Chapter 17. Judgments and Decrees Generally · Article 2. Judgments by Confession · Last amended 1977 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceAfter a judgment is confessed, the clerk must endorse on or attach to the confession a certificate, in a statutory form, stating the date and time the confession was made and the order book and page where it was entered of record.
Full Text of § 8.01-437
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When a judgment is so confessed, the clerk shall endorse upon such confession, or attach thereto, his certificate in manner and form substantially as follows:
"Virginia: In the clerk's office of the __________ court of the __________ of __________.
The foregoing (or attached) judgment was duly confessed before me in my said office on the __________ day of __________, two thousand and __________, at __________ o'clock __________ a.m., p.m. and has been duly entered of record in common-law order book number __________, page __________.
Teste:
____________________ clerk."
Plain-English Summary
A confessed judgment needs an official record of exactly when and where it happened, and Section 8.01-437 supplies the clerk’s part of that record. Once the judgment is confessed, the clerk endorses upon it, or attaches to it, a certificate confirming the confession took place before him in his office.
The statute provides the wording: the certificate identifies the clerk’s court and locality, states the day the confession occurred, the hour down to a.m. or p.m., and confirms the judgment has been entered of record in a specific common-law order book, at a specific page. A “Teste” line and the clerk’s signature close it out.
That certificate becomes the documentary anchor for everything downstream — it is what the clerk files with the other papers under § 8.01-439, and it is what proves, if the confession is ever questioned, exactly when the judgment came into existence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must the clerk do after a judgment is confessed?
Endorse upon the confession, or attach to it, a certificate in the statutory form set out in § 8.01-437.
What information does the clerk’s certificate contain?
The date and hour the judgment was confessed and the common-law order book number and page where it has been entered of record.
Does the certificate need to state the time down to the hour?
Yes, the form specifies the hour and whether it was a.m. or p.m.
Can the certificate be a separate document, or must it be written on the confession itself?
Either. The section allows the clerk to endorse the certificate directly upon the confession or attach it as a separate document.
Who signs the clerk’s certificate?
The clerk, under the “Teste” line in the statutory form.
Amendment History
Code 1950, § 8-361; 1977, c. 617.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Code of Virginia, published by the
Code of Virginia, Virginia Division of Legislative Automated Systems. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:clerk certificate confession of judgment virginia8.01-437 confession of judgment endorsementorder book entry confessed judgment virginiaclerk certifying confession of judgmenttime and date confession of judgment recorded