Selling a car and I always forget the title rules. Can I sign the title with a notary and just give the signed title to the person who buys the car, or do both me and the buyer have to sign the title with a notary?
Thanks

Look at the title, it states exactly what needs to be done.

I did read the whole title and unfortunately it says nothing about if the notary needs to be present for just my signature or the buyer's signature as well

Title needs to be signed by both parties in the presence of the notary.

I sold a cargo trailer last week and just met the buyer at the DMV window in the courthouse.
I had to turn in the old plate anyways; and we were done and out in five minutes.
He walked out with the new tag and registration.
This was in Yadkinville; your mileage may vary.

The only hiccup was you have to pay the notary fee in cash ($6).
The poor kid buying the trailer didn't have cash and said he hadn't carried any in years.
I picked it up; so it was no problem

My wife who is a notary says that the seller needs their signature notarize when they sign the title. And that the buyer can then take the title to the DMV and sign it in front of the DMV person who will them notarize the buyers signature

I have bought and sold a few used vehicles.  If you look at the title, it is "obviously" apparent that both buyer and seller should be present and sign when transferring the title.  The block that is used to transfer the title has a spot for the buyer and seller highlighted in red, and only one spot for the notary public.  Not having both parties present kind of defeats the intent of transferring the title from one person to another via notary.

There is a separate block where the buyer applies for a new title in their name.  That block has its own separate notary spot.  That block only requires the buyer to be present because the title has already previously been signed over to them via the first notary.

Truth be told, the whole notary thing is kind of silly and just another one of those money making schemes in NC.  I think the requirement was established to entice contractors to run the license plate offices.  The state pays them very little, but they can a few bucks notarizing the documents.

I once told the lady I was not having her notarize the forms as I did not have $5 on me.  I would get the forms notarized at my bank, as it is a free benefit of banking there.  I don't know if she didn't realize it was a benefit at my bank, or thought I wanted to pay my banker $5 to notarize my form, but she looked deeply offended and asked me what I had against her making money.  I told her I had nothing against her making money but I did not carry cash, and I could get the same service at my bank anyway.  If they would have just rolled the fee into the total, I probably would have paid it on the spot, but I wasn't going to the bank to get $5 when I could just go to the bank, which happened to be about 75 meters away, and have the forms notarized for free.