--- type: "Bill" title: "SC Electronic Notary Public Act" description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, TO ENACT THE \"SOUTH CAROLINA ELECTRONIC NOTARY PUBLIC ACT\" BY ADDING CHAPTER 2 TO TITLE 26 SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS; TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME AN ELECTRONIC NOTARY; TO PROVIDE FOR ACTS THAT MAY BE PERFORMED ELECTRONICALLY; TO PROVIDE RESTRICTIONS FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF ELECTRONIC NOTARIZATION; TO PROVIDE THE REQUIREMENTS TO COMPLETE AN ELECTRONIC NOTARIZATION; TO ESTABLISH MAXIMUM FEES; TO LIMIT THE USE OF THE ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE AND SEAL TO PROPER ELECTRONIC NOTARIAL ACTS; TO REQUIRE THE MAINTENANCE OF AN ELECTRONIC JOURNAL FOR ELECTRONIC NOTARIAL ACTS; TO REQUIRE THE SAFEKEEPING OF AN ELECTRONIC JOURNAL, PUBLIC KEY CERTIFICATE, AND ELECTRONIC SEAL; TO ALLOW THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS; TO REQUIRE REGISTRATION WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE; TO REQUIRE AN ELECTRONIC NOTARY TO UTILIZE CURRENT REGISTERED DEVICES; TO PROVIDE FOR THE TERMINATION OF ELECTRONIC NOTARIES PUBLIC; TO PROVIDE PENALTIES; TO APPLY REQUIREMENTS OF NOTARIAL CERTIFICATES TO ELECTRONIC NOTARIES PUBLIC; TO REQUIRE EVIDENCE OF AUTHENTICITY; AND TO PROVIDE LANGUAGE FOR AN ELECTRONIC CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY; AND TO AMEND SECTION 26-1-160, RELATING TO UNLAWFUL ACTS, SO AS TO ALLOW THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO TERMINATE A NOTARY PUBLIC'S COMMISSION. - ratified title" jurisdiction: "us/states/sc" legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly" session: "2021-2022" identifier: "S 631" citation: "South Carolina S 631 (2021-2022)" classification: ["bill"] subjects: [] status: "enacted" primary_sponsors: ["Campsen", "Talley"] version_count: 6 action_count: 18 vote_count: 3 first_action: "2021-03-02" last_action: "2021-06-01" source: "openstates" source_identifier: "ocd-bill/9516f027-40a0-4fad-8915-042f4da2f38e" source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=631&session=124&summary=B" source_hash: "9c2d2f49d11c8b42543108c9fcbc1c43973e98ec4ee63ffea4c2b106c79dc221" vintage: "2026-07-01" source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump" retrieved_at: "2026-07-06" confidence: "reported" tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"] --- # South Carolina S 631 (2021-2022) — SC Electronic Notary Public Act AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA ELECTRONIC NOTARY PUBLIC ACT" BY ADDING CHAPTER 2 TO TITLE 26 SO AS TO DEFINE NECESSARY TERMS; TO PROVIDE PROCEDURES AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME AN ELECTRONIC NOTARY; TO PROVIDE FOR ACTS THAT MAY BE PERFORMED ELECTRONICALLY; TO PROVIDE RESTRICTIONS FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF ELECTRONIC NOTARIZATION; TO PROVIDE THE REQUIREMENTS TO COMPLETE AN ELECTRONIC NOTARIZATION; TO ESTABLISH MAXIMUM FEES; TO LIMIT THE USE OF THE ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE AND SEAL TO PROPER ELECTRONIC NOTARIAL ACTS; TO REQUIRE THE MAINTENANCE OF AN ELECTRONIC JOURNAL FOR ELECTRONIC NOTARIAL ACTS; TO REQUIRE THE SAFEKEEPING OF AN ELECTRONIC JOURNAL, PUBLIC KEY CERTIFICATE, AND ELECTRONIC SEAL; TO ALLOW THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS; TO REQUIRE REGISTRATION WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE; TO REQUIRE AN ELECTRONIC NOTARY TO UTILIZE CURRENT REGISTERED DEVICES; TO PROVIDE FOR THE TERMINATION OF ELECTRONIC NOTARIES PUBLIC; TO PROVIDE PENALTIES; TO APPLY REQUIREMENTS OF NOTARIAL CERTIFICATES TO ELECTRONIC NOTARIES PUBLIC; TO REQUIRE EVIDENCE OF AUTHENTICITY; AND TO PROVIDE LANGUAGE FOR AN ELECTRONIC CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY; AND TO AMEND SECTION 26-1-160, RELATING TO UNLAWFUL ACTS, SO AS TO ALLOW THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO TERMINATE A NOTARY PUBLIC'S COMMISSION. - ratified title ## Version chain The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment. 1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/bills/631.htm) 2. **3/10/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/631_20210310.htm) 3. **3/11/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/631_20210311.htm) 4. **3/17/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/631_20210317.htm) 5. **3/2/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/631_20210302.htm) 6. **5/11/2021** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess124_2021-2022/prever/631_20210511.htm) ## Votes - Waive Rule 5.15 Printing — **99–1** (pass) · lower - Passage of Bill — **100–1** (pass) · lower - 2nd Reading — **45–0** (pass) · upper ## Sponsors - Campsen — primary (person) - Talley — primary (person) ## Timeline The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote. - **2021-03-02** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1` - **2021-03-02** Referred to Committee on Family and Veterans' Services `referral-committee` - **2021-03-10** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Family and Veterans' Services `committee-passage-favorable` - **2021-03-11** Scrivener's error corrected - **2021-03-17** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage` - **2021-03-17** Read second time `reading-2` - **2021-03-17** Roll call Ayes-45 Nays-0 - **2021-03-23** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3` - **2021-04-06** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1` - **2021-04-06** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee` - **2021-05-11** Recalled from Committee on Judiciary - **2021-05-12** Read second time `reading-2` - **2021-05-12** Roll call Yeas-100 Nays-1 - **2021-05-13** Read third time and enrolled `passage, reading-3` - **2021-05-18** Ratified R 104 - **2021-05-18** Signed By Governor `executive-signature` - **2021-06-01** Effective date 05/18/21 - **2021-06-01** Act No. 85 ## Source OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/9516f027-40a0-4fad-8915-042f4da2f38e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).