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North Carolina Notary Public Examination
North Carolina requires every applicant for an initial notary commission to complete a Secretary-approved course of classroom instruction of not less than six hours and pass a written examination approved by the Secretary, covering notarial laws, procedures, and ethics with a passing score of 80% (G.S. 10B-8); recommissioning applicants must pass a separate written examination administered by or under the direction of the Secretary, delivered online through the Secretary of State's website. Licensed members of the North Carolina State Bar are exempt.
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QuestionsNot publicly disclosed — The current first-party exam pages and candidate materials cited for this record were reviewed; they do not publish this field.
Testing timeNot publicly disclosed — The current first-party exam pages and candidate materials cited for this record were reviewed; they do not publish this field.
ScoringPassing score of 80 percent (must answer at least 80% of the questions correctly); same standard for the initial and the reappointment examination
Exam feeNo separate examination fee published by the Secretary of State; SOS charges USD 50 for the Initial Application for North Carolina Notary Public (USD 50 for reappointment; USD 10 oath-of-office fee payable to the county Register of Deeds; USD 50 eNotary registration), and fees for the required course and its exam are set by the Secretary-approved course providers
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Exam overview
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- Who runs it
- NC SOS
- Category
- Notarial Practice
- Current version
- Current specification; no public version label — exam content prescribed by G.S. 10B-8(c) ('notarial laws, procedures, and ethics') with the North Carolina Notary Manual, 2026 as the required reference text
- Where it applies
- US-NC, United States
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State (approves the examination, develops the training and testing materials, certifies instructors, and administers the recommissioning test directly via its website)
- Format
- Written examination. Initial-commission exam: taken in connection with the in-person six-hour classroom course from a Secretary-approved provider (course locations include North Carolina community colleges). Recommissioning exam: online test at the Secretary of State's website
- Availability
- By arrangement with Secretary-approved course providers (including North Carolina community colleges); the recommissioning test is available online through the Secretary of State's reappointment service
- Score validity
- For an initial commission, the course and examination must be completed within the three months preceding application
- Remote testing
- Varies by jurisdiction
Exam structure
Secretary-approved written examination whose required content is 'notarial laws, procedures, and ethics'. For an initial commission it is taken together with the Secretary-approved course of classroom instruction of not less than six hours, within the three months preceding application; for recommissioning it is a separate written examination approved by and administered by or under the direction of the Secretary, taken online at the Secretary of State's website
Where rules vary
North Carolina notary commissions under Chapter 10B of the NC General Statutes; applicants must live or work in North Carolina, and notaries are commissioned in their county of residence (or county of employment for nonresidents)
Eligibility
At least 18 years old (or legally emancipated); live or work in North Carolina and legally reside in the U.S.; speak, read, and write English; hold a high school diploma or equivalent; complete the Secretary-approved course of at least six classroom hours; purchase and keep the required 2026 Notary Public Manual (G.S. 10B-5(b)(7)); licensed NC State Bar members are exempt from the course and exam
Retake policy
The exam may be taken 3 times in 30 days; a candidate who fails three exams within 30 days must take the Notary Public course over again