E-Closings Are On The Horizon
August 2025
Clients are already asking and they are ready to go digital! Electronic Closings are officially coming to the state of North Carolina.
In preparation for this exciting digital move, we attended the Sixth Annual Mortgage E-Closings Conference in Charlotte hosted by the North Carolina Secretary of State.
North Carolina is in the final stages of enacting RENA, Remote Electronic Notarization Act though, some keys factors are still in the works.
Revise The North Carolina Notary Guidebook & Training
Types of Notarizations
-Traditional Notarization- Standard pen and paper notarization - Executed by a commissioned NC Notary Public. Currently In Practice
-NC E-Notarization- In Person Electronic Notarization (IPEN) - Executed by a commissioned NC E-Notary Public where a notary and signer physically meet in person and electronically sign documents using a tablet. Currently In Practice
-NC Remote Electronic Notarization (REN) - Executed by a commissioned NC E-Notary Public where signer and notary virtually meet via video & audio technology to electronically sign and notarize documents without being in the same physical location. Pending
Currently, the North Carolina Secretary of State utilizes two separate guidebooks for Notary Publics and Electronic Notary Publics, The Notary Public Manual for traditional notarial acts & The Electronic Notarization Workbook for electronic notarial acts. With the revision of both manuals, Notaries and E-Notaries will have one complete guidebook for all notarial acts in North Carolina.
The North Carolina Secretary of State has revised the new Notary Manual and it is currently under final review.
New education guidelines for North Carolina Notaries and E-Notaries are in the works and bridge courses will be provided to commissioned E-Notaries.
Review & License Technology Solution Providers
Technology platform providers will need to apply with the North Carolina Secretary of State and meet certain requirements including;
-Ability to host audio-visual meetings, allowing real-time interaction between all participants with clear, unobstructed audio and video quality
-Be able to record the entire meeting
-Accurately determine the geolocation of the signers
-Create and maintain a secure, long-term backup of the session recording
-Utilize data protection safeguards consistent with security standards
The North Carolina Secretary of State will begin reviewing applications for technology solution providers in mid-September, 2025.
Remote Electronic Notarization is expected to be available during the first quarter of 2026!
With this exciting change on the horizon, now is the time to prepare your clients!