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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>55161</law_id><section_number>47.1-22</section_number><catch_line>Resignation; removal from Commonwealth; etc</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="47.1">Notaries and Out-Of-State Commissioners</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="4">Term of Office</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> A <span class="dictionary">notary</span> may resign his commission by mailing or delivering to the <span class="dictionary">Secretary</span> a letter of resignation. <a id="paragraph-202220" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/47.1-22/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">notary</span> who ceases to be a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia shall, from that time, cease to be a <span class="dictionary">notary</span>; provided, however, that such <span class="dictionary">notary</span> may maintain his commission with the written consent of the <span class="dictionary">Secretary</span> if he meets the qualifications for nonresident appointment under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Qualification for appointment" href="/47.1-4/">47.1-4</a>. <a id="paragraph-202221" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/47.1-22/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Any nonresident <span class="dictionary">notary</span> who ceases to be employed in this Commonwealth shall forthwith cease to be a <span class="dictionary">notary</span>. <a id="paragraph-202222" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/47.1-22/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Every <span class="dictionary">notary</span> who wishes to resign from office, or who ceases to be a <span class="dictionary">notary</span> pursuant to subsections B or C of this section, shall forthwith mail or deliver his commission to the <span class="dictionary">Secretary</span>, who shall cancel the same. The <span class="dictionary">notary</span> shall be responsible for the destruction of the official physical <span class="dictionary">seal</span>. <a id="paragraph-202223" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/47.1-22/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Every <span class="dictionary">electronic notary</span> who wishes to resign his commission or who ceases to be a notary pursuant to this section shall forthwith erase, delete, or destroy the coding, disk, <span class="dictionary">certificate</span>, card, software, or password that enables electronic affixation of the notary&#x2019;s official <span class="dictionary">electronic signature</span> or <span class="dictionary">seal</span> and so certify to the <span class="dictionary">Secretary</span>. <a id="paragraph-202224" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/47.1-22/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="F"><p><span class="prefix-number">F.</span> A former <span class="dictionary">electronic notary</span>, whose previous commission or application was not revoked or denied, need not erase, delete, or destroy the coding, disk, <span class="dictionary">certificate</span>, card, software, or password that enables electronic affixation of the notary&#x2019;s official <span class="dictionary">electronic signature</span> or <span class="dictionary">seal</span> if he is recommissioned and reregistered as an <span class="dictionary">electronic notary</span> using the same <span class="dictionary">electronic signature</span> and <span class="dictionary">seal</span> within three months after commission expiration. <a id="paragraph-202225" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/47.1-22/#F"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1980, c. 580; 2007, cc. 269, 590.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
