How to Become a Notary Public in North Carolina

Who can apply

• Be at least 18 years old (or legally emancipated).
• Live or regularly work or do business in North Carolina.
• Reside legally in the United States.
• Speak, read and write English.
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Pass the approved course and exam (licensed NC State Bar members are exempt).
• Buy and keep the current Secretary-approved notary manual.
• Have no disqualifying record; no commission is issued within 10 years after release from prison, probation or parole for a felony.

Step by step

1. Take an approved notary course of at least 6 hours (community colleges offer it) and pass the exam within the 3 months before you apply.
2. Buy the current North Carolina Notary Public Manual.
3. Complete the initial application, with your instructor certifying the course and a different notary notarizing your signature.
4. Mail the application and the $50 non-refundable fee to the Notary Public Section in Raleigh.
5. When your oath letter arrives, take the oath before your county Register of Deeds within 45 days.
6. Get your notary seal.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: At least 6 hours of approved classroom instruction within 3 months before applying (G.S. 10B-8).

Exam: Written exam after the approved course; you must answer at least 80% correctly (G.S. 10B-8). Also required to recommission, with limited exemptions.

What it costs in North Carolina

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

How long it takes

The Secretary of State says a complete and correct application can take up to 2 weeks to process; incomplete or incorrect ones take longer.

What other sites get wrong about North Carolina

After you're commissioned

Renewal: Apply to recommission no earlier than 10 weeks before expiration and pass the exam unless exempt; if your commission lapses, you can reapply within 1 year but must retake the course.

Remote online notarization: Remote electronic notarization is authorized by law, but as of October 2026 the Secretary of State still runs the emergency video-notarization extension "until the first license is issued" (no later than July 1, 2027); in-person electronic notary registration is available now.

Good to know in North Carolina

Recommission exam: Renewing notaries can take the recommission exam online on the Secretary of State website, up to 3 times in 30 days. Fail three times and you must retake the notary course. Processing can take up to 2 weeks.

Renewal cost: The Secretary of State's fee schedule lists a $50 reappointment application fee, and the oath of office before the Register of Deeds costs $10.

What you can charge: G.S. 10B-31 caps fees at $10 per principal signature for acknowledgments, jurats, verifications or proofs, and $10 per person for an oath or affirmation without a signature. Electronic acts are capped at $15 per signature and remote notarizations at $25 per signature, plus agreed mileage for travel.

Sources

• NC SOS — Notary
• NC SOS — Become a Notary
• NC SOS — Notary FAQ
• NC initial notary application (PDF)
• N.C.G.S. Chapter 10B, Article 1
• N.C.G.S. Chapter 10B, Article 2 (electronic notary, §10B-107)
• N.C.G.S. 161-10
• NC SOS — Notary fees
• N.C.G.S. 10B-13 (application fee)
• N.C.G.S. 10B-31 (notary fees)