No, not for the will itself.
The signing rule on the official page we read asks for two witnesses, who sign in the testator's presence. They don't have to sign in each other's presence. A notary isn't part of that rule; one comes in for the self-proving affidavit, where it's used.
In the official wording
"attested by at least two competent witnesses"
From the official pages listed below, checked November 2026.
What else the signing needs
- Self-proving affidavit
- Allowed at signing or any time later, before an officer authorized to administer oaths, under official seal.
"at any time subsequent to its execution"
- Handwritten wills
- Recognized if written entirely in the testator's handwriting and signed. No witness is needed.
"No attesting witness to a holographic will is required."
- Who can make a will
- 18 or older, of sound mind.
"Any person of sound mind, and 18 years of age or over, may make a will."
Not confirmed on the pages we read: the interested-witness rule, electronic wills and remote witnessing. Check with the probate court for the county where the will-maker lives (statute: N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 31, Article 1, Execution of Wills (North Carolina General Assembly)).
Next step
Plan an in-person signing, with the witnesses in the room. Online notarization of a will is generally not available through us: New Jersey's remote notarization law leaves wills and codicils out for signers outside the U.S. (N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.10), and states set their own rules on video witnessing.
Need a notary for the self-proving affidavit in North Carolina? We can look for a mobile notary commissioned there; bring your own witnesses (two).
Request a mobile notary in North Carolina
If a local notary in North Carolina does it: Acknowledgment, jurat, verification or proof, per notarized principal signature, $10; Oath or affirmation without a signature, per person, $10, under the state's fee rules (North Carolina notary fees).
Worth knowing
A spoken (nuncupative) will is allowed only during a last sickness or in imminent peril of death, before two witnesses, and can pass personal property only.
Official sources
- N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 31, Article 1, Execution of Wills (North Carolina General Assembly) (checked November 2026)
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 31-11.6, Self-proved wills (North Carolina General Assembly) (checked November 2026)
We are not lawyers, and this is general information, not legal advice. Checked November 2026. Rules change, and whoever receives the document decides what it accepts; we can't guarantee acceptance.
Common questions
Does a will have to be notarized in North Carolina?
No, not for the will itself. The signing rule on the official page we read asks for two witnesses, who sign in the testator's presence. They don't have to sign in each other's presence. A notary isn't part of that rule; one comes in for the self-proving affidavit, where it's used.
Where does a notary come in for a North Carolina will?
The self-proving affidavit. Allowed at signing or any time later, before an officer authorized to administer oaths, under official seal.
Who can make a will in North Carolina?
18 or older, of sound mind.
Keep going
- Will signing-day checklist
- Will witness rules in every state
- A car title in North Carolina
- A power of attorney in North Carolina
- A small estate affidavit in North Carolina
A will in another state: New York · North Dakota · every state