Quick answer. Virginia's commissioning office publishes the wording below. We show four forms: acknowledgment (individual), jurat (verification on oath or affirmation), certified copy of an original and electronic notarization. We found no official form for acknowledgment (representative capacity) and signature witnessing. The remote-act statement is in Handbook p. 14 (sample).
These are the Secretary of the Commonwealth's sample certificates from the 2026 handbook (pp. 13-14), reproduced as printed.
Which Virginia certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | Virginia source |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgment (individual) | The signer declares that the signature on the document is theirs and that they signed willingly. No oath is given. Deeds, powers of attorney and many contracts use it. | Handbook p. 13 (sample) |
| Jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) | The signer swears or affirms that the statements in the document are true, and signs in front of you. Affidavits and other sworn statements use it. | Handbook p. 14 (sample) |
| Certified copy of an original | You certify that a copy is a true copy of an original presented to you, only for documents your state lets notaries copy (vital records and recorded documents are usually excluded). | Handbook p. 13 (sample) |
| Electronic notarization | The signer appears by audio-video communication technology instead of in person, where your state authorizes it and you have any required approval. The certificate must say so. | Handbook p. 14 (sample) |
| Acknowledgment (representative capacity) | Like an acknowledgment, but the signer signs for someone else: a company, a trust, a partnership, or a principal under a power of attorney. The certificate names the capacity and the party represented. | No official form found |
| Signature witnessing | You watch the signer sign and confirm who they are. There is no oath, and the signer does not need to state that the contents are true. | No official form found |
Virginia certificate wording
Acknowledgment (individual) Official sample
The signer declares that the signature on the document is theirs and that they signed willingly. No oath is given. Deeds, powers of attorney and many contracts use it.
City/County of _________________ Commonwealth of Virginia
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged and signed before me this ____ day of ________, 20_____ by _____________________________________ (Name of person signing acknowledgment)
Notary Seal
_______________________________________ Notary Public's signature
Notary registration number: ________________
My commission expires: _____________
Jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) Official sample
The signer swears or affirms that the statements in the document are true, and signs in front of you. Affidavits and other sworn statements use it.
City/County of _________________ Commonwealth of Virginia
The foregoing instrument was subscribed and sworn this before me this ____ day of ________, 20_____ by _____________________________________. (Name of person seeking jurat)
Notary Seal
_______________________________________ Notary Public's signature
Notary registration number: ________________
My commission expires: _____________
Reproduced as printed in the handbook, including "sworn this before me this". A jurat requires an oath.
Certified copy of an original Official sample
You certify that a copy is a true copy of an original presented to you, only for documents your state lets notaries copy (vital records and recorded documents are usually excluded).
City/County of _________________ Commonwealth of Virginia
I certify this to be a complete, full, true and exact reproduction of the original document.
Certified this _____ day of ________, 20 _____
Notary Seal
_______________________________________ Notary Public's signature
Notary registration number: ________________
My commission expires: _____________
When the certificate is on a separate page, the handbook says to name the document it is attached to.
Electronic notarization Official sample
The signer appears by audio-video communication technology instead of in person, where your state authorizes it and you have any required approval. The certificate must say so.
City/County of __________ [Notary Public's physical location] Commonwealth of Virginia
The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this ____ day of ________, 20_____ by _____________________________________. (Name of person seeking acknowledgement)
The handbook says an electronic certificate must also state whether the notarization was done in person or by remote notarization.
No official Virginia form found
- Acknowledgment (representative capacity). The handbook has no separate representative-capacity sample. No official form found; check with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
- Signature witnessing. The handbook has no signature-witnessing sample. No official form found; check with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
What a Virginia certificate must contain
- Every certificate has: a statement of the specific act, the date, the city or county and state where it was performed, your commission expiration date, your original signature (never a stamp, facsimile or photocopy), your notary registration number, and a photographically reproducible seal. (A Handbook for Virginia Notaries Public, revised July 1, 2026 (Secretary of the Commonwealth))
- If the notarial statement is on a different page from the signature, it must name the signer and the document. (A Handbook for Virginia Notaries Public, revised July 1, 2026 (Secretary of the Commonwealth))
- Virginia notaries may not certify true copies of birth, death or marriage certificates (only Vital Records may) or of court-issued documents. (A Handbook for Virginia Notaries Public, revised July 1, 2026 (Secretary of the Commonwealth))
Common Virginia certificate mistakes
Our plain-English summary of what the official sources warn about; the source follows each one.
