$10 Max Notary Fee in Virginia (2026) | §47.1-19 | NoVa Mobile $50+

Quick answer: Under Code of Virginia §47.1-19, a Virginia notary’s maximum fee for a standard in-person notarial act is $10.00 per act — raised from $5 effective July 1, 2024. For electronic and remote online notarization (RON), the same statute allows up to $25.00 per act. Virginia was the first US state to authorize RON, in 2012. A mobile notary in Northern Virginia, Richmond, or Hampton Roads typically costs $50–$175 total including travel; many Virginia banks notarize for free for account holders.

Virginia Maximum Notary Fee Per Signature

Code of Virginia §47.1-19 sets the maximum fee for a standard in-person notarial act at $10.00 per act. This applies to acknowledgments, jurats (oaths and affirmations), copy certifications, and other standard notarizations performed in person. The $10 cap took effect July 1, 2024, replacing the prior $5 maximum that had been in place for decades.

The same statute provides a separate, higher cap for electronic notarial acts at $25.00 per act — covering electronic acknowledgments, electronic oaths and affirmations, and electronic certifications. This higher cap reflects the additional technology, identity-verification, and recordkeeping requirements electronic notarization involves. Virginia was the first US state to authorize remote online notarization (RON), effective July 1, 2012, and remains a national leader in RON volume.

What counts as one act? Each signature notarized is a separate notarial act. Three documents requiring notarized signatures = three acts. At the in-person rate, that’s $30 in statutory fees. At the electronic / RON rate, that’s $75. Virginia notaries may charge less than the statutory cap but cannot exceed it.

For a full cross-state comparison, see our complete guide to notary costs. Virginia’s $10 cap now matches Florida ($10), sits above New York ($2), New Jersey ($2.50), and Pennsylvania ($5), and below California ($15).

Mobile Notary Costs in Virginia

When a Virginia notary travels to your location, they charge a travel fee on top of the per-act fee. Virginia does not regulate mobile notary travel fees.

Service	Northern VA (NoVa)	Richmond / Hampton Roads	Smaller Cities / Rural VA
Standard daytime (within 15 mi)	$75–$150 total	$50–$100 total	$40–$85 total
Evening or weekend	$100–$200 total	$75–$150 total	$60–$125 total
Rush / same-day	$125–$225 total	$100–$175 total	$75–$140 total
Hospital or care facility visit	$125–$225 total	$100–$175 total	$85–$150 total
Late night or holiday	$175–$300 total	$150–$250 total	$125–$200 total
Remote online notarization	$25 statutory + platform fee	$25 statutory + platform fee	$25 statutory + platform fee

These totals include both the $10 per-act statutory fee and the travel charge. A mobile notary who charges a $70 travel fee plus the $10 per-act fee would cost $80 for one signature or $100 for three signatures.

Northern Virginia pricing is the highest in the state — Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, McLean, Tysons, and Reston run $75–$150 for standard weekday appointments, climbing to $150–$250+ for evenings, weekends, or last-minute service. Heavy DC-corridor traffic and federal-employee documentation drive both volume and pricing.

Richmond and Central Virginia pricing is moderate, typically $50–$125 for standard appointments. Strong demand from Virginia state government, the State Corporation Commission, and the Richmond legal corridor.

Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Chesapeake) is a major military market — many mobile notaries specialize in DoD signing protocols, deployment paperwork, security-clearance affidavits, and family-care plans. Standard mobile rates $50–$125; military-base appointments may carry an access surcharge.

Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Roanoke, and rural Virginia offer the most affordable rates, typically $40–$100 for standard weekday appointments.

Where to Get Free Notary Services in Virginia

Banks and credit unions — Capital One, Truist (formerly BB&T), Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Atlantic Union Bank, Burke & Herbert Bank, Navy Federal Credit Union, and Pentagon Federal Credit Union all offer free notary services to account holders. Most Virginia branches do not charge non-customers either, though confirm with the branch — at the new $10 cap, fees for non-customers are slightly more common than they were under the $5 regime.
AAA offices — Members can access free notary services at Virginia branch locations (Fairfax, Richmond, Virginia Beach, and others).
Public libraries — Many Virginia public libraries offer free notary service. Fairfax County Public Library, Loudoun County Public Library, Arlington Public Library, and Richmond Public Library systems all have notaries on staff at select branches. Always call the specific branch first.
Your employer — Federal contractors, law firms, and large Virginia employers (Capital One, Northrop, Booz Allen, KBR, MITRE) often have notaries on staff for employees.
Military bases — Active-duty service members and dependents can typically access free notary services at base legal offices (JAG offices on installations like Quantico, Pentagon, Norfolk Naval Station, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Fort Belvoir).
UPS Store and Staples — Most Virginia UPS Stores have notaries on staff. Cost is typically $10 (the new state max). Staples availability varies.

