknowledged and the notary or other official whether of this or some other state taking such acknowledgment failed to affix his official seal to such certificate of acknowledgment when a seal was necessary, the certificate of acknowledgment shall be as valid for all purposes as if such seal had been affixed, and the deed shall be, and shall since such date have been, notice to all persons as effectually as if such seal had been affixed, provided that such acknowledgment was in other respects sufficient.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13526,"edition_id":1,"name":"Validating Certain Acts, Deeds, and Acknowledgments","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13525,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:07","permalink":{"id":245577,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13526,"identifier":"5","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5","url":"\/55.1\/II\/6\/5\/","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":79656,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-627","catch_line":"Acts of notaries public, etc., who have held certain other offices","url":"\/55.1-627\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-627","metadata":false},{"id":59571,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-628","catch_line":"Validation of acknowledgments when seal not affixed","url":"\/55.1-628\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-628","metadata":false},{"id":63572,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-629","catch_line":"Acknowledgment taken by trustee in deed of trust","url":"\/55.1-629\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-629","metadata":false},{"id":54491,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-630","catch_line":"Acknowledgment taken by trustee in deed of trust; later date","url":"\/55.1-630\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-630","metadata":false},{"id":78570,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-631","catch_line":"Certain acknowledgments taken and certified before July 1, 1995","url":"\/55.1-631\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-631","metadata":false},{"id":65583,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-632","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken by certain justices of the peace, mayors, etc","url":"\/55.1-632\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-632","metadata":false},{"id":63084,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-633","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken by officers after expiration of terms","url":"\/55.1-633\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-633","metadata":false},{"id":84237,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-634","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken by notaries in service during World War I","url":"\/55.1-634\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-634","metadata":false},{"id":58626,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-635","catch_line":"Acknowledgments before foreign officials who failed to affix seals","url":"\/55.1-635\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-635","metadata":false},{"id":85916,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-636","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken by notaries in foreign countries","url":"\/55.1-636\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-636","metadata":false},{"id":78038,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-637","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken by officer who was spouse of grantee","url":"\/55.1-637\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-637","metadata":false},{"id":69176,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-638","catch_line":"Acknowledgment when notary certifies erroneously as to expiration of commission","url":"\/55.1-638\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-638","metadata":false},{"id":77472,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-639","catch_line":"Acknowledgments before officer of city or county consolidating, etc., prior to expiration date of commission","url":"\/55.1-639\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-639","metadata":false},{"id":55494,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-640","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken before notary whose commission has expired","url":"\/55.1-640\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-640","metadata":false},{"id":73590,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-641","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken before notary whose commission has expired; later date; intervening vested rights saved","url":"\/55.1-641\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-641","metadata":false},{"id":55869,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-642","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken before notary who was appointed but failed to qualify; vested rights saved","url":"\/55.1-642\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-642","metadata":false},{"id":84505,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-643","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken before a notary at large who failed to cite the jurisdiction in which the acknowledgment was taken; vested rights saved","url":"\/55.1-643\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-643","metadata":false},{"id":73203,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-644","catch_line":"Deeds defectively executed by corporation","url":"\/55.1-644\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-644","metadata":false},{"id":58038,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-645","catch_line":"Deeds to which corporate seal not affixed or not attested","url":"\/55.1-645\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-645","metadata":false},{"id":83075,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-646","catch_line":"Acknowledgments of corporations taken by officers or stockholders","url":"\/55.1-646\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-646","metadata":false},{"id":62770,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-647","catch_line":"Recordation certificate not signed by clerk","url":"\/55.1-647\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-647","metadata":false},{"id":85390,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-648","catch_line":"Recordation certificate not signed by clerk; when clerk has died","url":"\/55.1-648\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-648","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":79656,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-627","catch_line":"Acts of notaries public, etc., who have held certain other offices","url":"\/55.1-627\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-627","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":63572,"structure_id":13526,"section_number":"55.1-629","catch_line":"Acknowledgment taken by trustee in deed of trust","url":"\/55.1-629\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-629","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-628\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 6 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 1964, chapter 57; in 1976, chapter 685; in 1984, chapter 35; in 1989, chapter 602; in 1995, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?951+ful+CHAP0048\">48<\/a>; in 2019, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?191+ful+CHAP0712\">712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":245583,"object_type":"law","relational_id":59571,"identifier":"55.1-628","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-628","url":"\/55.1-628\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-628\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-628","dublin_core":{"Title":"Validation of acknowledgments when seal not affixed","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-628","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>When a certificate of acknowledgment was made prior to July 1, 1995, to any instrument in writing required by this chapter to be acknowledged and the notary or other official whether of this or some other state taking such acknowledgment failed to affix his official seal to such certificate of acknowledgment when a seal was necessary, the certificate of acknowledgment shall be as valid for all purposes as if such seal had been affixed, and the deed shall be, and shall since such date have been, notice to all persons as effectually as if such seal had been affixed, provided that such acknowledgment was in other respects sufficient.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nVALIDATION OF ACKNOWLEDGMENTS WHEN SEAL NOT AFFIXED (\u00a7 55.1-628)\n\nWhen a certificate of acknowledgment was made prior to July 1, 1995, to any\ninstrument in writing required by this chapter to be acknowledged and the notary\nor other official whether of this or some other state taking such acknowledgment\nfailed to affix his official seal to such certificate of acknowledgment when a\nseal was necessary, the certificate of acknowledgment shall be as valid for all\npurposes as if such seal had been affixed, and the deed shall be, and shall\nsince such date have been, notice to all persons as effectually as if such seal\nhad been affixed, provided that such acknowledgment was in other respects\nsufficient.\n\nHISTORY: 1924, p. 359; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 5207a; Code 1950, \u00a7 55-123; 1964,\nc. 57; 1976, c. 685; 1984, c. 35; 1989, c. 602; 1995, c. 48; 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}}