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NC House Bill 388

Legislation

State: North Carolina
Signed: June 30, 2025

Effective: June 30, 2025
Chapter: 2025-33

Summary

House Bill 388 extends the temporary emergency video notarization and witnessing provisions adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic until July 1, 2026, or when the Secretary of State approves the first remote electronic notarization platform.

Affects

Amends Sections 10B-25 and 10B-200 of the North Carolina General Statutes.

Changes
  1. Extends the emergency remote notarial act and video witnessing provisions put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic (GS 10B-25) to the earlier of (a) 12:01 a.m. July 1, 2026, or (b) the date the Secretary of State issues the first license to a platform in accordance with GS 10B-134.19.
  2. Provides that if the Secretary issues the first platform license prior to 12:01 a.m. July 1, 2026, the Secretary must file that date with the Codifier of Rules to be published in the North Carolina Register as the expiration date of the temporary emergency remote notarial act and video witnessing authorizations (GS 10B-25). 
Analysis

North Carolina’s efforts to implement permanent remote electronic notarization laws have faced repeated delays, as the state works to create a secure framework for remote electronic notarization and the licensing of technology platforms. The state initially enacted temporary Emergency Video Notarization laws (EVN) in May 2020, authorizing Notaries and eNotaries to perform acknowledgments and administer oaths and affirmations for signers appearing via video conference technology. The temporary authorization has been extended several times to permit videoconference notarizations while the Secretary of State has worked to implement the 2022 Remote Electronic Notarization Act (RENA).

The final tranche of rules to implement RENA has now been adopted and takes effect on July 1, 2025. The Secretary of State must now implement the process for approving and training technology platform providers. House Bill 388 extends the temporary EVN authorization and temporary remote witnessing provisions until July 1, 2026, or the date the SOS issues the first platform license, whichever comes first.

EVN Timeline:  

  • 5/4/2020: Senate Bill 704 authorized temporary emergency video notarization (EVN) until 8/1/2020. 
  • 7/1/2020: House Bill 1023 extended temporary EVN until 3/1/2021.
  • 3/11/2021: House Bill 196 extended temporary EVN until 12/31/2021.
  • 7/8/2022: House Bill 776, the Remote Electronic Notarization Act (RENA), extended temporary EVN until 6/30/2023 and established permanent remote notarization laws effective 7/1/2023.
  • 6/23/2023: Senate Bill 552 delayed the effective date of House Bill 776 (RENA) until 7/1/2024 and extended temporary EVN until 7/1/2024.
  • 7/21/2023: House Bill 193 validated and cured EVNs performed after 12/31/2021 and before the effective date of House Bill 776.
  • 9/9/2024: Senate Bill 556 extended temporary EVN until 7/1/2025.
  • 12/11/2024: Senate Bill 382 validated EVNs performed from 7/1/2024 through 9/8/2024.

Read House Bill 388. 

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