Chap. 8.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 2850 of the Code of Virginia, as
heretofore amended, relating to notaries public, so as to remove the requirement
of residence in certain cases. [S B 29]

Approved February 7, 1942

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That section
twenty-eight hundreg and fifty of the Code of Virginia, as heretofore
amended, be ameyded and re-enacted, as follows:

Section 2850, Appointment of notaries public; their terms and
bonds \remov le by the Governor for cause; duties of clerks; duties of
Secretary ofthe Commonwealth.—The Governor shall appoint in and for
the.seyeral counties and cities of the State as many notaries as to him may
seem, proper, who shall hold office for the term of four years, and who
shajl exercise the powers and functions of conservators of the peace, and
wha shall ee eey by the Governor at will for misconduct, incapacity
or neglect of official duty; but in every case where the Governor shall
remote a notary public from office, he shall report such action with his
reasons therefor, to the next session of the General Assembly. He may
appoint the same person to serve for two or more counties and cities,

in which case only one commission shall be issued and the fee for issuing
the same shall be three dollars for the first county or city and five dollars
for each additional county or city, for which such notary is appointed to
serve. A notary for a city shall also have authority to act as such in
counties contiguous thereto, and a notary for a county shall also have
authority to act as such in cities contiguous thereto. Each notary shall give
bond with surety in the circuit court of the county, or corporation court of
the city, for which the said notary is appointed, or if the appointment be
for more than one county or city, then in one of such courts, or before the
judge of such court in vacation, or before the clerk thereof, within four
months from the date of said notary’s commission, in a penalty of not less
than five hundred dollars, with condition for the faithful discharge of the
duties of his office; and the clerk of said court shall immediately forward
a certified copy of said bond to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Ii
any person appointed shall fail to qualify within four months from the
date of his appointment the clerk of the court shall return his commission
to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. A notary public may or may not
be a resident of any county or city for which he is appointed. It shall be the
duty of the Secretary of the Commonwealth when a commission is ordered
by the Governor to send the same to the clerk of the circuit court of the
county or corporation court of the city in which, or in one of which, the
notary public is required to qualify to be delivered by him to the notary
public after said notary public has given bond, and taken the oath of office ;
and the clerk of the court in which this is done shall forthwith report the
fact to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, who shall keep a book, stating
the names and numbers of notaries public, when appointed and when
qualified. :

The appointments and commissions of all notaries public heretofore
made for counties or cities in which said notaries public did or do not
reside are hereby approved, confirmed and ratified as of the date of their
appointments and all acknowledgments and other official acts of said
notaries public heretofore taken are hereby validated.

2. An emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.