- Not requiring personal appearance for an acknowledgment; the handbook calls it the most frequent misconduct charge. (A Handbook for Virginia Notaries Public, revised July 1, 2026 (Secretary of the Commonwealth))
- Accepting a signature on the word of a third party. (A Handbook for Virginia Notaries Public, revised July 1, 2026 (Secretary of the Commonwealth))
- Notarizing an incomplete document. (A Handbook for Virginia Notaries Public, revised July 1, 2026 (Secretary of the Commonwealth))
- Obscuring signatures or text with the seal, or striking through or whiting out part of the seal. (A Handbook for Virginia Notaries Public, revised July 1, 2026 (Secretary of the Commonwealth))
- Trying to correct a completed notarial act; the handbook recommends a new notarization instead. (A Handbook for Virginia Notaries Public, revised July 1, 2026 (Secretary of the Commonwealth))
- Certifying a copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate. (A Handbook for Virginia Notaries Public, revised July 1, 2026 (Secretary of the Commonwealth))
The Virginia certificate wording pack
$15 one time. The wording on this page is public law and stays free here; the pack is the fill-in files and the organizing.
- A one-page "which certificate do I use?" chart for Virginia: each act, when it's used and the official sample it comes from.
- The Virginia wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what a Virginia certificate must contain (venue, seal, commission details).
- Fill-in certificates in Word, one per page, with matching PDFs, so you can attach a loose certificate when a document needs one.
- A common-mistakes checklist from the official sources: six items for Virginia, each with its source.
See the Virginia certificate wording pack
Sources
- A Handbook for Virginia Notaries Public, revised July 1, 2026 (Secretary of the Commonwealth) (checked November 7, 2026)
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Notaries follow their own state's law and the official handbook, and the receiving office decides what it accepts, so nothing here guarantees a document will be accepted. If anything here differs from what the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, notary commissions tells you, follow the office.
Virginia certificate questions
What is the Virginia acknowledgment certificate wording?
The official sample (Handbook p. 13 (sample)) reads: "City/County of _________________ Commonwealth of Virginia The foregoing instrument was acknowledged and signed before me this ____ day of ________, 20_____ by _____________________________________ (Name of person signing acknowledgment)" It closes with Notary Seal, Notary Public's signature and Notary registration number:.
What is the Virginia jurat wording?
The official sample (Handbook p. 14 (sample)) reads: "City/County of _________________ Commonwealth of Virginia The foregoing instrument was subscribed and sworn this before me this ____ day of ________, 20_____ by _____________________________________. (Name of person seeking jurat)" Use it only when you give the signer an oath or affirmation and they sign in front of you.
Can a Virginia notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. The official sample (Handbook p. 13 (sample)) reads: "City/County of _________________ Commonwealth of Virginia I certify this to be a complete, full, true and exact reproduction of the original document. Certified this _____ day of ________, 20 _____" When the certificate is on a separate page, the handbook says to name the document it is attached to.
What else must a Virginia notarial certificate show?
Every certificate has: a statement of the specific act, the date, the city or county and state where it was performed, your commission expiration date, your original signature (never a stamp, facsimile or photocopy), your notary registration number, and a photographically reproducible seal. If the notarial statement is on a different page from the signature, it must name the signer and the document.
Is there a Virginia remote notarization statement?
Yes. Handbook p. 14 (sample): "City/County of __________ [Notary Public's physical location] Commonwealth of Virginia The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this ____ day of ________, 20_____ by _____________________________________. (Name of person seeking acknowledgement)" The handbook says an electronic certificate must also state whether the notarization was done in person or by remote notarization.
Who decides which Virginia certificate to use?
The person asking for the notarization, or whoever drafted the document, tells you which notarial act they need; a notary who isn't an attorney shouldn't choose it for them. If a document has no certificate, follow the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, notary commissions's guidance. We are not lawyers, and nothing here promises that a receiving office will accept a document.
Related: All states · Becoming a notary in Virginia · Notary work in Virginia · Utah certificate wording · Vermont certificate wording