How to become a North Carolina Notary
- Be 18 years of age or legally emancipated as defined in Article 35 of Chapter 7B of the General Statutes
- Be a resident of the State of North Carolina or, if a non-resident, have a regular place of work or business in North Carolina
- Reside legally in the United States
- Speak, read, and write the English language
- Possess a high school diploma or equivalent
- Pass the course of instruction described in the Notary Public statute, unless the person is a licensed member of the North Carolina State Bar
- Purchase and keep as a reference the most recent manual approved by the Secretary that describes the duties and authority of notaries public
- Submit an application that contains no significant misstatements or omissions of fact
- Not have been convicted of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude
- Meet the eligibility requirements.
- Satisfactorily complete a course of study that is approved by the Secretary of State. Within three months after the completion of the notary course, properly complete and submit the notary application form to the Secretary of State with a $50 filing fee. The Secretary of State will then send the commission certificate to the Register of Deeds in the county of commissioning.
- Within 45 days after the notary public commission is issued, the notary public will receive an oath notification letter to present to the Register of Deeds in the county in which the commission is issued to take the oath of office. If 45 days lapse before the oaths are taken, a new application and a $50 fee must be resubmitted to the Secretary of State.
- To download the notary application form, click here:
Notary Public Section
PO Box 29626
Raleigh, NC 27626-0626
(919) 814-5400
https://www.sosnc.gov/divisions/notary
Type – embosser or rubber-inked stamp
Ink color – any color as long as the seal can be reproduced by photographic methods
Shape – round or rectangular
Dimensions – the circular seal shall not be less than 1 ˝”, nor more than 2” in diameter; the rectangular seal shall not be over 1” high and 2 ˝” long
Required elements - notary’s name exactly as commissioned and the words “Notary Public, the county of commissioning, including the word “County” or the abbreviation “Co.,” and the words “North Carolina” or the abbreviation “N.C.” or “NC.” The perimeter of the seal shall contain a border that is visible when impressed.
Please Note: If the seal is stolen, lost, damaged, or otherwise rendered incapable of affixing a legible image, the notary must notify the appropriate register of deeds and the Secretary of State in writing within 10 days of discovering the theft, loss, or damage.
- Acknowledgments - $5.00
- Oaths or affirmations - $5.00
- Verifications or proofs - $5.00
- Oaths or affirmations without a signature - $5.00
- Take acknowledgments
- Administer oaths and affirmations
- Make verifications or proofs
- Notarize if the principal or subscribing witness is not in the notary’s presence at the time the notarial act is to be performed
- Notarize if the principal or subscribing witness is not personally known to the notary or identified through satisfactory evidence
- Notarize if the principal or subscribing witness shows a demeanor that causes the notary to have a compelling doubt about whether the principal knows the consequences of the transaction requiring a notarial act
- Notarize if the principal or subscribing witness, in the notary’s judgment, is not acting of his or her own free will
- Notarize if the principal or subscribing witness is not in the notary’s presence at the time the notarial act is to be performed
- Notarize if the principal or subscribing witness is not personally known to the notary or identified through satisfactory evidence
- Notarize if the principal or subscribing witness shows a demeanor that causes the notary to have a compelling doubt about whether the principal knows the consequences of the transaction requiring a notarial act
- Notarize if the principal or subscribing witness, in the notary’s judgment, is not acting of his or her own free will
- Notarize if the notary is a signer of or is named, other than as a trustee in a deed of trust, in the document that is to be notarized
- Notarize if the notary will receive directly from a transaction connected with the notarial act any commission, fee, advantage, right, title, interest, cash, property, or other consideration exceeding in value the fees specified by law, other than fees or other consideration paid for services rendered by a licensed attorney, a licensed real estate broker or salesperson, a motor vehicle dealer, or a banker
- Use the official notary title or seal in a manner intended to endorse, promote, denounce, or oppose any product, service, contest, candidate, or other offering
- Perform acts that constitutes the unauthorized practice of law
- Use the phrase “notario” or “notario publico” to advertise notary services
- Advertise or represent that the notary is an immigration consultant, an expert on immigration matters, or a provider of immigration services
- Assist another person in drafting, completing, selecting, or understanding a record or transaction requiring a notarial act
- Determine the type of notarial act or certificate to be used when a document does not provide one
- Leave blank spaces incomplete in a notarial certificate the notary executes
- Claim to have powers, qualifications, rights, or privileges that the office of notary does not provide, including the power to counsel on immigration matters
- Execute a notarial certificate containing information known or believed by the notary to be false
- Execute a certificate that is not written in the English language
- Notarize a signature on a record without a notarial certificate indicating what type of notarial act was performed
- Certify, notarize, or authenticate a photograph
- Condition the fee for a notarial act on any attribute of the principal that would constitute unlawful discrimination Notarize if the notary is a signer of or is named, other than as a trustee in a deed of trust, in the document that is to be notarized
- Notarize if the notary will receive directly from a transaction connected with the notarial act any commission, fee, advantage, right, title, interest, cash, property, or other consideration exceeding in value the fees specified by law, other than fees or other consideration paid for services rendered by a licensed attorney, a licensed real estate broker or salesperson, a motor vehicle dealer, or a banker
- Use the official notary title or seal in a manner intended to endorse, promote, denounce, or oppose any product, service, contest, candidate, or other offering
- Perform acts that constitutes the unauthorized practice of law
- Use the phrase “notario” or “notario publico” to advertise notary services
- Advertise or represent that the notary is an immigration consultant, an expert on immigration matters, or a provider of immigration services
- Assist another person in drafting, completing, selecting, or understanding a record or transaction requiring a notarial act
- Determine the type of notarial act or certificate to be used when a document does not provide one
- Leave blank spaces incomplete in a notarial certificate the notary executes
- Claim to have powers, qualifications, rights, or privileges that the office of notary does not provide, including the power to counsel on immigration matters
- Execute a notarial certificate containing information known or believed by the notary to be false
- Execute a certificate that is not written in the English language
- Notarize a signature on a record without a notarial certificate indicating what type of notarial act was performed
- Certify, notarize, or authenticate a photograph
- Condition the fee for a notarial act on any attribute of the principal that would constitute unlawful discrimination
- Takes an acknowledgment or administers an oath or affirmation without the principal appearing in person before the notary
- Takes a verification or proof without the subscribing witness appearing in person before the notary
- Takes an acknowledgment or administers an oath or affirmation without personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of the identity of the principal (NC General Statutes—Chapter 10B 21)
- Takes a verification or proof without personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of the identity of the subscribing witness
A notary shall be guilty of a Class 1 felony if the notary does any of the following:
- Takes an acknowledgment or a verification or proof or administers an oath or affirmation that the notary knows is false or fraudulent
- Takes, with the intent to commit fraud, an acknowledgment or administers an oath or affirmation without the principal appearing in person before the notary
- Takes, with the intent to commit fraud, a verification or proof without the subscribing witness appearing in person before the notary
Revised: August 2015