North Carolina Notary Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Prep Guide

A notary in North Carolina is required to be impartial and to avoid any conflicts of interest. This principle is foundational to the role of a notary public, as their primary duty is to serve as an unbiased witness to the signing of documents, ensuring that all parties involved can trust the authenticity and integrity of the notarization process. By maintaining neutrality, notaries uphold the public's confidence in the notarization system, which is essential for legal documents to be accepted and relied upon in various transactions.

The other statements do not align with this standard. Notaries cannot notarize documents for family members because doing so creates an inherent conflict of interest. Additionally, being required to know the parties involved to a certain degree would compromise the impartiality standard; a notary's role is to remain an independent witness rather than a participant in the transactions. Lastly, while confidentiality is important, notaries are generally allowed to discuss the particulars of a notarization in accordance with legal statutes and regulations. Therefore, the importance of impartiality is highlighted in notarial practice, making it crucial for notaries to adhere to this guideline in all their official duties.