Remote Online Notary Requirements in North Carolina

To work as a remote online notary in North Carolina, you must already hold an active North Carolina notary public commission, complete a Secretary of State-approved electronic notary course, register using an approved technology platform, and then operate under state rules that cap fees at $25 per RON signature, require a 10-year journal retention, and prohibit remote notarization of certain documents outright. The remote online notary requirements in North Carolina treat RON authorization as an add-on to an existing commission rather than a separate license, and they apply to every session you conduct while physically located in the state.

How to Qualify and Register

You need an active North Carolina notary commission first. RON registration builds on that commission; it does not replace it.¹

Before you apply, complete an electronic notary course taught by a certified instructor approved by the Secretary of State. The course covers the technical and legal side of notarizing in a digital environment. Submit your registration application within three months of finishing the course. Miss that window and you have to take the course again.¹

Your application goes to the Secretary of State and has to identify the technology platform you plan to use. Only platforms approved or licensed by the Secretary of State are permitted, and the current list is maintained on the Department’s website.¹ The base notary commission application carries a nonrefundable $50 fee.² A surety bond is also required to protect the public. Platform subscriptions typically run between $5 and $19 per month depending on the provider and plan length.

Where You Must Be, and Where Signers Can Be

You have to be physically located in North Carolina during every session. The signer does not. Someone anywhere else in the United States can participate without extra restrictions on the transaction type.³

When the signer is outside the United States, the rules tighten. You must have no actual knowledge that the act is prohibited where the signer is located, and the signer has to confirm the document fits one of these categories:

Part of a matter before a U.S. court, governmental entity, or other entity
Related to real property located in North Carolina
Related to property other than real property located in the United States
Related to a U.S.-connected transaction that does not involve real property transfer
Related to a property right or interest granted by the U.S. government or a U.S. court

If it fits none of those, you cannot proceed.³

Documents You Cannot Notarize Remotely

RON gives you the same acts as traditional notarization, including acknowledgments, jurats, verifications, and oaths, delivered over a live audio-visual link.³ Some documents are off-limits entirely. The statute specifically bars RON for:

Self-proved wills executed under Article 4A of Chapter 31
Trusts, revocable or irrevocable, except certifications of trust
Codicils to a will
Parental rights relinquishment documents under Chapter 48
Mail-in absentee ballots

A narrow exception exists for certain remotely located principals defined elsewhere in the statute.⁴

Powers of attorney get a separate limitation in real estate. A remotely notarized power of attorney cannot be used by the attorney-in-fact together with another remotely notarized document to convey title or transfer an interest in the principal’s real property. Any power of attorney executed remotely must also be recorded with at least one county register of deeds office in the state.⁴

Verifying the Signer’s Identity

If you do not personally know the signer, verify identity one of two ways: a credible witness who personally appears before you and vouches for the signer, or satisfactory evidence. Satisfactory evidence means either specified identification documents presented by the signer or two forms of multi-factor authentication.³

Approved platforms must integrate credential analysis, which examines the security features of ID documents remotely, and identity proofing through knowledge-based authentication. If the signer fails the knowledge-based quiz on the first attempt, the platform allows one retake with at least 40 percent new questions. Platforms must also include geolocation and multi-factor authentication for your own access to the system.⁵

Fees You Can Charge

North Carolina caps notary fees by type of act:

Traditional paper notarization: $10 per notarized principal signature
Electronic notarization performed in person: $15 per notarized principal signature
Remote online notarization: $25 per notarized principal signature

You may also charge actual mileage at the federal business mileage rate, but only if the principal agrees in writing before you travel.⁶ These are maximums, not mandatory charges.

Journal and Recording Retention

You must maintain an electronic journal documenting each notarial act. The journal is your exclusive property, and no one else may make entries in it.⁷

Retention runs 10 years after the last notarial act recorded in the journal. You or a designated custodian must keep the journal or a backup copy for that entire period. Backups can be paper or an electronic document on a separate physical device.⁷

The audio-visual recording of each remote session has to be preserved as well. The statute prohibits you from surrendering or destroying those communication technology recordings except under a court order or as allowed by Secretary of State rules.⁸ Both journal and recordings must be stored in a tamper-evident format. Compliance problems often start here: switching platforms or letting a subscription lapse can cut off access to stored recordings, and that does not relieve you of the retention obligation.

Platform and Security Standards

Approved platforms have to integrate real-time audio-visual communication, geolocation, credential analysis, identity proofing, electronic journaling, electronic signature and seal capabilities, and secure document storage. A platform that handles video but outsources identity verification to an unapproved third party would not qualify.

All notarial records must be stored in a tamper-evident format that protects against alteration after the fact. These safeguards exist both to prevent fraud and to ensure recordings and journal entries hold up as evidence if a notarization is challenged in court. On top of state rules, the mortgage industry adds its own layer: the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization offers a RON certification that many lenders require before accepting remotely notarized loan documents.

Real Estate Closings

RON has made North Carolina closings easier for out-of-state buyers and sellers, with guardrails you need to respect.

A licensed North Carolina attorney must still supervise residential real estate closings. A remote online notary who is not a licensed NC attorney is prohibited from rendering services or advice that constitute the practice of law. Notarizing a signature is one thing; explaining deed terms or advising on title issues crosses the line.⁹

Electronic recording of notarized real estate documents also has to align with the county’s recording system. Counties may require electronic recording providers to meet approval requirements under N.C.G.S. § 47-14(a1), so check with the relevant register of deeds office before assuming a remotely notarized document can be filed electronically.

Penalties for Getting It Wrong

The Secretary of State has broad enforcement authority over notaries. For any violation of Chapter 10B or its rules, the Secretary can issue a warning, impose restrictions on your commission, suspend you, or revoke the commission entirely. A restriction, suspension, or revocation does not extend your commission’s expiration date, so time lost to a suspension is time you cannot get back.¹⁰

Criminal exposure exists too. Holding yourself out as a notary without a commission, or performing notarial acts without proper authority, is a Class 1 misdemeanor.¹⁰ Beyond state action, affected parties can bring civil claims if faulty procedure causes them financial harm. A deed notarized without proper identity verification, for example, could be challenged and potentially invalidated, exposing the notary to liability.

Errors and omissions insurance is not required by North Carolina law, but carrying a policy is strongly advisable. The surety bond protects the public; E&O insurance protects you.

1
North Carolina Rules. Subchapter 07F – Electronic Notary Public Requirements
2
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina General Statutes 10B-13 – Application Fee
3
North Carolina General Assembly. House Bill 776 – Remote Online Notarization Act
4
North Carolina General Assembly. NC General Statutes Chapter 10B Article 2 – 10B-134.3
5
North Carolina Administrative Code. Subchapter 07F – Electronic Notary Public Requirements
6
North Carolina General Assembly. NC General Statutes 10B-31 – Fees for Notarial Acts
7
North Carolina Administrative Code. Subchapter 07I – Journals Rules
8
North Carolina General Assembly. NC General Statutes Chapter 10B Article 2 – 10B-134.15
9
North Carolina General Assembly. NC General Statutes Chapter 10B Article 2 – 10B-134.25
10
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina General Statutes 10B-60 – Enforcement and Penalties