Changes in VA Notary Law effective July 1,2008

Effective July 1, 2008, all notaries are assigned a number which must be used every time the notary notarizes. A seal is not required in the Commonwealth of Virginia; however, a seal must be reproducible if used. This means if the notary uses a notary crimp, carbon paper must be used with the crimp or the resulting seal must be darkened with a pencil. I use an ink seal.
Requiring the notarization to be on the same page as the client signature is a significant change. I carry several stamps that bring documents into compliance with VA law if the document does not have the notarization on the same page as the client's signature. The notary also must specify what type of notary act was done. Location of the act must be clear. SS means location not social security number. Location means incorporated town or county or city and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia is a Commonwealth; not a state.