How to Become a Notary in Maryland: 4-Year Term, Exam

Q: Does a Maryland notary application really need a State Senator's approval?

Yes -- unless your Senator has delegated the decision. Md. Code, State Gov't Sec. 18-103(a)(2)(i): 'an application by a resident of the State shall bear or be accompanied by the written approval of a Senator representing the senatorial district and subdistrict in which the applicant resides', and Sec. 18-103(a)(3) requires an out-of-state applicant's application to bear 'the written approval of a Maryland State Senator'. Where the Senator has delegated approval authority, the Secretary of State approves instead. The practical difference is time: the SOS says a Secretary-decided application usually takes 2-3 business days, while 'If your Senator reviews notary applications ... It usually takes between 2 and 8 weeks.' You must supply three references, whom the Senator or the Secretary of State may contact.

Q: Do Maryland notaries have to keep a journal?

Yes -- for every notarial act, including ordinary paper ones. Md. Code, State Gov't Sec. 18-219(a)(1): 'each notary public shall maintain a journal in which the notary public chronicles all notarial acts that the notary public performs,' retained for 10 years after the last act recorded. A paper journal must be a permanent bound register with numbered pages, and only one may be kept at a time for tangible records. Each entry must be made at the time of the act and must record the date and time, the record and act type, the full name and address of each individual, how identity was established (including the credential's number and its issue and expiry dates, per the SOS), the fee charged -- and if none, the SOS says the entry 'should indicate no fee' -- and whether the person appeared in person or by communication technology.

How to become a notary public in Maryland: a 4-year commission, a required course, an exam, remote online notarization — verified from official sources.

Source-verified

Requirements below are drawn from Maryland Secretary of State, Notary Division (appointment is made by the Governor on the written approval of the applicant's State Senator or, where the Senator has delegated, the Secretary of State; the commission is delivered and the oath taken before the Clerk of the Circuit Court) (official site) and last verified August 12, 2026. Boards change fees and rules often — confirm before acting.

Requirements at a glance

Maryland's route is unusually multi-branch: education and exam first, then a political approval, then a courthouse oath. 1) Obtain and review the official Handbook for Maryland Notaries Public ($30 from the Secretary of State; the SOS sells it and does not publish it free). 2) NEW APPLICANTS must complete an authorized COURSE OF STUDY and pass an EXAMINATION, both from a provider on the SOS's published list of authorized providers -- 'Upon successful completion of the notary public course of study (for new applicants), the notary will receive a certificate of completion ... Upon successful completion of the notary public examination (for new applicants), notaries will receive a certificate of passing from the provider ... *Will receive two certificates'. Both certificates are uploaded with the application. 3) File the application online at https://mdsos2.my.site.com and pay the $25 processing fee. You need: your legislative district and State Senator, a copy of your driver's licence or other government photo ID, an MVA Change of Address Card if the ID address differs, contact details for THREE REFERENCES, and the two certificates. 4) APPROVAL BY YOUR STATE SENATOR. Md. Code, State Gov't Sec. 18-103(a)(2)(i): 'an application by a resident of the State shall bear or be accompanied by the written approval of a Senator representing the senatorial district and subdistrict in which the applicant resides'; if the Senator has delegated approval authority, the Secretary of State approves instead. An out-of-state applicant's application must likewise bear 'the written approval of a Maryland State Senator' (Sec. 18-103(a)(3)). Timing follows who decides: 2-3 business days if the Secretary of State reviews it, 'usually ... between 2 and 8 weeks' if the Senator does. 5) A background check is run against the criminal convictions and civil judgments disclosed on the application; an inaccurate disclosure is itself a ground for denial. 6) OATH BEFORE THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT within 30 days of the notice: 'Within 30 days after the issuance by the Secretary of State of a notice of appointment or renewal, the notary shall qualify before the appropriate clerk of the court and pay the fees prescribed' (Sec. 18-103(d)(3)). Miss it and 'The appointment and commission of any notary who fails to qualify and pay the fees within the time required under this subsection shall be revoked' -- after which you must reapply and pay again. 7) The Clerk delivers the commission and the commission is then emailed to you; you are a notary from that point.

Legal basis

Maryland Secretary of State, Notary Division (appointment is made by the Governor on the written approval of the applicant’s State Senator or, where the Senator has delegated, the Secretary of State; the commission is delivered and the oath taken before the Clerk of the Circuit Court) commissions notaries public in Maryland. Every figure below is verified against the commissioning authority’s own official pages and dated.