When You’ll Need a Mobile Notary in Virginia

Several scenarios specific to Virginia drive mobile-notary demand:

Real estate closings — Northern Virginia’s high-volume residential market keeps mobile signing agents busy; loan signings typically run $125–$225 for a complete closing package.
Federal employee documents — security clearance affidavits, foreign-travel disclosures, and deployment paperwork frequently require notarization; many NoVa mobile notaries specialize in this niche.
Military family documents — power of attorney for deployed service members, family-care plans, dependent identification (CAC-related) paperwork, and predeployment documents.
Hospital and hospice visits — see our notary at the hospital guide for the bedside protocol. Major Virginia hospitals (Inova Fairfax, Virginia Hospital Center, MCV/VCU, Sentara Norfolk, UVA Charlottesville) all see weekly bedside notary visits.
Estate planning — POAs, advance directives, and trust documents are commonly signed at home with multiple family members and witnesses.
International document preparation — Virginia’s federal-government and embassy population frequently needs notarization that will subsequently receive an apostille from the Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth for international use.

Remote Online Notarization in Virginia

Virginia is the national leader in RON adoption. As the first state to authorize remote online notarization (effective July 1, 2012), Virginia has the most established infrastructure and the largest pool of RON-commissioned notaries.

Key facts:

A Virginia-commissioned notary may perform RON for documents to be used in any state
The statutory maximum fee is $25 per act under Code §47.1-19
RON sessions must use an approved platform with KBA identity verification, live audio-video, and recorded session storage (typically 5+ years)
Most Virginia RON sessions complete in 15-30 minutes total
Common RON documents in Virginia: POAs, affidavits, business documents, most loan documents, and acknowledgments

Electronic notarization standards (technology, security, audit trail) are governed by Code §47.1-6.1, which directs the Secretary of the Commonwealth to develop the standards and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency to provide assistance on technical aspects.

Learn more about remote online notarization

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum notary fee in Virginia per Code §47.1-19?

Code of Virginia §47.1-19 caps the in-person notary fee at $10.00 per notarial act, raised from $5 effective July 1, 2024. Each signature notarized counts as one act. The $10 cap covers acknowledgments, jurats, oaths, affirmations, and copy certifications. The same statute allows up to $25 per act for electronic and remote online notarial acts.

How much can a Virginia notary charge per signature in 2026?

A Virginia notary may charge up to $10.00 per in-person signature notarized in 2026, or up to $25.00 per electronic / remote online notarization. These statutory caps under Code §47.1-19 took their current form on July 1, 2024 (when the in-person fee rose from $5 to $10). Mobile notary travel fees are separate and unregulated.

Why does Virginia allow $25 for remote online notarization but only $10 in person?

Virginia’s higher RON fee reflects the additional technology infrastructure — identity verification (KBA), live audio-video session, tamper-evident digital seal, and recorded session retention (typically 5+ years). Virginia was the first US state to authorize RON in 2012 and built its electronic-notarization fee schedule to support sustainable RON service. The in-person cap was held at $5 for decades before its July 2024 increase to $10; the $25 electronic cap is unchanged.

When did Virginia raise notary fees?

Virginia raised the in-person notary fee from $5 to $10 effective July 1, 2024 — the first such increase in many years. The increase was passed by the Virginia General Assembly and applies to all standard in-person notarial acts. The electronic / RON fee cap of $25 was unchanged in that update.

Can a Virginia notary charge more than $10 for an in-person act?

No. The $10 per notarial act limit is set by Code of Virginia §47.1-19. Exceeding it is a violation that can result in suspension or revocation of the notary commission. The statute does allow notaries to recover actual and reasonable travel expenses with the client’s prior agreement — that’s separate from the per-act cap.

How much does a mobile notary cost in Northern Virginia?

Expect $75–$150 for a standard weekday appointment in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, McLean, or Reston, and $125–$250+ for evenings, weekends, or rush service. NoVa pricing is the highest in the state because of DC-corridor traffic, parking costs, and high demand from federal employees and contractors.

Is notarization free at Virginia banks?

Most major banks in Virginia offer free notary services to account holders. Capital One, Truist, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Atlantic Union, Navy Federal, and Pentagon Federal are all reliable options. Following the July 2024 fee increase from $5 to $10, fees for non-customers are slightly more common than before but many branches still notarize for free regardless. Call the specific branch ahead of time to confirm.

Does Virginia allow remote online notarization for real estate?

Yes — Virginia is one of the most RON-friendly states in the country for real estate. Most Virginia counties accept RON-notarized deeds and other real estate documents, though always confirm with the specific county recorder before closing. Title companies in Virginia routinely use Virginia-commissioned RON notaries for refinances and many sales.

Can active-duty military get free notary services on a Virginia base?

Yes. Service members and their dependents can typically access free notary services through the legal office (JAG) on Virginia installations such as Quantico, Pentagon, Norfolk Naval Station, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, and Fort Belvoir. Hours vary; call ahead.

Ready to Find a Virginia Notary?

Tell us your city and document type. We’ll match you with verified Virginia notaries — usually within minutes. Free. No account.

Start here: Find a Notary →

Or browse top VA cities: Arlington · Alexandria · Fairfax · Richmond · Norfolk · Virginia Beach · Charlottesville · Roanoke

Compare neighbor-state fees: North Carolina ($5) · Pennsylvania ($5) · Georgia ($2) · Florida ($10)

Or RON guide: Remote online notarization