2026 state guide · WV
How to become a notary in West Virginia
Quick answer
- Minimum age
- 18 years; residency and other eligibility rules below
- Required fees
- $52 + variable costs
- Exam / course
- No exam required · No mandatory course
- Bond coverage
- Not required
- Commission term
- 5 years
- Remote status
- Electronic RON available
West Virginia notaries apply online to the Secretary of State for $52 — no bond, no exam, no required training. The commission lasts five years, and adding electronic or remote notarization authority later is free.
West Virginia stripped its notary process down to a single online filing: $52 to the Secretary of State through the ERLS portal, no bond, no exam, no class. You attest that you have read the notary law (W. Va. Code §39-4), the state emails your commission letter, and you order a stamp built exactly to the letter's specifications. The commission is one of the longer ones around — five years.
The practical path: file online, pay $52 (free if you are a state or local government notary with a letter from your office head), wait roughly a week or two for standard processing, then buy the rectangular 'Official Seal' stamp with your name, address, and expiration date. Fees you can charge are capped at $10 per signature, so plan on volume or add-on services rather than big per-act income.
Two things set West Virginia apart. Adding electronic and remote notarization authority is free — one E-Notarization Authorization filing covers e-notary, RON, and the state's unusual 'remote ink' option, where the signer signs a paper document on camera and mails it in. And West Virginia is generally treated as an attorney closing state: the State Bar says real estate closings belong to licensed attorneys, which reshapes loan-signing work into attorney-supervised territory.
Who can become a notary in West Virginia?
- Age: at least 18 years old.
- Residency: You must be a West Virginia resident, or a resident of another state who works at an office address in West Virginia.
- Background: Under W. Va. Code §39-4-21, the Secretary of State may deny a commission for any felony conviction or a crime involving fraud, dishonesty, or deceit, for dishonest statements on the application, or for a notary commission revoked or denied in another state. Denial is discretionary, not automatic — contact the Notary Division before paying if you have a record.
- U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident.
- Able to read and write English.
- High school diploma or its equivalent (waived only for notaries first commissioned before January 1, 2018).
- You must attest that you have read West Virginia's notary law (W. Va. Code §39-4) and understand the duties of the office.
Your application checklist
Work through the application in order. Check off completed steps; your progress is saved only in this browser.
How long it takes: The Secretary of State's filing instructions list standard processing of about 5-10 business days, with optional paid expedited service. Confirm current turnaround with the Notary Division (304-558-8000) before counting on a date.
What it costs in West Virginia
First-time, non-attorney applicant for a traditional commission. Government appointments, attorney exemptions, renewals and remote authorization may differ.
Known required fees: $52 + variable costs
This is an itemized starting point. Blank prices are unknown, not free. Add actual quotes below; do not count a bundled fee or supply twice.
$52 · Source
First-time traditional commission. Fee exemptions may apply to certain applicants.
Get a quote · Source
Follow the guide’s seal and recordkeeping rules; journals are mandatory in some jurisdictions and optional in others. Enter only required supplies here, without double-counting a vendor package.
Quotes stay in this page and are not sent to our analytics. Optional insurance, travel, retakes and remote authorization may add costs.
Exam and training
West Virginia does not require an exam or a mandatory course. No required training. The Secretary of State publishes a free Notary Handbook and expects applicants to study W. Va. Code §39-4 on their own.
Remote notarization in West Virginia
Electronic RON available
A commissioned notary must meet the state-specific authorization, technology and recordkeeping rules below.
Remote notarization was made permanent by SB 469 (2021), effective June 17, 2021, at W. Va. Code §39-4-37 (RON) and §39-4-38 (RIN). Audiovisual recordings of RON and RIN sessions must be kept at least five years. The e-notary registration expires with your underlying commission.
Hold a regular commission in good standing, then file the E-Notarization Authorization application through ERLS — there is no fee. You must already have access to the notarization technology and name your vendor in the application; any vendor change requires a new filing before you keep notarizing. The same authorization process covers in-person electronic notarization (e-notary), remote online notarization (RON), and West Virginia's hybrid remote ink notarization (RIN, for paper documents signed on camera and mailed to the notary).
Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.
After you're commissioned
Check your seal and recordkeeping requirements. A rubber stamp seal no larger than 1 x 2.5 inches with a border. It must contain the words 'Official Seal', 'Notary Public', and 'State of West Virginia', plus your name, your address (home or business, as listed on your commission), and your commission expiration date. Order it only after your commission letter arrives — the letter dictates the exact wording — and report any change or loss of the stamp to the Secretary of State. See the new-notary supplies checklist and West Virginia stamp requirements before you order.
What you can charge: West Virginia caps notary fees at $10 per signature notarized. W. Va. Code §39-4-30 caps fees at $10 for each signature notarized (including the journal entry), $10 per 8.5x11 page for certifying a copy of a document, and $10 for any other notarial act. Charging more is a ground for the Secretary of State to revoke or suspend your commission.
E&O insurance: Not required, and since West Virginia has no bond either, optional errors-and-omissions insurance is the only financial backstop a notary here can carry against claims over a mistake.
Earning more with your commission
Loan signings are one possible service after commissioning — notarizing mortgage document packages for title companies. Availability depends on local demand, hiring requirements and state restrictions. That path is limited in West Virginia (see the callout above), so weigh it before investing in training. Loan signing agent guide
West Virginia notary FAQ
Does West Virginia require a notary bond?
No. The Secretary of State's handbook says no surety bond is needed — the bond requirement disappeared when West Virginia's current notary law took effect in 2018. Your whole cost is the $52 filing fee plus a stamp, and E&O insurance is optional if you want personal protection.
How much does a West Virginia notary commission cost, and how long is it good for?
The filing fee is $52, paid online through the Secretary of State's ERLS portal, and the commission runs five years. State and local government employees applying for their office skip the fee entirely with a letter from their office head. Renewal means filing a fresh application — it is not automatic, and you cannot renew more than 60 days early.
What can a West Virginia notary charge?
At most $10 per signature notarized, $10 per page for certifying a copy of a document, and $10 for any other notarial act, under W. Va. Code §39-4-30. Overcharging is a listed ground for losing your commission, so post your fees and stick to the cap.
How do I add remote online notarization in West Virginia?
File the E-Notarization Authorization application through ERLS — it costs nothing, but you must already have your technology vendor chosen and named in the filing. The same authorization covers e-notary (in person, electronic documents), RON (fully remote), and RIN, West Virginia's remote ink option where the signer signs paper on camera and mails it to you. RON and RIN session recordings must be kept at least five years.
Can a West Virginia notary do loan-signing work?
Within limits. The West Virginia State Bar has said real estate closings must be conducted by a licensed attorney, so West Virginia is usually listed as an attorney closing state. Signing work exists, but it typically flows through the closing attorney's office — ask whoever orders the signing how they structure it.
Is a notary journal required in West Virginia?
No. The handbook strongly advises keeping one anyway, because it documents what you did if a notarization is ever disputed, and the fee statute assumes you record acts in a journal. For remote notarizations the recording rules do the heavy lifting: audiovisual recordings must be kept for at least five years.
Official sources
Use these authority pages and publications to check the requirements. Review notes identify details that still need confirmation.
- Applying for a Notary Public Commission — West Virginia Secretary of State
- Notary Public Forms and Fees — West Virginia Secretary of State
- West Virginia Notary Handbook (rev. Sept. 2025) — West Virginia Secretary of State
- W. Va. Code §39-4-30 — Maximum fees — West Virginia Legislature
- W. Va. Code §39-4-21 — Grounds to deny, revoke, or suspend a commission — West Virginia Legislature
- W. Va. Code §39-4-17 — Official stamp — West Virginia Legislature
The source review date covers our earlier research. Recent checks above apply only to the named topics. Requirements and charges can change; confirm the current packet with West Virginia Secretary of State.