What it’s called

The statutory noun is ’notary public’ and what is issued is a COMMISSION – Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-103(c)(1) speaks of ’the term of a notary public commission’, and the Governor appoints while the Clerk of the Circuit Court delivers the commission. ‘Notary license’ and ’notary certification’ are folk terms with no Maryland statutory basis; Maryland’s own certificates are a ‘certificate of completion’ (course) and a ‘certificate of passing’ (examination), which are education artefacts and not the commission. ‘Notarial officer’ is the statutory umbrella and in Maryland it is DELIBERATELY NARROW: a notary public, a judge, clerk or deputy clerk of a Maryland court, or a court-appointed magistrate – it does not include attorneys. Do not translate ’notarial officer’ as ’notary public’. Maryland issues NO commission number: ‘If you are asked to provide a notary identification number on a notarization, complete the blank by writing “n/a” as that is not applicable for Maryland notaries.’ A ’notary signing agent’ or ’loan signing agent’ is a private vendor designation; nothing in State Gov’t Title 18 subtitle 1, COMAR 01.02.08 or the SOS notary pages read on 2026-08-12 issues, recognises or requires one – the SOS has separately held a public town hall on the boundary between notaries public and title insurance producers/independent contractors, which is the nearest official treatment. Two Maryland-specific words to keep straight: the STATE SENATOR whose written approval the application needs, and the CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT before whom the oath is taken and who hands over the commission.

Types of notary commission

Notary public commission (in-person, tangible records) — Maryland residents, and out-of-state individuals with a place of employment or practice in Maryland Commissioned in a county but with statewide authority. SOS FAQ: ‘I am commissioned in ____ County. Can I notarize anywhere in Maryland? Yes. If you are a Maryland Notary Public, you may notarize anywhere in the State of Maryland, regardless of the county in which you are commissioned.’ The county still matters twice: it is printed on the official stamp, and the oath is taken before that county’s Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Electronic notarization (signer physically present, electronic record) — A commissioned notary who wants to notarize electronic records with the signer in the room Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-220(b)(1): before performing an initial notarial act on an electronic record the notary must notify the Secretary of State and identify the technology to be used. The SOS FAQ dates the authority: ‘Electronic notarizations where made legal by the passing of the Maryland Uniform Electronic Transactions Act in 2000. Electronic notarizations still require the personal appearance of a signer before the notary.’
Remote notarial acts USING a RON vendor (electronic records) — A commissioned notary who wants to notarize electronic records for remotely located signers Requires a Remote Notary Notification filed online, on which the notary selects one or more authorized Remote Online Notary vendors from the Secretary of State’s published list. ‘If the form is incomplete or an unauthorized remote notary vendor was selected, you will receive an email informing you that you are not authorized to perform remote notarial acts.’
Remote notarial acts NOT requiring a RON vendor (tangible records) — A commissioned notary who wants to notarize a PAPER record for a remotely located signer identified by personal knowledge or a credible witness MARYLAND SPLITS REMOTE NOTARIZATION IN TWO AND MOST STATES DO NOT. The SOS publishes two different Remote Notary Notification forms and two separate authorized-notary lists: one ‘for notaries public who intend to perform remote notarial acts requiring RON Vendors (electronic records)’ and one ‘for notaries public who intend to perform remote notarial acts that do not require RON Vendors (tangible records-when the notary public can identify the signer by personal knowledge or credible witness)’. A notary may select one or both on the notification form. The statutory hook is State Gov’t Sec. 18-214(b)-(c), which allows an acknowledgement on a tangible record displayed during the audio-visual recording, and a signed declaration procedure for tangible records not physically present.

