{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/55.1-647.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/55.1-647.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/55.1-647.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/55.1-647.html"}],"law_id":369992,"edition_id":2,"section_id":369992,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-647","catch_line":"Recordation certificate not signed by clerk","history":"1920, p. 566; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 3407a; Code 1950, \u00a7 55-137.1; 1976, c. 685; 1984, c. 35; 1989, c. 602; 1995, c. 48; 2013, c. 263; 2019, c. 712.","full_text":"A\n\nAll deeds, orders of probate, fiduciary accounts, and all other papers and writings received prior to July 1, 1995, by any clerk of any court of the Commonwealth and transcribed, or purported to be transcribed, in the proper book in such clerk’s office provided by law for the transcribing and recordation of such deeds, orders of probate, fiduciary accounts, or other papers and writings, the certificate of receipt and of recordation of which had not received the attesting signature of such clerk on the date aforesaid, and which had not on such date been verified as required by law, shall prima facie be, and be deemed to be, as truly received, recorded, and verified as if the same had been so attested by the signature of such clerk.\n\nB\n\nEvery clerk of any court of the Commonwealth in whose office any such deed, order of probate, fiduciary account, or other paper or writing as is mentioned in subsection A has been transcribed upon the proper book in such office, provided by law therefor, and which transcription has not received the attesting signature of the clerk who recorded the same, upon production before such clerk of the original of such deed, order of probate, fiduciary account, or paper or writing shall verify the accuracy of such transcription by a careful examination and comparison of such transcription with the original paper so recorded, and thereupon the clerk shall attest such transcription by signing thereto the name of the clerk who received the original paper for record and his own name as follows:\n\t\t\t“Teste ________, former clerk per\n\n\t\t\t________, his successor.”\n\nC\n\nFor such service the clerk shall receive a fee of 25 cents ($0.25), to be paid by the person for whose benefit the service was performed, and the record, so certified and verified, shall have the same effect as if it had been properly certified and verified by the clerk who received the same and who should have so certified and verified the same.\n\nD\n\nThis section shall have a retroactive effect.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1380335,"text":"All deeds, orders of probate, fiduciary accounts, and all other papers and writings received prior to July 1, 1995, by any clerk of any court of the Commonwealth and transcribed, or purported to be transcribed, in the proper book in such clerk’s office provided by law for the transcribing and recordation of such deeds, orders of probate, fiduciary accounts, or other papers and writings, the certificate of receipt and of recordation of which had not received the attesting signature of such clerk on the date aforesaid, and which had not on such date been verified as required by law, shall prima facie be, and be deemed to be, as truly received, recorded, and verified as if the same had been so attested by the signature of such clerk.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":1380336,"text":"Every clerk of any court of the Commonwealth in whose office any such deed, order of probate, fiduciary account, or other paper or writing as is mentioned in subsection A has been transcribed upon the proper book in such office, provided by law therefor, and which transcription has not received the attesting signature of the clerk who recorded the same, upon production before such clerk of the original of such deed, order of probate, fiduciary account, or paper or writing shall verify the accuracy of such transcription by a careful examination and comparison of such transcription with the original paper so recorded, and thereupon the clerk shall attest such transcription by signing thereto the name of the clerk who received the original paper for record and his own name as follows:\n\t\t\t“Teste ________, former clerk per\t\t\t________, his successor.”","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":1380337,"text":"For such service the clerk shall receive a fee of 25 cents ($0.25), to be paid by the person for whose benefit the service was performed, and the record, so certified and verified, shall have the same effect as if it had been properly certified and verified by the clerk who received the same and who should have so certified and verified the same.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"3":{"id":1380338,"text":"This section shall have a retroactive effect.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C"}},"ancestry":[{"id":52695,"edition_id":2,"name":"Validating Certain Acts, Deeds, and Acknowledgments","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":5,"parent_id":52690,"metadata":{"child_laws":22,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:03:17","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:23","permalink":{"id":1472579,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52695,"identifier":"5","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5","url":"\/55.1\/II\/6\/5\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52690,"edition_id":2,"name":"Recordation of Documents","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52604,"metadata":{"child_laws":67,"child_structures":8},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:03:14","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:23","permalink":{"id":1472461,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52690,"identifier":"6","token":"55.1\/II\/6","url":"\/55.1\/II\/6\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52604,"edition_id":2,"name":"Real Estate Settlements and Recordation","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":2,"parent_id":52600,"metadata":{"child_laws":121,"child_structures":14},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:36","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:22","permalink":{"id":1472371,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52604,"identifier":"II","token":"55.1\/II","url":"\/55.1\/II\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52600,"edition_id":2,"name":"Property and Conveyances","identifier":"55.