North Carolina Notary Public pass rate & how retakes work
PrepPass has not verified whether North Carolina Secretary of State — Notary Public Section publishes a pass rate for the North Carolina Notary Public exam, so we are not going to give you a percentage. Some exam authorities publish pass rates in annual or sunset-review reports rather than on their exam pages, and others genuinely publish none — until we have read the authority's own documents for this exam, we would only be guessing which it is. What we can tell you is that any exact "North Carolina Notary Public pass rate" figure you find on a prep site that does not cite an authority document is an unofficial estimate. Ask what it cites. The passing standard is a different thing from a pass rate, and for this exam it is published: 80%. Confirm it on North Carolina Secretary of State — Notary Public Section before you rely on it.
Free practice before you sit the exam
Retakes cost time and, often, another exam fee. Practice real questions until you consistently clear the standard you need. PrepPass has 22+ free North Carolina Notary Public practice questions with answer explanations and a full timed mock exam — no signup required.
Is there a published North Carolina Notary Public pass rate?
We don't know, and we would rather say so than guess. PrepPass has not yet read North Carolina Secretary of State — Notary Public Section's own publications for this exam, so we cannot tell you either that a pass rate exists or that one does not. Both claims are claims about the authority, and both need a source.
This matters more than it sounds. Pass rates often sit somewhere other than the exam page — in an annual report, a legislative sunset review, or a statistics dashboard. California's contractor board, for one, publishes its Law & Business pass rate in a report to the Legislature and nowhere else, which is why almost no prep site has it. So the absence of a figure on the registration page is not evidence that none is published.
Until we have checked, treat any exact "North Carolina Notary Publicpass rate" percentage you find online as an unofficial estimate unless it links to an authority document you can open yourself.
Start here — the exam authority itself: North Carolina Secretary of State — Notary Public Section →
North Carolina Notary Public facts
How many times can you retake the North Carolina Notary Public exam?
There is generally no fixed lifetime cap. Here is how retakes work:
- If you don't pass, you can retake the exam. Each attempt generally requires registering (and paying any exam fee) again.
- The exam authority sets the retake policy, including any required waiting period between attempts. Confirm the exact wait on the official site before you rebook.
- You can prepare between attempts with free practice — PrepPass has 22+ free North Carolina Notary Public practice questions with explanations.
Want the full picture of the difficulty and the content areas?
See how hard the North Carolina Notary Public exam is →Frequently asked questions
What is the North Carolina Notary Public pass rate?+
PrepPass has not verified whether North Carolina Secretary of State — Notary Public Section publishes one, so we do not state a figure. Any exact percentage you see on a prep site that does not cite an authority document is an unofficial estimate rather than a number from the exam authority.
What score do you need to pass the North Carolina Notary Public exam?+
The published passing standard is 80%. That is the authority's figure, not ours, and it is a passing SCORE — the bar you personally have to clear — not a pass RATE. Confirm it on North Carolina Secretary of State — Notary Public Section before you rely on it.
What happens if you fail the North Carolina Notary Public exam?+
You can retake it. The authority may require a waiting period between attempts, so check the official page for the current rule. Between attempts, you can keep working through practice questions until you consistently clear the standard you need.
Does North Carolina require a notary course and exam?+
Yes. New applicants must complete a 6-hour classroom course offered by the state's community colleges and pass a written exam given as part of that course. Attorneys licensed by the NC State Bar are exempt from the exam.
What score do I need to pass the North Carolina notary exam?+
You must score 80% or better to pass.
How much can a North Carolina notary charge per act?+
As of July 1, 2023, North Carolina notaries may charge up to $10.00 per principal signature for traditional acknowledgments, jurats, verifications, and proofs (raised from $5), $15 for electronic notarization, and $25 for a remote online notarization.
How long is a North Carolina notary commission?+
A North Carolina notary commission runs for 5 years.
Scoring and retake rules — confirm on the official authority:
North Carolina Secretary of State — Notary Public Section →https://www.sosnc.gov/divisions/notary →https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_10B/GS_10B-8.html →https://www.ncleg.gov/enactedlegislation/statutes/pdf/bysection/chapter_10b/gs_10b-31.pdf →Last updated: September 2026