North Carolina state law states that only a legal resident can become a notary public, but the state’s secretary of state is granting licenses to illegal immigrants.
The North State Journal called a staffer at the North Carolina Secretary of State’s office’s notary public section who said that “yes” a copy of a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) work permit would satisfy residency requirements to become a notary public.
North Carolina state law states that one must “reside legally in the United States” to qualify to become a notary public. President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration (DACA) does not confer legally residency status. This is not an opinion of conservatives, but of his administration’s Department of Homeland Security.
Their website’s FAQ on DACA describes it as a “prosecutorial discretion” that “does not confer lawful status upon an individual.”
Another part of North Carolina state law regarding becoming a notary public is having the ability to speak, read, and write the English language. North State Journal reports that a notary student told them that fellow notary students required a translator during class time. The student raised this issue with the community college and the non-English speaking students were removed from the class.