Notary Services

Notary Stamp

Our office is currently providing notary services on an appointment only basis.  Appointments are available weekdays, excluding Thursdays, from 2:00pm – 3:00pm.
If you want a Notary appointment, please email our office with the following:
  1.  Your available weekdays.  We will schedule accordingly and notify you thereafter.
  2. A PDF of the document(s) that you want to be notarized.  
  3. A PDF of the non-expired photo ID (i.e. driver license, passport) that you intend to present to the Notary for verification purposes.  A student/faculty ID or a non-U.S. issued driver license are not acceptable forms of ID for Notary purposes.  
We are scheduling notary appointments at 15 minute intervals to avoid having too many people in the office at any given time.  Please be on time for your appointment.  If you are late, it may be necessary to reschedule your appointment.
If you need the services of a Notary immediately, you may be able to obtain Notary services from a UPS store or your bank.  In light of the pandemic, it is recommended that you contact a UPS Store or your bank in advance to determine whether they have any special requirements for notarization.  If you are uncomfortable with an in-person notarization, North Carolina authorizes the use of e-notary services, the process of applying an electronic notary and seal onto an electronic document in a completely electronic and paperless transaction.  Our office is unable to provide e-notary services; however, a student can find an e-notary using the NC Secretary of State’s online search tool.  The cost for e-notary service is Ten Dollars ($10.00).

and can find an e-notary using the NC Secretary of State’s online search tool.  

Things To Remember When Having a Document Notarized

  • Do not sign the document before you come to the office. The Notary must see you sign and date the document.
  • You cannot bring in a document that someone else has already signed and ask that it be notarized. The Notary must see the person sign the document. For example, when an apartment complex asks that a parent sign as a co-signer/guarantor on a lease, the parent must sign the document in front of the Notary. They cannot sign it, mail it to you, and have you get their signature notarized.
  • When having a document notarized, you will need a government issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or a passport. A student ID is not sufficient.
  • If we are unavailable, any bank also has a Notary. You may have to go to a branch of the bank with which you have an account. Most banks now refuse to notarize a document unless you have an account with them.

Process For Obtaining An Apostille

Hague Apostille BrochuresAn Apostille is used when there is a document issued in one country that has to be certified for legal purposes in another country. An Apostille is an international certification comparable to a notarization in domestic law. The countries that recognize apostilles can be viewed on The Hague Conference on Private International Law website.

  1. If the document is in a language other than English, you will need to have a certified or notarized translation of the document into English.
  2. Appear before a Notary Public for execution of the document(s): Documents must be notarized by a North Carolina Notary Public unless they were issued by one of the following officials:
    • Register of Deeds
    • Clerk of Superior Court
    • NC Department of Agriculture
    • NC Department of Health and Human Services
    • NC Vital Records
    • NC Department of Motor Vehicles (Raleigh, NC office ONLY)
    • NC Attorney General’s Office
    • NC Legislative Services

    Note that requesting an apostille using a “copy” of a document will require a notarized Affidavit saying that the document is a “true copy” of the original. A “true copy” affidavit sample can be found on the Secretary of State’s Sample Documents page.

  3. Submit the documents to the NC Authentications Office with a cover letter, money order or check, the original document(s) with all certifications attached, and a return pre-paid envelope. Should you want the documents to be directed to a third party, please include that information on the cover letter and address the pre-paid envelope to the third party. Any documents received without a pre-paid return envelope will be delivered by regular mail to a United States address.
    • Authentication Office
           NC Secretary of State
           PO Box 29622
           Raleigh, NC 27626-0622
    • For cover letters, see https://www.sosnc.gov/authen/cover.aspx
    • The processing fee is $10.00 (US currency) per document. For adoptions only, the processing fee for a duplicate original is $5.00 (US currency) when requested at the same time.
    • Make payment to the “NC Secretary of State.”
    • For additional information view the Secretary of State’s Authentication Information page.
  4. The document requires no further authentication by the US Department of State and may be submitted to the country of intended use.

Notarizing Diplomas (Apostille)

NC State DiplomaRegistration and Records handles the notarizing of diplomas. Registration and Records will authenticate the diploma and then mail it to the Secretary of State for the apostille.  You’ll need to send the following.

  • A copy of the diploma
  • A check made payable to the Secretary of State in the amount of $10.00 for the apostille
  • A self-addressed stamped envelope to mail the documents from the Secretary of State.

If additional information is needed contact Registration and Records.

Additional Information

  • Contact NC Vital Records to obtain marriage, birth, or death certificates: Vital Records Contact page. They will accept credit/charge cards. You may also be able to order the document online at North Carolina Vital Records Expedited Online Orders.
  • For certified copies of NC Statutes contact the Reviser of Statutes at 919-733-2578.