NC Notary Laws and Regulations 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the maximum fee a NC notary may charge for a single electronic notarial act?
- $10
- $15
- $25 (Correct answer)
- $50
Correct answer: $25
G.S. 10B-131 sets the maximum fee for an electronic notarial act at twenty-five dollars, higher than the ten-dollar paper cap.
Question 2: Under NC law, which technology requirement is mandatory for Remote Online Notarization (RON)?
- The signer must be physically present in the same room as the notary
- The notary must use real-time audio-visual communication technology (Correct answer)
- The document must be printed and wet-signed before electronic notarization
- The notary must hold a law degree to perform RON
Correct answer: The notary must use real-time audio-visual communication technology
G.S. 10B-116 requires that RON be performed using communication technology that provides real-time audio-visual interaction between the notary and principal.
Question 3: A NC notary who performs electronic notarizations must retain their electronic journal for a minimum of:
- 2 years
- 5 years (Correct answer)
- 7 years
- 10 years
Correct answer: 5 years
G.S. 10B-134.8 requires that the electronic notarial journal be retained for at least five years after the last entry.
Question 4: Before a NC notary may lawfully perform electronic notarizations, they must:
- Automatically use their paper commission authority for electronic acts
- Register with and receive approval from the Secretary of State (Correct answer)
- Obtain a separate attorney's license for electronic document work
- Wait until their paper commission is renewed before applying
Correct answer: Register with and receive approval from the Secretary of State
G.S. 10B-106 requires a notary to apply to and receive approval from the Secretary of State before performing any electronic notarizations.
Question 5: Under NC law, a notary's electronic journal entry for each notarial act must include:
- The full text of the document being notarized
- The date and time of the act, type of notarial act, and the method used to identify the principal (Correct answer)
- The signer's Social Security number and date of birth
- The names and addresses of all witnesses present
Correct answer: The date and time of the act, type of notarial act, and the method used to identify the principal
G.S. 10B-134.8 requires each journal entry to record at minimum the date, time, type of notarial act, and how the signer's identity was verified.
Question 6: Under NC law, a notary's electronic signature used for electronic notarizations must be:
- Shared with office staff to allow notarizations during the notary's absence
- Unique to the notary and under the notary's sole control at all times (Correct answer)
- Renewed annually regardless of commission term
- Identical in appearance to the notary's wet ink signature
Correct answer: Unique to the notary and under the notary's sole control at all times
G.S. 10B-107 requires an electronic signature to be unique to the notary, capable of independent verification, and under the notary's sole control.
Question 7: A NC notary's electronic notarization authority:
- Is automatically granted along with the paper notary commission at no extra step
- Must be separately applied for and approved by the Secretary of State (Correct answer)
- Expires annually and must be renewed each year
- Is only available to notaries who have held a commission for at least five years
Correct answer: Must be separately applied for and approved by the Secretary of State
Electronic notarization requires a separate registration process with the Secretary of State under G.S. 10B-106 and is not automatic.
NC Notary Laws and Regulations 4
What is the maximum fee a NC notary may charge for a single electronic notarial act?