South Carolina does not have a Remote Online Notarization (RON) law. However, the state recognizes online notarizations legally performed by notaries from other states.
The short answer is yes, notary publics are legally allowed to notarize documents from any state as long the notarial act is conducted within the geographical boundaries of the notary's state of commission.
One of the most common mistakes that notaries make is not printing or signing their name exactly as it appears on their notary commission.
Jurisdiction is limited to the physical borders of South Carolina and notarial acts cannot be performed outside of the state. However, documents for use in another state may be notarized in South Carolina so long as the notarization physically takes place within the borders of the state.
You may notarize the signature of one person appearing before you and then the second person can appear before a Notary in their city/state and have their signature notarized.
The Electronic Notary Portal is now available. On , Governor Henry McMaster signed the South Carolina Electronic Notary Public Act into law. The Act allows a notary public to register as an electronic notary and sets forth the requirements for electronic notaries public and electronic notarial acts.
To apply to become a South Carolina Notary Public or renew your notary commission, you must complete the paper application Notary Public Application and Renewal Application (PDF) to mail to your county delegation office or the House of Representatives if you do not have a delegation office in your county.
The commission states the notary's name and term expiration date. The application process can take anywhere from 2-12 weeks, depending on the county in which the applicant resides.
Generally, crimes involving dishonesty, fraud, or moral turpitude would disqualify someone from being a notary public.