According to North Carolina statute, a notary seal or stamp must contain the notary's name along with which other required text?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-3: Definitions
North Carolina Notary Exam · Records
North Carolina Notary Exam Practice Questions: Certificates, Signature and Seal (2026)
Every North Carolina notarial act needs a certificate, and N.C.G.S. § 10B-40 says a notary shall not make or give one without personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of the principal's identity. The certificate states the state and county venue, the date and the notary's commission expiration date. The official signature must be made by hand in ink only after the act is performed (N.C.G.S. § 10B-35), and the official seal is the exclusive property of the notary, kept secure, with any loss reported within 10 days (N.C.G.S. § 10B-36).
Practice
Free practice questions
Under North Carolina law, what does the portion of a notarized record completed by the notary, bearing the notary's signature and seal, officially represent?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-3: Definitions
Under North Carolina law, which two elements must a notarial certificate bear to qualify as such?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-3: Definitions
A North Carolina notary completes a notarial act on a paper record. At what point may the notary affix the official signature?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-35: Official signature
When notarizing a paper record in North Carolina, how must a notary sign the notarial certificate?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-35: Official signature
Which method is expressly prohibited for signing a paper notarial certificate in North Carolina?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-35: Official signature
Regarding ownership of a North Carolina notary's official seal, which statement is correct?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-36: Official seal
When a North Carolina notary's employment ends, what must the notary do with the official seal?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-36: Official seal
When a notary allows another person to use the official seal, which statutory rule does the notary violate?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-36: Official seal
A North Carolina notary discovers that the official seal has been stolen. Within how many days must the notary take the required reporting steps?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-36: Official seal
The certificate and the by-hand-in-ink signature
The certificate is the legal proof that an act happened, and North Carolina is strict about what it must contain and how it is signed. Under N.C.G.S. § 10B-40(a) a notary shall not make or give a notarial certificate unless the notary has either personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of the identity of the principal, so identity comes first. The certificate then has to carry venue and dating details: § 10B-40(b)(1) requires it to identify the state and county in which the acknowledgment occurred, § 10B-40(b)(6) requires the signature and seal or stamp of the notary, and § 10B-40(b)(7) requires the notary's commission expiration date. The parallel rules for verifications and oaths track the same pattern, including the date of the act and the expiration date. Candidates do not have to draft a certificate from scratch: N.C.G.S. §§ 10B-41, 10B-42 and 10B-43 supply sufficient short forms for acknowledgments, verifications and oaths, and § 10B-43 makes clear the authorization of those forms does not preclude the use of other forms. The signature rule is one of the most heavily tested facts in this area. N.C.G.S. § 10B-35 requires the notary to affix the official signature only after the notarial act is performed, and the signature must be made by hand in ink: a facsimile stamp of the signature, or any electronic or other printing method, is prohibited on a paper certificate. A notary who pre-signs a stack of blank certificates, or who stamps a signature image, has broken the rule even if nothing else is wrong with the act.
The official seal, its image and what to do if it is lost
The seal is the second pillar of this topic. Under N.C.G.S. § 10B-36(a) a notary shall keep an official seal or stamp that is the exclusive property of the notary, and shall keep the seal in a secure location, which is why the seal is never surrendered to a former employer when a job ends. N.C.G.S. § 10B-37(a) says the notary shall affix the official seal near the notary's official signature on the certificate. The image itself is defined: § 10B-37(b) lists exactly four required elements, the notary's name as commissioned, the words Notary Public, the county of commissioning with the word County or the abbreviation Co., and North Carolina or its abbreviation. Section 10B-37(d) adds that a seal as it appears on a record may contain the date the commission expires. The single most-tested compliance step here is the lost-or-stolen seal procedure. Under N.C.G.S. § 10B-36(c) a notary must act within 10 days of discovering that the seal has been lost or stolen, and § 10B-36(c)(2) requires the notary to notify the appropriate register of deeds and the Secretary in writing. A notary keeps a journal of notarial acts under N.C.G.S. § 10B-38, with entries made in accordance with rules adopted by the Secretary. Knowing the four seal elements, the 10-day report window and the by-hand-in-ink signature rule together covers most of what the exam asks in this category.
| Element | Required (statute) |
|---|---|
| State and county venue | Yes (N.C.G.S. § 10B-40(b)(1)) |
| Date of the act | Yes (N.C.G.S. § 10B-40) |
| Commission expiration date | Yes (N.C.G.S. § 10B-40(b)(7)) |
| Signature by hand in ink, after the act | Yes; stamp or electronic prohibited (N.C.G.S. § 10B-35) |
| Seal near the signature | Yes (N.C.G.S. § 10B-37(a)) |
| Seal image: name, 'Notary Public', county, 'North Carolina' | Yes, four elements (N.C.G.S. § 10B-37(b)) |
| Report a lost or stolen seal | Within 10 days, to register of deeds and Secretary (N.C.G.S. § 10B-36(c)) |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How must a North Carolina notary sign a paper notarial certificate?
By hand in ink. N.C.G.S. § 10B-35 requires the official signature to be affixed only after the notarial act is performed, and to be made by hand in ink. A facsimile stamp of the signature, or any electronic or other printing method, is prohibited on a paper certificate, so pre-signing or stamping a signature image breaks the rule.
What must a North Carolina notary seal contain?
Four elements. Under N.C.G.S. § 10B-37(b) a North Carolina notary seal must show the notary's name as commissioned, the words Notary Public, the county of commissioning with County or Co., and North Carolina or its abbreviation. The seal is the exclusive property of the notary under N.C.G.S. § 10B-36 and must be kept in a secure location.
What does a North Carolina notary do if the seal is lost or stolen?
Act within 10 days. N.C.G.S. § 10B-36(c) requires a North Carolina notary to take action within 10 days of discovering the seal has been lost or stolen, and § 10B-36(c)(2) requires notifying the appropriate register of deeds and the Secretary of State in writing. The seal is never surrendered to a former employer, because it is the notary's exclusive property.
Does every North Carolina notarial act need a certificate?
Yes, and identity comes first. Under N.C.G.S. § 10B-40(a) a North Carolina notary shall not make or give a certificate without personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of the principal's identity. The certificate must identify the state and county venue, carry the signature and seal, and state the commission expiration date; sufficient short forms appear in N.C.G.S. §§ 10B-41 to 10B-43.