Who can be commissioned

Per the SOS FAQ (‘Who may apply for appointment as a notary public?’), an individual must: ‘be at least 18 years old; be of good moral character and integrity; be a resident of the state; or have a place of employment or practice in the State; if living in the State, must be appointed by the senator representing the district in which you live; and if living outside the State, be a resident of a state that allows Maryland residents working in that state to serve as notaries public in that state; and effective October 1, 2021: all new notary applicants, must complete a Course of Study and pass an examination.’ NON-RESIDENTS QUALIFY on a reciprocity condition – the non-resident’s home state must itself allow Marylanders working there to be its notaries. COUNTY IS FIXED BY RESIDENCE, NOT WORK: ‘The law requires that you be commissioned in the county in which you reside. Therefore, your home address is required … you cannot substitute your work address for your home address’; an out-of-state notary selects the Maryland county where the place of employment or practice is located. HOME ADDRESS IS PUBLIC: ‘Also, the home address of a Notary Public is public information according to the law.’ NAME RULES ARE STRICT: ‘The name on your Notary Public Commission must match the name on your government issued photo ID’ – no nicknames, and no post-nominals such as Ph.D. or Esq. GROUNDS TO REFUSE (Sec. 18-104 as summarised in the SOS FAQ) include a fraudulent, dishonest or deceitful misstatement or omission in the application; conviction of a felony or a crime involving fraud, dishonesty or deceit; a finding or admission of liability based on fraud, dishonesty or deceit; failure to discharge a notary duty; false or misleading advertising; and denial, non-renewal, revocation, suspension or conditioning of a notary commission by another state.

Requirements

Maryland’s route is unusually multi-branch: education and exam first, then a political approval, then a courthouse oath. 1) Obtain and review the official Handbook for Maryland Notaries Public ($30 from the Secretary of State; the SOS sells it and does not publish it free). 2) NEW APPLICANTS must complete an authorized COURSE OF STUDY and pass an EXAMINATION, both from a provider on the SOS’s published list of authorized providers – ‘Upon successful completion of the notary public course of study (for new applicants), the notary will receive a certificate of completion … Upon successful completion of the notary public examination (for new applicants), notaries will receive a certificate of passing from the provider … *Will receive two certificates’. Both certificates are uploaded with the application. 3) File the application online at https://mdsos2.my.site.com and pay the $25 processing fee. You need: your legislative district and State Senator, a copy of your driver’s licence or other government photo ID, an MVA Change of Address Card if the ID address differs, contact details for THREE REFERENCES, and the two certificates. 4) APPROVAL BY YOUR STATE SENATOR. Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-103(a)(2)(i): ‘an application by a resident of the State shall bear or be accompanied by the written approval of a Senator representing the senatorial district and subdistrict in which the applicant resides’; if the Senator has delegated approval authority, the Secretary of State approves instead. An out-of-state applicant’s application must likewise bear ’the written approval of a Maryland State Senator’ (Sec. 18-103(a)(3)). Timing follows who decides: 2-3 business days if the Secretary of State reviews it, ‘usually … between 2 and 8 weeks’ if the Senator does. 5) A background check is run against the criminal convictions and civil judgments disclosed on the application; an inaccurate disclosure is itself a ground for denial. 6) OATH BEFORE THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT within 30 days of the notice: ‘Within 30 days after the issuance by the Secretary of State of a notice of appointment or renewal, the notary shall qualify before the appropriate clerk of the court and pay the fees prescribed’ (Sec. 18-103(d)(3)). Miss it and ‘The appointment and commission of any notary who fails to qualify and pay the fees within the time required under this subsection shall be revoked’ – after which you must reapply and pay again. 7) The Clerk delivers the commission and the commission is then emailed to you; you are a notary from that point.

Training

Maryland requires a training course.

A course of study from a state-authorized provider is mandatory for BOTH new and renewing applicants, and the certificate of completion is uploaded with the application. SOS New Applicant page: ‘A NEW applicant to complete a course of study AND pass an examination in order to become a notary public.’ SOS Renewal page: ‘All renewal applicants must complete a Course of Study.’ The requirement dates from October 1, 2021, and the SOS publishes a List of Authorized Course of Study and Examination Providers (PDF) – the course must come from that list. WHAT THE COURSE MUST COVER, per COMAR 01.02.08.16A: ‘The course of study shall include the Maryland Notary Public laws, regulations, ethics, procedures, and the Handbook for Maryland Notaries Public. Every topic shall be fully covered so each participant can comply with the aforementioned requirements.’ NO HOUR COUNT IS PRESCRIBED: COMAR 01.02.08.16 sets content, examination design and pass standards but no minimum classroom hours, and the SOS pages do not state one. Course price is set by the provider, not the state – COMAR 01.02.08.16C requires the provider’s instructions to ’explain … the cost of the course of study and examination’. Separately, the $30 Handbook for Maryland Notaries Public is the underlying text and the SOS instructs applicants to order and review it. Tiers searched for an hour count on 2026-08-12: Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-101 through 18-220 as read below, COMAR 01.02.08 (all 17 regulation titles, with .02, .03 and .16 read in full), and the SOS notary, new applicant, renewal and FAQ pages.

Exam

Maryland requires an exam.

