North Carolina Notary Public Requirements
North Carolina notaries need a 6-hour approved course, an 80%-or-better exam score, and a $50 application fee — no bond required, and a 5-year commission. Remote online notarization is legal too, but it takes a separate registration on top of the base commission.
- Quick facts
- Steps to get commissioned
- Electronic and remote online notarization
- Renewal
- FAQ
Quick facts
| Regulator | North Carolina Secretary of State, Notary Public Section |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | At least 18 (or legally emancipated); reside in North Carolina or have a regular place of work/business in the state; legally reside in the U.S.; speak, read, and write English; hold a high school diploma or equivalent (N.C.G.S. § 10B-5(b)). Licensed North Carolina attorneys are exempt from the education/exam requirement below |
| Education & exam | A 6-hour SOS-approved classroom course completed within the 3 months before applying, then a notary exam on notarial laws, procedures, and ethics with at least 80% correct (N.C.G.S. § 10B-8) |
| Bond | None required. Errors & omissions (E&O) insurance is available and recommended, but not mandated |
| Application fee | $50, non-refundable, payable to “Secretary of State of North Carolina” (N.C.G.S. § 10B-13) |
| Commission term | 5 years (N.C.G.S. § 10B-9) |
| Fee caps per act | $10 per signature for standard acknowledgments, jurats, verifications, and proofs; $10 per person for oaths/affirmations; $15 per signature for electronic notarizations; $25 per signature for remote (RON) notarizations (N.C.G.S. § 10B-31, as amended by S.L. 2023-57) |
Steps to get commissioned
- Confirm your eligibility. At least 18, a North Carolina resident (or with a regular place of work/business in the state), legally residing in the U.S., able to speak/read/write English, and holding a high school diploma or equivalent. Licensed North Carolina attorneys skip the course and exam requirement below.
- Complete the 6-hour SOS-approved notary education course within the three months before you apply, using the current NC Notary Public Manual required by the course.
- Pass the notary exam with at least 80% correct.
- Mail your completed application, supporting documents, and the $50 non-refundable fee (check or money order payable to “Secretary of State of North Carolina”) to the Notary Public Section in Raleigh.
- Take your oath of office at your county Register of Deeds once your application is approved, before you notarize anything.
- Receive your commission, valid statewide for 5 years.
Electronic and remote online notarization
North Carolina recognizes three ways to notarize a document: traditional in-person paper notarization; electronic notarization, where the signer is physically present but the document and signature are digital (Chapter 10B, Article 2, Part 3, starting at N.C.G.S. § 10B-115); and full Remote Online Notarization (RON), where the signer appears over live audio-video and isn’t physically present (Part 4A, starting at § 10B-134.1).
Neither electronic nor remote notarization is automatic once you’re commissioned. You have to separately register the capability with the Secretary of State (§ 10B-106), which requires an additional 4-hour approved course (§ 10B-107) and a $50 registration fee on top of your base $50 commissioning fee (§ 10B-108) — the same registration and course cover both electronic and remote notarization, so you don’t take two separate courses for the two capabilities. For RON specifically, you also have to use a communication-technology platform that is itself licensed by the Secretary of State, providing real-time audio-video with a clear view of the signer’s face, identity-proofing and credential analysis through an approved vendor, geolocation, and tamper-evident recording of the session. No separate bond or insurance requirement applies to either registration beyond what’s already required for a standard commission (none).
Renewal
Apply for reappointment before your 5-year commission expires. Confirmed directly on the Secretary of State’s own reappointment page: you need to own the current NC Notary Public Manual, complete the online reappointment application, and pass an online reappointment exam (80% or better, with up to 3 attempts within 30 days) — rather than repeat the full 6-hour classroom course. If you fail the exam three times within 30 days, though, you have to retake the notary education course, submit a fresh application, and pay another non-refundable $50 commissioning fee, effectively restarting the process. The completed, notarized application and $50 fee (plus a $3 transaction fee if paid online) go to the Notary Public Section by mail, the same as an initial application.
Does North Carolina require a surety bond for notaries?
No. North Carolina doesn’t require a notary bond. Errors & omissions (E&O) insurance is available and recommended for protection against negligence claims, but it isn’t a legal requirement to get or keep your commission.
What’s the difference between electronic notarization and remote online notarization (RON) in North Carolina?
Electronic notarization still requires the signer to be physically present with you — only the document and signature are digital. Remote online notarization (RON) lets the signer appear over live audio-video from anywhere, without being physically present. Both require the same separate registration with the Secretary of State on top of your base commission (a 4-hour course plus a $50 fee), but RON additionally requires a Secretary-licensed audio-video platform with identity verification and recording capabilities.
How much can a North Carolina notary charge per notarization?
Up to $10 per signature for a standard acknowledgment, jurat, verification, or proof, and up to $10 per person for an oath or affirmation. Electronic notarizations are capped at $15 per signature, and remote online notarizations (RON) at $25 per signature. These caps were last raised from $5 to $10 for standard acts by a 2022 law change.