North Carolina notary commission
North Carolina notary commission: six hours, an 80% exam and a five-year term
Complete at least six hours of Secretary-approved classroom instruction and pass the exam with 80% or better, both within the three months before you apply. Apply to the Secretary of State with a $50 nonrefundable fee, then take your oath before the register of deeds within 45 days ($10). The commission lasts five years.
North Carolina qualifications
- At least 18, or legally emancipated.
- You live in North Carolina, or have a regular place of work or business there.
- You are lawfully residing in the United States.
- You can speak, read and write English, and have a high school diploma or equivalent.
- You pass the course (licensed North Carolina State Bar members are exempt from it), and you buy and keep the most recent Secretary-approved notary manual.
- Your application has no significant misstatement or omission of fact.
Source: G.S. 10B-5.
Course to oath: the North Carolina sequence
- Take the course. At least six hours of Secretary-approved classroom instruction, within the three months before you apply.
- Pass the exam. The approved written exam. You need at least 80% of the questions right.
- Apply to the Secretary of State. Pay the nonrefundable $50 fee and include the notarized declaration the application requires.
- Take the oath within 45 days. Appear before the register of deeds no later than 45 days after you are commissioned. The register's fee is $10.
- Order your seal. With your name exactly as commissioned and your county.
Source: G.S. 10B-8; G.S. 10B-10; G.S. 10B-13.
What a North Carolina commission costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Six-hour course | Set by provider Approved instructors set their own prices. |
| Notary manual | Vendor price Required: you buy and keep the current approved manual. |
| Commission application | $50 Nonrefundable (G.S. 10B-13). |
| Oath at the register of deeds | $10 G.S. 161-10(a)(17). |
| Electronic notary registration | $50 Optional, on top of the commission fee, plus a 4-hour course. |
The fixed government fees come to $60 for a traditional commission. The course and manual are the variable part, so get prices before you enroll.
Source: G.S. 10B-13; G.S. 161-10; G.S. Chapter 10B, Article 2.
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North Carolina Notary Starter Kit
North Carolina's course, 80% exam, $50 application and 45-day oath step, the per-signature fee caps, ID rules, seal rules, electronic and remote registration, the required not-an-attorney notice, a checklist, a budget and journal pages.
Studying for the exam?
North Carolina notary exam practice
Try 20 free practice questions with answers and sources. Learn Chapter 10B before your course exam or recommissioning test, then check yourself on 100 questions with the statute behind every answer.
Five-year term and recommissioning
A North Carolina commission runs five years (G.S. 10B-9).
Apply to renew no earlier than 10 weeks before expiration and pass the recommissioning exam; some long-serving notaries and State Bar members are exempt. A lapsed notary may apply within one year after expiration. Report an address, phone or name change to the Secretary within 45 days, and after a name change, appear before the register of deeds within 45 days too.
Source: G.S. 10B-9; G.S. Chapter 10B, Article 1.
Electronic and remote notarization in North Carolina
Before notarizing electronically in person, register as an electronic notary: a current commission, a Secretary-approved course of at least four hours plus its exam, and a $50 registration fee (G.S. 10B-105 to 10B-108).
Remote electronic notarization (Part 4A) is for registered electronic notaries. You must be physically in North Carolina; the signer may be anywhere in the United States or at listed military or diplomatic locations abroad. Every remote act is recorded on a Secretary-licensed platform.
On timing: the Secretary of State's notary pages say emergency video notarizations were extended to July 1, 2027, or until the first remote electronic notarization license is issued. Check the eNotary page to see whether remote registration is open before you plan on remote work.
Source: G.S. Chapter 10B, Article 2; Notary, NC Secretary of State; eNotary, NC Secretary of State.
Per-signature fees and the optional journal
The state counts fees per principal signature, not per document: up to $10 for an acknowledgment, jurat, verification or proof, $15 for an electronic one, and $25 for a remote electronic notarization. Travel is actual mileage at the federal business rate, and only if the signer agreed in writing before you travel (G.S. 10B-31).
For paper notarizations the statute says a notary "may" keep a journal, so it's optional; many notaries keep one anyway. Remote electronic notarizations require one, kept at least 10 years.
Source: G.S. 10B-31; G.S. Chapter 10B, Article 1.
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North Carolina notary questions
Do North Carolina lawyers take the notary course?
Licensed members of the North Carolina State Bar are exempt from the course. The other qualifications still apply.
How long does a North Carolina commission last?
Five years (G.S. 10B-9).
When can I renew a North Carolina commission?
No earlier than 10 weeks before it expires, and you pass the recommissioning exam unless you're exempt. If it lapses, you can still apply within one year after expiration.
Does a North Carolina notary need a journal?
For paper notarizations it's optional; the statute says a notary "may" keep one. Remote electronic notarizations require a journal kept at least 10 years.
What does the oath cost in North Carolina?
$10, paid to the register of deeds, within 45 days of being commissioned.
Guides for other states · Becoming a notary in New Jersey
General information from official the state sources, checked November 2026. It is not legal advice, and we are not lawyers. Requirements and fees change, so confirm them with the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State before you apply. MCC Solutions is not affiliated with the State of the state.