Required for new applicants, from a state-authorized provider, and pass standards are set by regulation rather than left to the vendor. COMAR 01.02.08.16F: ‘The examination shall contain at least 20 questions that are clearly stated in a multiple-choice format, and each applicant must correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions in order to be issued a Certificate of Passing.’ Every question has exactly four choices with one correct answer (.16G); the provider must keep ‘a robust bank of at least 50 different test questions so that repeat applicants do not receive a statistically sufficient number of previously attempted test questions’ (.16E); questions are sourced from the sections of the Handbook for Maryland Notaries Public covering laws, regulations, ethics and procedures (.16B); and electronic testing systems must give ‘immediate scoring which notifies the applicant of passing or failure at the conclusion of the examination session’ (.16I). The passing certificate is uploaded with the application. The exam fee is the provider’s, not the state’s, and is not published by the SOS. CONFLICT WITHIN THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S OWN SITE ON WHETHER RENEWALS MUST RE-SIT THE EXAM, RECORDED BOTH WAYS AND NOT RESOLVED: the FAQ answer ‘Who may apply for appointment as a notary public?’ says ’effective October 1, 2021: all new notary applicants, must complete a Course of Study and pass an examination; all renewal applicants, must complete a Course of Study and pass an examination’, while the FAQ answer ‘Do I have to take a class or pass a test to become a Notary Public?’ says ‘all new notary applicants, must complete a Course of Study and pass an examination; all renewal applicants must complete a Course of Study’ – with no exam – and the Renewal Applicant page and its checklist of what to upload (‘Copy of the certification of completion of the course of study’) mention only the course. Two of the three statements say course-only for renewals.

Bond & insurance

Maryland requires NO surety bond and NO errors and omissions insurance. This is a sourced negative: Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-103 is the section that enumerates everything an applicant must file and pay – the sworn application, the Senator’s written approval, qualification before the clerk, a $1 registration fee and a fee of ‘$11 or a lesser amount as prescribed by the Secretary of State for the commission issued’ – and it contains no financial security requirement. Mechanical checks run on 2026-08-12: the words ‘bond’, ‘surety’ and ’errors and omissions’ appear ZERO times in the SOS notary landing page, New Applicant page, Renewal Applicant page and the long FAQ; in the statute pages the only matches were the mgaleg site’s own navigation item ‘Bond Initiatives’, not statutory text. COMAR 01.02.08 (Notary Public: General Regulations) has 17 regulations – .01 Definitions, .02 Charges and Fees, .03 Processing Fee, .04-.06 remote online notary vendors, .07 obligations of notaries performing remote acts, .08 responsibilities of notaries public, .09 change of name/address/email, .10 electronic mail communications, .11 enforcement actions, .12 publication of commission status, .13-.17 course of study and examination providers – and none of them is a bond or insurance regulation. E&O insurance is a private product; nothing read requires or references it. Any page claiming a Maryland notary needs a bond, or needs both a bond and E&O, is selling something.

Fees

TWO PAYMENTS TO TWO DIFFERENT OFFICES, plus private costs. TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE: a $25 processing fee with every application, new or renewal. COMAR 01.02.08.03: ‘Each application for an original or renewal appointment as a notary public shall be accompanied by a processing fee of $25 payable to the Secretary of State.’ This is a recent change the SOS flags on both application pages: ‘Application process change as of 01/22/2024 The notary application fee changed from $9 + $2 service charge to an application fee of $25.’ TO THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT at the oath: the SOS instructs applicants to ‘be prepared to pay the Clerk of the Court $10.00 for the commission and $1.00 registration fee’, and the FAQ says ‘There is an $11.00 fee for this action’. The statute sets those as ‘(i) a fee of $1 for qualifying the notary and registering the name, address, and commission expiration date of the notary; and (ii) a fee of $11 or a lesser amount as prescribed by the Secretary of State for the commission issued’ (State Gov’t Sec. 18-103(e)(3)). RECONCILED, NOT A CONTRADICTION: the statutory $11 commission fee is a ceiling the Secretary of State may lower, and the SOS has prescribed $10, giving the $10 + $1 = $11 total the SOS pages state. A verifier should confirm the $10 prescription rather than assume it. OTHER STATE FEES: $30 for the official Handbook for Maryland Notaries Public (perfect-bound; ordered from the SOS by credit card or check); $5 for a paper copy of your commission (electronic copies are free by email); $6 to have the Secretary of State issue a re-named commission after a name change, plus $11 to the Clerk to be sworn in under the new name; up to $25 for a check returned for insufficient funds (Sec. 18-103(e)(5)(i)). NOT STATE FEES: the course of study and examination are bought from authorized private providers at prices the providers set, and the stamping device is bought privately – ‘Does the Office of the Secretary of State provide a notary stamping device (seal) and other notary supplies to me? No. You must purchase your own … We do not provide a list of recommended retailers.’ RON vendor fees are likewise the vendor’s. No fee is published for the Remote Notary Notification itself.

