To renew your North Carolina notary commission, sign in to the Secretary of State’s online portal up to 10 weeks before your current commission expires, pay the $50 application fee, pass the online exam with an 80% or higher, mail the printed and notarized application to the Notary Public Section, file your $15,000 surety bond, and take the oath of office at your county’s Register of Deeds within 45 days of approval. The full process usually takes three to four weeks, and your commission runs for another five years once you’re sworn in.
When You Can Start
The earliest you can begin a renewal is 10 weeks before your current commission’s expiration date. That window is deliberate: it gives you enough runway for the application, the exam, staff review, and the in-person oath before your old commission ends. Once the expiration date passes, you cannot notarize anything, even if your renewal is sitting in the queue.
Your expiration date is printed on your notary seal and on the commission certificate from your last qualification. If you can’t find either, the Secretary of State’s notary database lets you look yourself up. Processing runs about two weeks after the office receives your paperwork, and the oath still has to happen after that, so starting in the final week is asking for a gap.
The Online Application, Step by Step
Renewal runs through the Secretary of State’s online portal. Work through it in this order:
- Sign in to your notary account on the Secretary of State’s website.
- Complete the renewal application, reviewing and updating your legal name, address, and employment information.
- Pay the $50 fee online (a $3 transaction fee applies), or mail a check or money order. Mailed payment must arrive before you can take the exam.
- Take and pass the online exam with a score of at least 80%. You have three attempts within 30 days.
- Print the completed application, have your signature notarized by another notary public, and mail the signed form to the Notary Public Section.
The mailing address is Notary Public Section, Post Office Box 29626, Raleigh, North Carolina 27626-0626.1North Carolina Administrative Code. 18 NCAC 07B .0103 Operating Hours and General Contact Information The office does not accept emailed applications.
The Renewal Exam
Renewal skips the full notary education course required of first-time applicants, but you still have to pass the online exam through the Secretary of State’s portal.2North Carolina Secretary of State. Renew Notary Commission The passing score is 80%. If you fail, you get two more attempts inside a 30-day window.
The questions cover North Carolina notary law and procedure, drawn from the same material as the initial course. Reviewing the current Notary Public Manual before you sit down is worth the hour, especially if statutes have shifted since your last commission. Licensed members of the North Carolina State Bar are exempt from both the education and the exam.3North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 10B-5 – Qualifications
What to Have Ready
Before you open the application, pull together:
- Your full legal name exactly as it appears on your government-issued ID.
- Your Social Security number and date of birth.
- Your current mailing and residence addresses.
- The name, expiration date, and county from your current commission.
- An imprint of your current notary seal, stamped directly on the printed application.
If your name has changed since your last commission, use your current legal name on the form. Non-residents who work in North Carolina must attach proof of in-state employment on company letterhead.4North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State. Application for Reappointment as a North Carolina Notary Public
One requirement catches people off guard: your signature on the printed application has to be notarized by another notary. Line that up before you print. A coworker, a bank employee, or a UPS Store notary can handle it quickly.
Filing the $15,000 Surety Bond
Every North Carolina notary must file a $15,000 surety bond with the Secretary of State before beginning duties under a new commission.5North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 10B-11 – Recommissioning The bond protects the public if a notarial error causes financial harm. It does not protect you.
The bond covers the full five-year commission term and generally costs between $25 and $100 depending on the surety company. Several online providers sell North Carolina notary bonds and file directly with the Secretary of State. The bond is separate from errors and omissions insurance, which is an optional personal-liability policy.
Taking the Oath at the Register of Deeds
Once the Secretary of State approves your application, you’ll receive an oath notification, sent by email if you filed online. You then have 45 days from the date on that notification to appear in person at the Register of Deeds in your commission county and take the oath of office.6North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 10B-10 – Commission; Oath of Office Until you’re sworn in, you cannot perform any notarial acts under the new commission.
The Register of Deeds charges a $10 fee, usually by cash or check.7Rowan County. Notary Applications Miss the 45-day deadline and the approval is void: you’ll submit a new application and pay the $50 fee again. This is the most common stumble in the whole process. The approval email arrives, it gets buried, and the window closes.
Getting a New Seal
Your old seal shows your previous commission’s expiration date and cannot be used once that commission ends. Order a new seal or stamp with your updated commission number and expiration date. Notary suppliers and office supply companies sell North Carolina-compliant seals for roughly $20 to $45.
Keep using your old seal for any notarizations you perform before your new commission is active, and don’t switch to the new seal early. County recording offices check whether the commission on the seal was valid on the date of signing, and a mismatch will get the document rejected.
If Your Commission Has Already Expired
A lapsed commission isn’t automatically fatal. North Carolina allows recommissioning within 12 months of the expiration date, using essentially the same steps as a standard renewal: application, exam, bond, oath.5North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 10B-11 – Recommissioning You still can’t notarize anything during the gap.
Past 12 months, the recommissioning door closes and you have to apply as a brand-new notary. That means the full notary education course at an approved community college, the classroom exam, and the initial application from scratch. Course fees generally run $50 to $150. If you’re anywhere near the 12-month mark, treat it as urgent.