United States

Apostille in North Carolina

Verified as of August 9, 2026

Everything below is transcribed from this office's own published sources and printed in its words. A value we could not confirm against an official page carries an unverified marker — but the absence of that marker is not a guarantee that a fact was checked, and the source's own doubts stay inside the notes reproduced here verbatim. Confirm fees, addresses and deadlines with the office before you send documents or money.

Who issues the apostille

Competent authority

North Carolina Secretary of State, Authentications Office

HCCH lists: Secretary of State; Deputy Secretary of State

Which documents this office will accept

Copies: Photocopies need a notarized "true copy" affidavit
From the source: Sign before a NC notary public OR submit certified copies from the issuing entity; documents from Register of Deeds, Clerk of Superior Court, and various state departments need no notarization; include cover letter, payment, and prepaid return envelope/label. No separate county-clerk certification chain (notary's commission verified directly by SOS)

By document type

Document type	What this office requires
school documents (transcripts, diplomas, report cards)	MUST be notarized by a NC notary (school seal alone insufficient)

Certifications you may need first

No additional certification step is required before the apostille.

The request form

Form: No dedicated form — the office asks for a cover letter.
Where to get it: https://www.sosnc.gov/forms/by_title/_Authentications
From the source: Cover letter forms (English/Spanish + multiple translations, PDF/Word); no single direct PDF URL exposed on index page

Requesting online

Online route: There is no online request route — this office takes requests on paper.

Where to go in person

Raleigh

2 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-2903

Access: Documents are dropped off here.
Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 am–5:00 pm
From the source: Hand delivery (drop-off) accepted; processed faster than mail but same-day/while-you-wait service not stated (unverified whether appointments are offered); courier delivery per posted Courier Policies

What it costs

Fee	Applies to	Details
$10.00 USD per document	All documents	"$10.00 (U.S.)" per document (original and each duplicate). No expedite fee listed
$5.00 USD per document	adoption-related duplicates ordered at the same time	Adoption-related: original $10.00; duplicates ordered at the same time $5.00 each; duplicates ordered separately $10.00 each

How to pay

By mail

Check or money order.

Make it payable to

North Carolina Secretary of State

Copy that exactly as written.

From the source

Check or money order payable to "North Carolina Secretary of State" (credit cards not mentioned on fees page)

Where to send your documents

Mailing address: NC Secretary of State, Authentications, Post Office Box 29622, Raleigh, NC 27626-0622

How long it takes

By mail: Posted on SOS homepage at research date: "Authentications – 15-20 business days." "Mailed in documents generally take five business days longer than hand-delivered documents."
From the source: No same-day/expedited service stated

Getting your documents back

Include a prepaid return envelope/label with the submission

Checking status and verifying an apostille

Verify an issued apostille: No public verification register is published for this office. That is not the same as an apostille being unverifiable — ask the office how it confirms one.
Check a request's status: No status-tracking page is published for this office.

Remote online notarization

Status

The statute is law, but the permanent framework is not in force: it awaits final rules.

Legal basis

Remote Electronic Notarization Act (RENA), S.L. 2022-54 (SB 552), "became law on July 8, 2022," codified as Part 4A of Article 2, NCGS Chapter 10B (GS 10B-134.1 et seq.); permanent REN awaits final rules/platform licensing. Interim: Emergency Video Notarization (EVN) "extended to 12:01 AM on July 1, 2027 or until the first license is issued for Remote Electronic Notarizations" (HB 517, signed July 7, 2025)

What the notary must register

Required. Electronic notary registration with the Secretary of State before performing electronic or remote electronic notarial acts (GS 10B-106(b)); per the state notary manual the eNotary registration process includes a course and exam (80% pass) (unverified detail — per NNA); REN-specific licensing/registration not yet open (eNotary Solution Providers page "Under Construction")

How the signer is identified

For remotely located principals (GS 10B-134.11(a)(2)): personal knowledge, OR multifactor verification comprising credential analysis of a government-issued photo ID by an approved third-party vendor PLUS identity proofing (KBA-type) by an approved third-party vendor PLUS the notary's visual comparison of the credential presented. (EVN interim regime uses its own video-based ID rules.)

Fee caps

Remote act: $25.00 USD

Standard notarial act: $10.00 USD

From the source

Max RON fee: $25.00 per notarized principal signature for remote electronic notarial acts under Part 4A (GS 10B-31(5)). Max standard fee: $10.00 per notarized principal signature (acknowledgments, jurats, verifications/proofs); $10.00 per person for oaths/affirmations without signature; electronic (in-person eNotary) acts $15.00 per signature / per person (GS 10B-31). Travel: actual mileage at federal business mileage rate with prior written agreement. Do not conflate EVN (temporary, expires July 1, 2027 or on first REN license) with permanent REN. NNA fee tables still showing "remote notarization not yet implemented" are consistent with REN not being live

Other things the source says

E-register: none currently found on sosnc.gov (legacy HCCH-listed URL http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/verification/ unreachable)

Every United States jurisdiction in this handbook

Other countries: Canada — Federal — Global Affairs Canada · Mexico — Federal — Secretaría de Gobernación (SEGOB)

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