North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 66. Commerce and Business § 66-58.2. Definitions

(1) “Certification authority” means a person authorized by the Secretary to facilitate electronic commerce by vouching for the relationship between a person or public agency and that person's or public agency's electronic signature.

(2) “Electronic signature” means any identifier or authentication technique attached to or logically associated with an electronic record which is intended by the party using it to have the same force and effect as the party's manual signature.

(3) “Person” means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or combination thereof of whatsoever form or character.

(4) “Public agencies” means and includes every public office, public officer or official (State or local, elected or appointed), institution, board, commission, bureau, council, department, authority, or other unit of government of the State or of any county, unit, special district, or other political subdivision of government.

(5) “Secretary” means Secretary of State.

(6) “Transaction” means an electronic transmission of data between a person and a public agency, or between public agencies, including, but not limited to, contracts, filings, and legally operative documents.