How long the commission lasts, and renewing it

4 years. Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-103(c)(1): ‘The term of a notary public commission is 4 years,’ and (c)(2) directs the Secretary of State to adopt ‘a staggered system for the expiration and renewal of notary public commissions.’ The term does not begin on approval: after the Secretary of State issues the notice of appointment or renewal the notary has 30 days to qualify before the Clerk of the Circuit Court and pay the clerk’s fees, and failure to do so revokes the appointment (Sec. 18-103(d)(3), (d)(5)). A name-change commission issued mid-term does not restart the clock – ‘This commission for your name change will expire on the same date of your current commission. You do not receive a new four year commission when changing your name’ (SOS FAQ). Maryland issues no commission number: ‘Maryland does not issue a commission number. You are identified by your name, the county in which you are commissioned, and your expiration date.’ Renew online, re-take the course, and be sworn in again at the courthouse every term. WINDOW: ‘The renewal period begins 60 days before the expiration of your notary commission. You may renew your commission up to 30 days after your expiration date. If you do not renew within 30 days after your expiration date, you must re-apply for a new notary commission’ (SOS FAQ). Early renewal outside that window is handled case by case: ‘If you will be out of town during your renewal window, please notify our office prior to leaving the area. We will instruct you on how to renew early.’ PROCESS: complete the course of study with an authorized provider, upload the certificate, file the renewal at https://mdsos2.my.site.com with the $25 fee, and – unlike a new application – the determination is made by the Secretary of State, typically in 2-3 business days. THE OATH REPEATS EVERY TIME: ‘Do I need to get sworn in every time I renew? Yes. You must take the oath of office at the Clerk of the Court every time you are issued a new commission,’ within 30 days of the email telling you to appear, with the $11 in clerk fees again. COUNTY FOLLOWS RESIDENCE AT RENEWAL: moving mid-term does not require re-swearing, but ‘If you renew your commission, the county in which you are commissioned will change at that time. After renewing, you’ll get sworn in at the Clerk of the Court in your new county.’ MID-TERM CHANGES: name and address changes are filed online under ‘Update Your Notary Information’; a name change offers a choice – take a re-issued commission in the new name ($6 to the SOS, $11 to the Clerk, and a new stamp) or finish the term under the commissioned name and change at renewal. There is no continuing-education requirement measured in hours. What Maryland requires instead is a repeat of the authorized course of study at every four-year renewal, evidenced by a certificate of completion uploaded with the renewal application (SOS Renewal Applicant page; SOS FAQ). No hour count is attached to that course anywhere in COMAR 01.02.08.16, which prescribes content and examination standards but not duration. Tiers searched on 2026-08-12 and found silent on continuing education hours: Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-101, 18-103, 18-214, 18-215, 18-216, 18-217, 18-218, 18-219 and 18-220; COMAR 01.02.08 (all 17 regulation titles, with .02, .03 and .16 read in full); and the SOS notary landing, New Applicant, Renewal Applicant, Remote Notary Information and FAQ pages. Whether the renewal course must also be followed by a re-sit of the examination is genuinely unsettled on the state’s own pages – see the exam field, where the conflict is recorded both ways.

