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WV Executive Orders (2020-2021)

Executive Order

State: West Virginia
Signed: March 26, 2020

Effective: March 26, 2020

Summary

West Virginia Governor Justice issues an executive order temporarily suspending the personal appearance rule for notarizations during the COVID-19 state of emergency.

Affects

All West Virginia Notaries Public.

Changes
  1. Temporarily suspends W. Va. Code Section 39-4-6 requiring the personal appearance of an individual for a notarial act that relates to a statement made in or a signature executed on a record.
Analysis

In one of the shortest executive orders issued by a state governor to date during the COVID-19 pandemic, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice temporarily suspends the personal appearance requirement for most notarizations. It applies specifically to notarial acts in which an individual makes a statement in or executes a signature on a record (document or electronic record). That is the extent of the suspension. It applies only for the duration of the state of emergency.

Read Executive Order 11-20.

On April 19, 2021, Governor Justice issued Executive Order 12-21, clarifying that Executive Order 11-20 will remain in effect until terminated by subsequent executive order. 

West Virginia Senate Bill 469 became effective on June 17, 2021, enacting permanent remote online and ink signed notarizations.

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