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":120,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":875,"child_structures":101},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:01:36","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:20","permalink":{"id":1471771,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52600,"identifier":"55.1","token":"55.1","url":"\/55.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":369972,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-627","catch_line":"Acts of notaries public, etc., who have held certain other offices","url":"\/55.1-627\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-627","metadata":false},{"id":369973,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-628","catch_line":"Validation of acknowledgments when seal not affixed","url":"\/55.1-628\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-628","metadata":false},{"id":369974,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-629","catch_line":"Acknowledgment taken by trustee in deed of trust","url":"\/55.1-629\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-629","metadata":false},{"id":369975,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-630","catch_line":"Acknowledgment taken by trustee in deed of trust; later date","url":"\/55.1-630\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-630","metadata":false},{"id":369976,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-631","catch_line":"Certain acknowledgments taken and certified before July 1, 1995","url":"\/55.1-631\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-631","metadata":false},{"id":369977,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-632","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken by certain justices of the peace, mayors, etc","url":"\/55.1-632\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-632","metadata":false},{"id":369978,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-633","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken by officers after expiration of terms","url":"\/55.1-633\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-633","metadata":false},{"id":369979,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-634","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken by notaries in service during World War I","url":"\/55.1-634\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-634","metadata":false},{"id":369980,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-635","catch_line":"Acknowledgments before foreign officials who failed to affix seals","url":"\/55.1-635\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-635","metadata":false},{"id":369981,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-636","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken by notaries in foreign countries","url":"\/55.1-636\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-636","metadata":false},{"id":369982,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-637","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken by officer who was spouse of grantee","url":"\/55.1-637\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-637","metadata":false},{"id":369983,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-638","catch_line":"Acknowledgment when notary certifies erroneously as to expiration of commission","url":"\/55.1-638\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-638","metadata":false},{"id":369984,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-639","catch_line":"Acknowledgments before officer of city or county consolidating, etc., prior to expiration date of commission","url":"\/55.1-639\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-639","metadata":false},{"id":369985,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-640","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken before notary whose commission has expired","url":"\/55.1-640\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-640","metadata":false},{"id":369986,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-641","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken before notary whose commission has expired; later date; intervening vested rights saved","url":"\/55.1-641\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-641","metadata":false},{"id":369987,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-642","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken before notary who was appointed but failed to qualify; vested rights saved","url":"\/55.1-642\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-642","metadata":false},{"id":369988,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-643","catch_line":"Acknowledgments taken before a notary at large who failed to cite the jurisdiction in which the acknowledgment was taken; vested rights saved","url":"\/55.1-643\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-643","metadata":false},{"id":369989,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-644","catch_line":"Deeds defectively executed by corporation","url":"\/55.1-644\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-644","metadata":false},{"id":369990,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-645","catch_line":"Deeds to which corporate seal not affixed or not attested","url":"\/55.1-645\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-645","metadata":false},{"id":369991,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-646","catch_line":"Acknowledgments of corporations taken by officers or stockholders","url":"\/55.1-646\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-646","metadata":false},{"id":369992,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-647","catch_line":"Recordation certificate not signed by clerk","url":"\/55.1-647\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-647","metadata":false},{"id":369993,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-648","catch_line":"Recordation certificate not signed by clerk; when clerk has died","url":"\/55.1-648\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-648","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":369991,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-646","catch_line":"Acknowledgments of corporations taken by officers or stockholders","url":"\/55.1-646\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-646","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":369993,"structure_id":52695,"section_number":"55.1-648","catch_line":"Recordation certificate not signed by clerk; when clerk has died","url":"\/55.1-648\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-648","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/55.1-647\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 6 times. 