Your seal or stamp

A stamp is REQUIRED for tangible records, and Maryland treats it as a public seal. Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-215(b)(1): ‘If a notarial act regarding a tangible record is performed by a notary public, the notary public shall affix an official stamp to or emboss an official stamp on the certificate.’ For an electronic record the officer ‘may attach an official stamp to or logically associate an official stamp with the certificate’ (Sec. 18-215(b)(3)), and a notarial officer other than a notary public ‘may’ stamp (Sec. 18-215(b)(2)). CONTENTS (Sec. 18-217(a)-(b) and the SOS FAQ): the notary public’s name as it appears on the commission and office; the county in which the notary resides, or for an out-of-state notary the county in which the notary qualified (Baltimore City counts as the county); any other information required by the Secretary of State; and the commission expiration date – with the SOS noting the expiration date may instead appear in the notarial certificate, and that ‘Because all notarial acts require a notarial certificate, the expiration date shouldn’t need to be part of a notary’s seal.’ The stamp ‘must be capable of being copied together with the record to which it is affixed or attached or with which it is logically associated’ (Sec. 18-217(a)(2)). FORM: ‘The notary public’s official stamp can be an ink stamp or embosser or it can also be an electronic device or process’ (SOS FAQ) – no shape, dimensions or ink colour is prescribed in Sec. 18-217, in COMAR 01.02.08 or in the SOS FAQ, all read on 2026-08-12. CRIMINAL STATUS: ‘A notary public’s official stamp is a public seal’ (Sec. 18-217(c)) and ‘A notary public’s stamping device is a public seal for purposes of Sec. 8-607 of the Criminal Law Article’ (Sec. 18-218(c)) – so misuse is charged as public-seal misuse. SECURITY AND DISPOSAL (Sec. 18-218): each notary is responsible for the security of the device and ‘may not allow another individual to use the stamping device’; on resignation, revocation or expiration the notary ‘shall disable the stamping device by destroying, defacing, damaging, erasing, or securing it against use in a manner that renders it unusable’; the same duty falls on a personal representative or guardian on death or incompetency; and a lost or stolen device must be reported promptly to the Secretary of State. The SOS adds that the device belongs to the notary even if an employer paid for it: ’the stamp is the property and responsibility of the notary public … If the notary public leaves their employer, the notary public is strongly encouraged to take the notary stamp with them.’ On a name change, a re-named commission requires a new stamp.

Keeping a journal

Maryland requires a notary journal.

MARYLAND REQUIRES A JOURNAL FOR EVERY NOTARIAL ACT, paper included – this is the field most often wrong on generic pages, because most states journal only electronic and remote acts. Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-219(a)(1): ’each notary public shall maintain a journal in which the notary public chronicles all notarial acts that the notary public performs,’ and (a)(2): ‘The notary public shall retain the journal for 10 years after the performance of the last notarial act chronicled in the journal.’ FORMAT (Sec. 18-219(b)): tangible or electronic; ‘only one journal at a time to chronicle all notarial acts performed regarding tangible records, and one or more journals to chronicle all notarial acts performed regarding electronic records’; a tangible journal ‘must be a permanent, bound register with numbered pages’; an electronic journal must be ‘in a permanent, tamper-evident electronic format’. ENTRY CONTENT, contemporaneous with the act (Sec. 18-219(c)): date and time; a description of the record and the type of notarial act; the full name and address of each individual for whom the act is performed; a statement if identity rested on personal knowledge; if identity rested on satisfactory evidence, a brief description of the method and of the credential presented including issuance and expiration dates – the SOS FAQ adds ‘and the identification number associated with the identification credential; (e.g. driver’s license number, etc.)’; the fee charged, and per the SOS ‘if no fee is charged, the record should indicate no fee’; and ‘an indication of whether an individual … appeared in the notary public’s physical presence or by means of communication technology.’ LOSS, EXIT AND DEATH (Sec. 18-219(d)-(g)): a lost or stolen journal must be reported promptly to the Secretary of State; on resignation, revocation or suspension the notary retains the journal for the balance of the 10 years and must tell the Secretary of State where it is; alternatively the journal may be transmitted to a Secretary-approved repository or stored as approved by regulation; and on death or incompetency the personal representative, guardian or anyone knowingly in possession must transmit or store it the same way.

Online (remote) notarization

Maryland authorizes remote online notarization, and it requires a registration separate from your commission.

