Gov. Cooper signs bill allowing online notarization

Governor Roy Cooper has signed a bill that authorizes notaries to identify people and notarize their signatures online.  

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall released a statement calling the legislation a significant step in the “digital transformation of North Carolina's business environment.” It will allow homeowners to close loans and buy homes without the traditional search to find an in-person notary service.

Marshall says that because of the amount of work needed to introduce Remote Online Notarization, it won't be fully implemented until next July.

She says the next step in the process is ensuring the technology is safe and reliable.

In the meantime, residents can turn to Emergency Video Notarization, a process that was utilized during the height of the COVID pandemic.

The bill establishes a new fee of $25 per principal signature when Remote Online Notarization becomes effective next year.