During an acknowledgment, which of the following must a notary confirm about the individual who presents a record?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-3 Definitions
North Carolina Notary Exam · Acts
North Carolina Notary Exam Practice Questions: Notarial Acts (2026)
A North Carolina notary's powers and limitations are set by N.C.G.S. § 10B-20, and an acknowledgment, defined in N.C.G.S. § 10B-3, requires the principal either to indicate the signature is theirs or to sign while physically present and personally observed by the notary. Every act must be attested by the notary's signature exactly as it appears on the commission. Fees are capped: N.C.G.S. § 10B-31 limits an acknowledgment, jurat, verification or proof to $10 per notarized principal signature. Drafting documents and giving legal advice are not notarial acts.
Practice
Free practice questions
What signature must appear on a notarial certificate to properly attest a notarial act?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-20 Powers and limitations
A clerk of superior court performs a notarial act in her county. Under what seal must she certify that act?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-21 Notaries ex officio
A notary executes a certificate written entirely in French because the principal speaks no English and the notary is fluent in French. Is this permissible?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-22 False certificate; foreign language certificates
A notary is asked to certify a photograph that will be used in an immigration file. What must the notary do instead to lawfully assist?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-23 Improper records
A campaign staffer asks a notary whether she can notarize the signature on a letter written by someone else opposing a ballot initiative, given that the notary's title cannot be used to oppose the initiative. What is the correct answer?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-24 Testimonials
A notary charges $10 for notarizations involving Anglo-American clients but only $5 for Hispanic clients because she wants to help underserved communities. Is this practice lawful?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-30 Imposition and waiver of fees
A notary administers an oath to a credible witness who is vouching for the identity of a principal. What fee applies to that particular oath?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-31 Fees for notarial acts
A notary performs notarial acts at clients' homes and never maintains a fixed business office. How must this notary satisfy the fee-disclosure requirement?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-32 Notice of fees
What three conditions must all occur at a single time and place for a valid acknowledgment under North Carolina law?
Based on: N.C.G.S. § 10B-3 Definitions
Powers, limitations and identifying the signer
The exam leans hardest on this topic. The core rule lives in N.C.G.S. § 10B-20: a notarial act must be attested by the notary's signature exactly as it appears on the commission, with no variation permitted, and the section sets out what a notary may and may not do. The distinction the exam tests most is between an acknowledgment and an oath. An acknowledgment, defined in N.C.G.S. § 10B-3, requires that the individual either indicated the signature on the record was theirs, or signed it while physically present and personally observed by the notary. An affirmation is treated as the legal equal of an oath: it is a vow of truthfulness on personal honor without invoking a deity, and it carries the same legal weight, so a candidate who thinks an affirmation is weaker than an oath has the law backwards. North Carolina also draws hard lines around improper records. Under N.C.G.S. § 10B-22(b) a notary shall not execute a certificate that is not written in English, no matter the language of the underlying record or the notary's own fluency. Under N.C.G.S. § 10B-23 a notary may not certify, notarize, or authenticate a photograph, but may notarize an affidavit regarding and attached to the photograph, which is the lawful way to help. The testimonials rule in N.C.G.S. § 10B-24 stops a notary from using the office to endorse, but it does not prevent the notary from performing a notarial act on a record executed by another individual. Special officers also appear on the exam: under N.C.G.S. § 10B-21 a clerk of superior court acting as a notary ex officio may certify acts only under the seal of the court, not a personal notary seal.
Fees: the $10 cap and how to charge it
Fees are where North Carolina is unusually clean, and the exam rewards knowing the exact numbers. Under N.C.G.S. § 10B-31 the maximum fee for an acknowledgment, jurat, or verification or proof is ten dollars per notarized principal signature. For an oath or affirmation without a signature, the cap is ten dollars per person, with one carve-out: there is no charge for an oath administered to a credible witness who vouches for the identity of a principal or subscribing witness. The fee facts the state confirmed for 2026 follow a flat, per-signature or per-person structure: there is no first-name-then-additional-name tier and no per-document cap, and these are maximums, so a notary may charge less or waive the fee entirely. Electronic acts carry their own caps under N.C.G.S. § 10B-31: a $15.00 maximum per electronically notarized principal signature for an acknowledgment or jurat, and $15.00 per person for an electronic oath or affirmation. A remote electronic notarization is capped higher, at $25.00 per notarized principal signature. Travel may be charged only at the actual mileage at the federal business mileage rate, and only if the principal agrees to it in writing before the travel. The current figures took effect July 1, 2023, raising an older $5 cap. North Carolina also polices how fees are charged: N.C.G.S. § 10B-30(b) prohibits a notary from discriminatorily conditioning a fee on any attribute of the principal that would amount to unlawful discrimination, so charging different races different prices is unlawful even if the notary means well. And under N.C.G.S. § 10B-32 a notary who works outside a fixed place of business must present each principal with an English-language schedule of fees for notarial acts.
| Notarial act | Maximum fee | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgment, jurat, verification or proof (paper) | $10 per principal signature | § 10B-31(1) |
| Oath or affirmation without a signature | $10 per person | § 10B-31(2) |
| Oath to a credible identity witness | No charge | § 10B-31 |
| Electronic acknowledgment or jurat | $15 per principal signature | § 10B-31(3) |
| Electronic oath or affirmation | $15 per person | § 10B-31(3a) |
| Remote electronic notarization (RON) | $25 per principal signature | § 10B-31(4) |
| Travel | Actual mileage, federal business rate, agreed in writing | § 10B-31(5) |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much can a North Carolina notary charge for an acknowledgment?
Up to $10 per notarized principal signature. N.C.G.S. § 10B-31 caps an acknowledgment, jurat, or verification or proof at ten dollars per notarized principal signature on paper, and an oath or affirmation without a signature at $10 per person. These are flat, per-signature maximums with no first-name-then-additional tier, and a notary may charge less or waive the fee.
Is an affirmation as legally binding as an oath in North Carolina?
Yes. Under North Carolina notary law an affirmation is a vow of truthfulness on personal honor without invoking a deity, and it is treated as the legal equal of an oath. A notary cannot refuse an affirmation or treat it as carrying less weight; it binds the affiant to tell the truth exactly as an oath does.
Can a North Carolina notary notarize a photograph?
No. Under N.C.G.S. § 10B-23 a North Carolina notary may not certify, notarize, or authenticate a photograph. The lawful workaround is to notarize an affidavit regarding the photograph that is attached to it, so the notary acts on the signed statement rather than on the image itself.
How much can a North Carolina notary charge for a remote online notarization?
Up to $25 per notarized principal signature. N.C.G.S. § 10B-31 caps a remote electronic notarization at $25.00 per signature, more than the $10 paper cap and the $15 cap for a standard electronic act. As with all the caps, the notary may charge less, and may bill travel only at the federal mileage rate when the principal agrees in writing beforehand.
Practice questions