Authorized since October 1, 2020, and Maryland runs TWO separate remote authorizations. SOS FAQ: ‘Remote (or Remote Online) Notarizations became legal in Maryland effective 10/1/2020.’ The statutory basis is Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-214, which lets a notary located in Maryland use communication technology for a remotely located individual if the notary has personal knowledge of the identity, or verification on oath from a credible witness, or satisfactory evidence obtained by remote presentation of a credential PLUS credential analysis PLUS identity proofing; is reasonably able to confirm the record is the same one the individual signed; and creates an audio-visual recording of the act. Where the signer is OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, Sec. 18-214(a)(4) adds conditions: the record must be filed with or relate to a matter before a US public official, court or entity, or involve US property or a transaction substantially connected with the US, and the notary must have no actual knowledge that the act is prohibited where the signer is. REGISTRATION: a Remote Notary Notification must be filed online at https://mdsos2.my.site.com – ‘It is no longer available in paper’ – and on it the notary selects ’notaries public who intend to perform remote notarial acts on electronic records using an authorized remote online notary vendor; and/or notaries public who intend to perform remote notarial acts using other communication technology’. One or both may be selected. A vendor must be chosen from the Secretary of State’s List of Authorized RON Vendors; choosing an unauthorized vendor means the notification is rejected and ‘you are not authorized to perform remote notarial acts’, though it may be resubmitted. The SOS ‘does not endorse a specific commercial brand of communication technology platform. However, the RON vendor must be authorized in Maryland.’ THE TANGIBLE-RECORD BRANCH IS THE UNUSUAL ONE: Maryland allows remote notarization of PAPER records without a RON vendor when the notary can identify the signer by personal knowledge or credible witness – Sec. 18-214(b) permits taking an acknowledgement on a tangible record physically before the notary if it is displayed to and identified by the remote signer during the recording, and Sec. 18-214(c) provides a declaration procedure for a tangible record not physically present. ELECTRONIC IS NOT REMOTE: electronic notarization has been lawful since the Maryland Uniform Electronic Transactions Act in 2000 and ‘still require[s] the personal appearance of a signer before the notary’; before a first electronic-record act the notary must notify the Secretary of State and identify the technology used (Sec. 18-220(b)). PUBLIC REGISTER: remote status appears in the notary search for notaries authorized on or after 6/21/2023, and two legacy PDF lists cover those authorized on or before that date. Separate REMOTE FEE CAP: $30 per remote notarial act (COMAR 01.02.08.02A(2)). Detailed obligations sit in COMAR 01.02.08.07 (Obligations of Notaries Public Who Perform Remote Notarial Acts) and vendor duties in .04-.06; those regulations were identified by title but not read in full on 2026-08-12.

What you may charge

Maryland caps notary fees by regulation, and raised them effective January 22, 2024. COMAR 01.02.08.02, quoted verbatim on the Secretary of State’s own FAQ and landing page: ‘A. A notary public may demand and receive a fee of no more than the following for the performance of an original notarial act: (1) $8 for the performance of a notarial act; or (2) $30 for the performance of a remote notarial act. B. When a notary public is requested to notarize more than one copy of the same record, where the copy or copies have been signed at the same time by the same person or persons, the notary may demand and receive $8 for notarizing each signature on the original or first copy of the record, and may demand and receive $4 for each signature on each additional copy of the same record. C. When a notary public is requested to make reproductions of a notarized record or an entry in the notary’s journal by photocopying or other means, the notary may demand and receive not more than $2 for each copy furnished. D. A notary public may demand and receive reimbursement at the prevailing rate for mileage established by the Internal Revenue Service for business travel and a fee not to exceed $5 for travel if required for the performance of a notarial act. E. A notary public may charge $6 for certifying a copy of a record in the notary’s journal.’ TRAVEL: the mileage rule was itself amended – the SOS landing page carries the notice ‘Effective Immediately:* The regulation regarding the mileage fee that a Notary Public may charge when traveling to perform a notarization has been changed. Now, a Notary Public may demand and receive reimbursement at the prevailing rate for mileage established by the Internal Revenue Service for business travel and a fee not to exceed $5 for travel,’ and adds ‘The IRS mileage rate for 2025 is 70.00 cents per mile.’ Note that the SOS page cites a 2025 IRS rate as of 2026-08-12; the rate is federal and changes annually, so the dollar-per-mile figure should be read from the IRS, not from this page. Whatever is charged must be entered in the journal, and where nothing is charged the SOS says the entry ‘should indicate no fee’.

