Notary Public Guidebook For North Carolina

The office of notary public has a long and proud history in our society. Their work is rarely glamorous, but it is so important that the highest courts in the nation routinely accept properly notarized documents as evidence in legal matters. In fact, the law governing notaries gives them the same mission as sworn law enforcement officers, "to serve and protect."

A reference work containing laws, practices, and forms essential to notaries public in North Carolina. Contains updated text and forms since publication of the ninth edition, 2004, including changes made by Session Law 2005-391 (Senate Bill 671). Changes include, among other things, a requirement that the notarys name be typed or printed in a readable appearance near the notarys signature; new requirements regarding the dimension and appearance of the notarys seal; specific direction about what constitutes personal appearance of principals and subscribing witnesses and what a notary must do to verify their identity; how a signature can be made by mark; new forms of acknowledgement certificates and direction about what must be included in certificates completed by notaries; changes in the notary application, education, testing, and commissioning requirements; and changes in the law regarding criminal offenses and sanctions for violating notary laws.

Examines the authority and responsibilities of North Carolina notaries public.

The office of notary public has a long and proud history in our society. Their work is rarely glamorous, but it is so important that the highest courts in the nation routinely accept properly notarized documents as evidence in legal matters. In fact, the law governing notaries gives them the same mission as sworn law enforcement officers, "to serve and protect." This new 2016 edition of the North Carolina Notary Public Manual, prepared by the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, contains practical instruction, tips, and best practices, essential tools for North Carolina notaries public. It provides updated information including the North Carolina Administrative Code section for notaries that was not in the previous edition. For already commissioned notaries, the book serves as a legally required replacement to the previous edition of the manual that notaries currently own.

Before a person can perform notarial acts as a notary public, he or she must receive a commission as evidence of authority to perform those acts. Notaries are appointed by the Governor and commissioned by the Secretary of State (§26-1-10). Applicants must take the oath of office found in the South Carolina Constitution, which is included in the notary public application (§26-1-40). The application must be signed with pen and ink and the signature of the applicant must be acknowledged by a person authorized to administer oaths (§26-1-40). The date of your signature and the date of the notarization must match. You cannot notarize your own signature on the application or at any other time. The bottom part of the application is to be completed by your legislative delegation. The application fee is $25.00, made payable to the Secretary of State's Office. Once you have completed the application, you will mail it along with the fee to your county's legislative delegation office to be processed.