Notary Public

Before an initial notary appointment, applicants must complete a Secretary of State approved course of instruction in the duties of notary office. The course must contain a minimum of 6 hours of classroom instruction. Approved courses are offered by community colleges and technical institutes. Contact Forsyth Technical Community College at (336) 723-0371 for class schedules. Upon completion of the approved course, an application will be given with instructions for completing and mailing to the NC Secretary of State’s office.

After notification from the Secretary of State, applicants must appear before the Register of Deeds to take the Notary Oath and pay the associated fee (see fees page).


Notary Re-Appointment

Visit the Secretary of State’s website for current information on notary re-commissioning. After notification from their office, applicants must appear before the Register of Deeds in the county in which the commission is issued within 45 days from the issue date. Applicants are required to take the oath of office and pay the associated fee (see fees page).

Change of Name / Address

A notary must notify the Secretary of State of a name or address change by completing the Change Form at the Secretary of State’s website and mailing it to the address indicated on the form. Upon receiving approval of the change of information from the Secretary of State, you must appear before the Register of Deeds to take the oath and pay the associated fee (see fees page).

Notary Certificates

A Notary Certificate that certifies that one was a notary at the time an acknowledgement was taken can be obtained from this office for a fee (see fees page). Certificates are issued for Forsyth County notaries only.

Apostille

Visit the Secretary of State’s authentication website for Apostille instructions.

Sample Notary Documents

Visit the Secretary of State’s samples website to receive additional information pertaining to notarizing documents and to get sample acknowledgement forms.

North Carolina Notary Association

The North Carolina Notary Association is a non-profit North Carolina corporation organized to benefit notaries in North Carolina. For more information, visit their website.