A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to eliminate the requirement of an elected official recommendation for notary public applicants in certain large counties.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 10A‑4(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	A person qualified for a notarial commission shall meet all of the following requirements:
(1)	Be at least 18 years of age.
(2)	Reside or work in this State.
(3)	Satisfactorily complete a course of study that is approved by the Secretary and consists of not less than three hours nor more than six hours of classroom instruction provided by community colleges throughout the State, unless the person is a licensed member of the Bar of this State.
(4)	Purchase and keep as a reference a manual approved by the Secretary that describes the duties, authority, and ethical responsibilities of notaries public.
(5)	Submit an application containing no significant misstatement or omission of fact. The application form shall be provided by the Secretary and be available at the register of deeds office in each county. Every application shall bear the signature of the applicant written with pen and ink, and the signature shall be acknowledged by the applicant before a person authorized to administer oaths. Except in counties with a population of 250,000 or more, the applicant shall also obtain the recommendation of one publicly elected official in North Carolina whose recommendation shall be contained on the application.
(6)	Pay a nonrefundable fee of fifty dollars ($50.00)."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.