{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/47.1-20.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/47.1-20.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/47.1-20.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/47.1-20.1.html"}],"law_id":366421,"edition_id":2,"section_id":366421,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-20.1","catch_line":"Validation of certain acts","history":"1983, c. 435; 2024, c. 832.","full_text":"A\n\nOaths of office administered by a notary public on or before July 1, 1982, are hereby deemed to be valid and actions of any public officer taking such oaths are hereby deemed valid.\n\nB\n\nNo notarial act performed by a notary public shall be invalidated solely because of the failure of such notary public to perform a duty or meet a requirement specified in this title. However, the validity of a notarial act shall not prohibit an aggrieved person from seeking to invalidate the record or transaction that is the subject of such notarial act or from seeking other remedies authorized by the laws of the Commonwealth or laws of the United States. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to validate a purported notarial act performed by an individual who is not authorized to perform such notarial acts.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1364598,"text":"Oaths of office administered by a notary public on or before July 1, 1982, are hereby deemed to be valid and actions of any public officer taking such oaths are hereby deemed valid.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1364599,"text":"No notarial act performed by a notary public shall be invalidated solely because of the failure of such notary public to perform a duty or meet a requirement specified in this title. However, the validity of a notarial act shall not prohibit an aggrieved person from seeking to invalidate the record or transaction that is the subject of such notarial act or from seeking other remedies authorized by the laws of the Commonwealth or laws of the United States. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to validate a purported notarial act performed by an individual who is not authorized to perform such notarial acts.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":52209,"edition_id":2,"name":"Powers and Duties","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":3,"parent_id":52206,"metadata":{"child_laws":12,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:56:06","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:26","permalink":{"id":1459989,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52209,"identifier":"3","token":"47.1\/3","url":"\/47.1\/3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52206,"edition_id":2,"name":"Notaries and Out-Of-State Commissioners","identifier":"47.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":102,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":38,"child_structures":7},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:56:05","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:34:26","permalink":{"id":1459927,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52206,"identifier":"47.1","token":"47.1","url":"\/47.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":366410,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-12","catch_line":"Powers","url":"\/47.1-12\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-12","metadata":false},{"id":366412,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-13","catch_line":"Jurisdiction; Virginia notarial powers outside the Commonwealth","url":"\/47.1-13\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-13","metadata":false},{"id":366411,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-13.1","catch_line":"Notarial powers outside the Commonwealth for use in the Commonwealth","url":"\/47.1-13.1\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-13.1","metadata":false},{"id":366413,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-14","catch_line":"Duty of care","url":"\/47.1-14\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-14","metadata":false},{"id":366415,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-15","catch_line":"Prohibitions","url":"\/47.1-15\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-15","metadata":false},{"id":366414,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-15.1","catch_line":"Additional prohibition on advertising; penalties","url":"\/47.1-15.1\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-15.1","metadata":false},{"id":366416,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-16","catch_line":"Notarizations to show date of act, official signature and seal, etc","url":"\/47.1-16\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-16","metadata":false},{"id":366417,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-17","catch_line":"Change of name","url":"\/47.1-17\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-17","metadata":false},{"id":366418,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-18","catch_line":"Notice of change of address; etc","url":"\/47.1-18\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-18","metadata":false},{"id":366419,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-19","catch_line":"Fees","url":"\/47.1-19\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-19","metadata":false},{"id":366422,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-20","catch_line":"Fee agreements with employer","url":"\/47.1-20\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-20","metadata":false},{"id":366421,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-20.1","catch_line":"Validation of certain acts","url":"\/47.1-20.1\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-20.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":366422,"structure_id":52209,"section_number":"47.1-20","catch_line":"Fee agreements with employer","url":"\/47.1-20\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-20","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/47.1-20.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1983. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 435 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1983 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2024, chapter 832<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1460035,"object_type":"law","relational_id":366421,"identifier":"47.1-20.1","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-20.1","url":"\/47.1-20.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/47.1-20.1\/","token":"47.1\/3\/47.1-20.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Validation of certain acts","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 47.1-20.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Oaths<\/span> of office administered by a notary public<\/span> on or before July 1, 1982, are hereby deemed to be valid and actions of any public officer taking such oaths<\/span> are hereby deemed valid. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> No notarial act<\/span> performed by a notary public<\/span> shall be invalidated solely because of the failure of such notary public<\/span> to perform a duty or meet a requirement specified in this title. However, the validity of a notarial act<\/span> shall not prohibit an aggrieved person from seeking to invalidate the record or transaction that is the subject of such notarial act<\/span> or from seeking other remedies authorized by the laws<\/span> of the Commonwealth or laws<\/span> of the United States<\/span>. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to validate a purported notarial act<\/span> performed by an individual who is not authorized to perform such notarial acts<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nVALIDATION OF CERTAIN ACTS (\u00a7 47.1-20.1)\n\nA. Oaths of office administered by a notary public on or before July 1, 1982,\nare hereby deemed to be valid and actions of any public officer taking such\noaths are hereby deemed valid.\n\nB. No notarial act performed by a notary public shall be invalidated solely\nbecause of the failure of such notary public to perform a duty or meet a\nrequirement specified in this title. However, the validity of a notarial act\nshall not prohibit an aggrieved person from seeking to invalidate the record or\ntransaction that is the subject of such notarial act or from seeking other\nremedies authorized by the laws of the Commonwealth or laws of the United\nStates. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to validate a purported\nnotarial act performed by an individual who is not authorized to perform such\nnotarial acts.\n\nHISTORY: 1983, c. 435; 2024, c. 832.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}