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. Those modifications are as follows: in 1976, chapter 685; in 1984, chapter 35; in 1989, chapter 602; in 1995, chapter 48<\/a>; in 2013, chapter 263<\/a>; in 2019, chapter 712<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1472661,"object_type":"law","relational_id":369992,"identifier":"55.1-647","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-647","url":"\/55.1-647\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/55.1-647\/","token":"55.1\/II\/6\/5\/55.1-647","dublin_core":{"Title":"Recordation certificate not signed by clerk","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 55.1-647","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> All deeds, orders<\/span> of probate, fiduciary accounts, and all other papers and writings received prior to July 1, 1995, by any clerk of any court<\/span> of the Commonwealth and transcribed, or purported to be transcribed, in the proper book in such clerk’s office provided by law<\/span> for the transcribing and recordation of such deeds, orders<\/span> of probate, fiduciary accounts, or other papers and writings, the certificate of receipt and of recordation of which had not received the attesting signature of such clerk on the date aforesaid, and which had not on such date been verified as required by law<\/span>, shall prima facie be, and be deemed to be, as truly received, recorded, and verified as if the same had been so attested by the signature of such clerk. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Every clerk of any court<\/span> of the Commonwealth in whose office any such deed, order<\/span> of probate, fiduciary account, or other paper or writing as is mentioned in subsection A has been transcribed upon the proper book in such office, provided by law<\/span> therefor, and which transcription has not received the attesting signature of the clerk who recorded the same, upon production before such clerk of the original of such deed, order<\/span> of probate, fiduciary account, or paper or writing shall verify the accuracy of such transcription by a careful examination and comparison of such transcription with the original paper so recorded, and thereupon the clerk shall attest such transcription by signing thereto the name of the clerk who received the original paper for record and his own name as follows:\n\t\t\t“Teste ________, former clerk per

\t\t\t________, his successor.” <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> For such service the clerk shall receive a fee of 25 cents ($0.25), to be paid by the person for whose benefit the service was performed, and the record, so certified and verified, shall have the same effect as if it had been properly certified and verified by the clerk who received the same and who should have so certified and verified the same. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> This section shall have a retroactive effect. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nRECORDATION CERTIFICATE NOT SIGNED BY CLERK (\u00a7 55.1-647)\n\nA. All deeds, orders of probate, fiduciary accounts, and all other papers and\nwritings received prior to July 1, 1995, by any clerk of any court of the\nCommonwealth and transcribed, or purported to be transcribed, in the proper book\nin such clerk’s office provided by law for the transcribing and\nrecordation of such deeds, orders of probate, fiduciary accounts, or other\npapers and writings, the certificate of receipt and of recordation of which had\nnot received the attesting signature of such clerk on the date aforesaid, and\nwhich had not on such date been verified as required by law, shall prima facie\nbe, and be deemed to be, as truly received, recorded, and verified as if the\nsame had been so attested by the signature of such clerk.\n\nB. Every clerk of any court of the Commonwealth in whose office any such deed,\norder of probate, fiduciary account, or other paper or writing as is mentioned\nin subsection A has been transcribed upon the proper book in such office,\nprovided by law therefor, and which transcription has not received the attesting\nsignature of the clerk who recorded the same, upon production before such clerk\nof the original of such deed, order of probate, fiduciary account, or paper or\nwriting shall verify the accuracy of such transcription by a careful examination\nand comparison of such transcription with the original paper so recorded, and\nthereupon the clerk shall attest such transcription by signing thereto the name\nof the clerk who received the original paper for record and his own name as\nfollows:\n\t\t\t“Teste ________, former clerk per\t\t\t________, his successor.”\n\nC. For such service the clerk shall receive a fee of 25 cents ($0.25), to be\npaid by the person for whose benefit the service was performed, and the record,\nso certified and verified, shall have the same effect as if it had been properly\ncertified and verified by the clerk who received the same and who should have so\ncertified and verified the same.\n\nD. This section shall have a retroactive effect.\n\nHISTORY: 1920, p. 566; Michie Code 1942, \u00a7 3407a; Code 1950, \u00a7 55-137.1; 1976,\nc. 685; 1984, c. 35; 1989, c. 602; 1995, c. 48; 2013, c. 263; 2019, c. 712.","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"}}