NC Notary Notary Public Laws and Regulations 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the fee a North Carolina notary may charge for performing a single notarial act?
- Up to $5
- Up to $10 (Correct answer)
- Up to $15
- There is no statutory fee cap
Correct answer: Up to $10
North Carolina law caps the fee for each notarial act at $10.
Question 2: A notary's journal entry for a jurat must include which of the following?
- The signer's Social Security number
- The type of identification presented by the signer (Correct answer)
- The notary's personal seal impression
- The full text of the oath administered
Correct answer: The type of identification presented by the signer
Journal entries must record the type of identification used to verify the signer's identity.
Question 3: A North Carolina notary who relocates permanently to another state should:
- Continue using the NC commission until it expires
- Transfer the commission to the new state automatically
- Resign the commission with the NC Secretary of State (Correct answer)
- Obtain a dual commission in both states
Correct answer: Resign the commission with the NC Secretary of State
A notary who permanently moves out of North Carolina must resign their commission because residency or employment in NC is required.
Question 4: Which scenario correctly describes when a notary MUST use a journal?
- Only when performing a real estate closing
- For every notarial act performed (Correct answer)
- Only when the signer is not personally known
- Only when the fee exceeds $5
Correct answer: For every notarial act performed
North Carolina law requires notaries to record every notarial act in a sequential journal.
Question 5: An NC notary's commission is automatically void if:
- The notary fails to renew within 30 days of expiration
- The notary is convicted of a felony (Correct answer)
- The notary moves to an adjacent county
- The notary's seal is lost or stolen
Correct answer: The notary is convicted of a felony
A felony conviction automatically disqualifies a person from holding a notary commission in North Carolina.
Question 6: When performing a verification on oath or affirmation, the notary must ensure the signer:
- Has signed the document in the notary's presence only
- Swears or affirms that the contents of the document are true (Correct answer)
- Presents two forms of government-issued ID
- Is a North Carolina resident
Correct answer: Swears or affirms that the contents of the document are true
A verification on oath (jurat) requires the signer to swear or affirm that the statements in the document are true.
Question 7: How long must a North Carolina notary retain their journal after their commission expires or is resigned?
- 1 year
- 3 years
- 5 years (Correct answer)
- 10 years
Correct answer: 5 years
NC notaries must retain their journal for at least 5 years after their commission ends.
NC Notary Notary Public Laws and Regulations 4
What is the fee a North Carolina notary may charge for performing a single notarial act?