Circuit Court Alert:
The office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth is responsible for commissioning notary publics in Virginia, pursuant to §47.1-8 of the Code of Virginia. Please visit the Secretary's website for more information or contact their office by telephone at (804)786-2441. Page includes links to:
Additional Information - Additional information about the notary application process provided by the Circuit Court Clerk's Office, including obtaining your notary commission from the Fairfax County Courthouse.
Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Online Notary Application Wizard - Online application for appointment as Notary Public that can be submitted electronically.
Notary commissions can be claimed in the Public Service Division of the Fairfax Circuit Court. Please call 703-691-7320 press 3, 4, 0 beforehand to ensure your commission has arrived. The cost is $10 payable by cash, money order, cashier’s check, business check or personal check. Checks should be made payable to the Clerk of the Court. Starter checks are not accepted. Visa and Mastercard are also accepted, with a 4% transaction fee. The Public Service Division of the Fairfax Circuit Court is located at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Suite 116. We are open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Our telephone number is (703) 691-7320 press 3, 4, 0.
A notary authentication is a certification prepared by the Public Service Division of the Fairfax Circuit Court that verifies a notary’s commission is valid. Customers can obtain a notary authentication at the Fairfax Circuit Court if the notary received their notary commission from the Fairfax Circuit Court.
Customers must provide the original, properly notarized document to the Public Service Division to obtain a notary authentication. Customers can request a notary authentication in-person or through the mail.
Customers requesting an authentication through the mail must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with their request, along with payment and the original notarized document.
Our address is:
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Public Service Division
4110 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 116
Fairfax, VA 22030
Attn: Notary Authentications
Fee:
The fee is $2.50 per authentication. The Public Service Division accepts cash, cashier’s checks, and money orders for notary authentications. Visa and Mastercard are also accepted, with a 4% transaction fee. Only cashier’s checks and money orders are accepted through the mail. The Public Service Division does not accept personal checks or starter checks and cannot accept cash or credit cards through the mail.
Hours for obtaining a notary authentication are 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
If you have any questions, please call the Circuit Court Clerk's office at 703-691-7320.
Authentications of documents signed by Virginia Officials (also known as the Great Seal or an Apostille) verify to foreign governments that Virginia officials are in good standing. These officials include notaries public, clerks and deputy clerks of Virginia courts, registrars and deputy registrars of the Department of Health and the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission. Authentications for Virginia officials are only issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Any document requiring an authentication must contain original signatures and be less than one year old from the date the document is signed by the Virginia official.
For more information, please contact the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth:
Authentications Director
Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth
1111 East Broad Street, 1st Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219
( 804) 692-0114
https://commonwealth.virginia.gov/official-documents/authentications/