North Carolina § 66-272 - Certificate of authentication.

§ 66-272. Certificate of authentication.

To authenticate a document, the Secretary must compare the official's seal and signature on the document with a specimen of the official's seal and signature on file in the Department. If no specimen is on file in the Department, the Secretary must require that the document be authenticated by an official for whom the Department does have a specimen. The Secretary must also verify the official's authority to perform a particular act when the law of a foreign jurisdiction requires it to be verified before it will recognize the authenticity of the document. When the Secretary is able to authenticate the official's seal, signature, position, and authority, the Secretary shall sign and issue a certificate of authentication. The certificate of authentication shall be appended to the document on a separate sheet. History (1998-228, s. 14; 2005-391, s. 6.) Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2005-391, s. 12, provides: "This act shall not affect any civil or criminal litigation pending on the effective date of this act. Any act committed prior to the effective date of this act which violated any provision of the statutes repealed or amended by this act shall be subject to enforcement, prosecution, conviction, and punishment as if this act had not been enacted. Any claim arising under any provisions of the statutes repealed or amended by this act prior to the effective date of this act shall remain valid as if this act had not been enacted."