Create local backup of notes in Notes.app on macOS I'm using a company-issued MacBook where we cannot use iCloud to backup notes. But I would like to have a way to create backups of the notes, since they are not included in the company backup software. Is there a way to do this by hand? 

I tried copying the folder:

$HOME/Library/Containers/com.apple.Notes

but when I copied that one to a new Mac, the notes didn't show up when running Notes.app.
You may have copied the wrong directory, depending on your operating system.

Newer operating systems (I believe El Capitan and above, but certainly Sierra and above) use this folder:

~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.notes/


Without iCloud there should be no issue with disappearing notes, which you would have to work around, if you were signed into iCloud Notes.