Signer Identification & Satisfactory Evidence
North Carolina requires personal appearance and identification by personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence, with specific rules on acceptable identification documents.
Satisfactory evidence
A North Carolina notary establishes identity by personal knowledge of the principal or by satisfactory evidence—a current government-issued ID with a photograph and signature (such as a driver license or passport), or the oath of a credible witness. The principal must personally appear before the notary at the time of the notarization.
Refusing the notarization
North Carolina law lists grounds for refusal: the notary is not satisfied as to the principal's identity, competence, or willingness; the principal did not personally appear; or the notary knows or suspects the act is fraudulent. A notary may not refuse solely on discriminatory grounds, but must refuse when these integrity concerns exist.