Video Notarization to Expire
The General Assembly has not finalized action on the extension of the temporary emergency video notarization law, and will not do so before the law sunsets on Monday. We anticipate the General Assembly will be supportive of the extension and we expect it to be part of the upcoming COVID-related budget bill to be rolled out next week. However, other items in the bill are still being negotiated and the temporary emergency remote notarization will expire, even if it is for a short time. The law will expire at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 1, 2021. After this time, all notarial acts will revert to the original law requiring in-person presence by the principal signers.
Also expiring will be the time extension permitting an appointee to appear before a Register of Deeds within 90 days to take the oath of office. That time will revert back to 45 days.
We will provide you additional updates as we know more.
Credit Card Fees:
Effective March 1, 2021, the E-Commerce fee to conduct online, credit card transactions will increase from $2.00 to $3.00. The credit card fee has been unchanged for over ten years. This change is necessary to address the increases in credit card bank transaction costs. ACH transaction fees will remain unchanged at $2.00. E-Commerce fees are used to cover transaction costs and maintain E-Government services, including the security of online transactions.
NO NEW IN-PERSON APPOINTMENTS EXCEPT AUTHENTICATIONS:
Due to COVID in Wake County and North Carolina, as of 12/11/2020, the Secretary of State’s Office is not accepting any new in-person appointments EXCEPT FOR APOSTILLES and OTHER AUTHENTICATIONS which require original documents.
Most filings and transactions can be completed online or by mail, and we encourage you to use these methods at this time. In many cases, transactions can be completed online or by mail more expeditiously than when an appointment becomes available. Our call center can also be helpful at 919-814-5400.
Thank you for your patience as we continue to consider the health and safety of our customers, staff, and the general public.
Businesss Registration Authentications