Who does NOT need a commission — exemptions

WHO MAY NOTARIZE WITHOUT A COMMISSION: Maryland’s notarial officers are narrow and the SOS says so bluntly. ‘Can anyone with a professional license, such as a licensed attorney, take the place or act as a Notary if one is not available? No. Even if one has other professional licenses in Maryland, they cannot act as a Notary unless they are a Notarial Officer, as defined in the law. Notarial officers are: a notary public of the State; a judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of a court of the State; or a magistrate appointed by a court of the State.’ A MARYLAND ATTORNEY IS NOT A NOTARIAL OFFICER BY VIRTUE OF THE LAW LICENCE – which is the opposite of the rule in some neighbouring states, and a likely source of error on any page written from a template. Note also that Sec. 18-215(b)(2) contemplates notarial officers other than notaries public, for whom the stamp is optional. WHO A NOTARY MAY NOT ACT FOR: ‘A notary may not perform a notarial act with respect to a record to which the notary or the spouse of the notary is a party, or in which either the notary or the spouse of the notary has a direct beneficial interest … A notarial act performed in violation of this provision is voidable’ (State Gov’t Sec. 18-203(b), as quoted by the SOS). The bar is narrower than in many states – it reaches the notary and spouse, not the wider family – and the SOS therefore recommends, without requiring, that notaries also decline for immediate family and for matters in which they are personally involved. A notary MAY act on an instrument involving a corporation that employs the notary, for someone other than the notary or spouse, where the notary is not a party. WHAT A MARYLAND NOTARY MAY NOT DO AT ALL: verify an I-9 – ‘No. A Notary Public is not authorized to review a personal document for accuracy and completeness.’ WHERE: ‘You may only act in your capacity as a Notary Public if you are physically present in the State of Maryland at the time of the notarization,’ though the document may be used anywhere. NOT ESTABLISHED: no source read on 2026-08-12 addressed military notarial authority under 10 U.S.C. 1044a, and this record makes no claim about it. Tiers searched: State Gov’t Sec. 18-101, 18-103, 18-214 through 18-220; COMAR 01.02.08 regulation titles plus .02, .03 and .16; and the SOS notary landing, New Applicant, Renewal Applicant, Remote Notary Information and FAQ pages.

How to apply

Applications are handled by Maryland Secretary of State, Notary Division (appointment is made by the Governor on the written approval of the applicant’s State Senator or, where the Senator has delegated, the Secretary of State; the commission is delivered and the oath taken before the Clerk of the Circuit Court). Start at the official application page .

Verify a license in Maryland

Maryland Secretary of State (Salesforce-hosted notary database) publishes a public license search , searchable by notary name (a specific name must be entered before any record is displayed). It covers SOS FAQ: ‘You can verify that someone is currently commissioned as a Notary Public by searching for them at this link … If you cannot locate the Notary Public at this link, you may also contact us by email … or by phone at 410-974-5521.’ The returned fields are enumerated by the SOS: ’the notary’s name, county of commission, expiration date, business phone number, and remote notary status.’ NO BROWSE, BY DESIGN: ‘Anyone searching for a notary on the SOS notary search page must search for a specific name before a notary’s name and information is displayed.’ Remote authorizations granted on or before 6/21/2023 live instead in two static PDFs – AuthorizedRemoteNotaries.pdf (RON vendor route) and AuthorizedRemoteNotariesTangible.pdf (tangible route) – while ‘For remote notaries authorized on 6/21/2023 or later, search by name using the regular notary search page.’ The portal was reachable on 2026-08-12, but it is a Salesforce Experience site whose results come from a name query, so no result URL is citable and a verifier must run the search interactively.

Records come from Maryland Secretary of State (Salesforce-hosted notary database)’s own system. LicensingAtlas does not hold license records and cannot confirm any individual’s status — the date on this page refers to the requirements described above, not to anyone’s credential.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Maryland notary application really need a State Senator's approval?

Yes – unless your Senator has delegated the decision. Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-103(a)(2)(i): ‘an application by a resident of the State shall bear or be accompanied by the written approval of a Senator representing the senatorial district and subdistrict in which the applicant resides’, and Sec. 18-103(a)(3) requires an out-of-state applicant’s application to bear ’the written approval of a Maryland State Senator’. Where the Senator has delegated approval authority, the Secretary of State approves instead. The practical difference is time: the SOS says a Secretary-decided application usually takes 2-3 business days, while ‘If your Senator reviews notary applications … It usually takes between 2 and 8 weeks.’ You must supply three references, whom the Senator or the Secretary of State may contact.

How much does it cost to become a Maryland notary?

$25 to the Secretary of State with the application (COMAR 01.02.08.03; raised from $9 + $2 on January 22, 2024), plus $11 to the Clerk of the Circuit Court when you take the oath – the SOS breaks that down as ‘$10.00 for the commission and $1.00 registration fee’. On top of the state’s charges you buy the $30 official Handbook for Maryland Notaries Public from the Secretary of State, the course of study and examination from an authorized private provider at that provider’s price, and your own stamping device: ‘You must purchase your own notary stamping device and other notary supplies on your own.’

Is there a Maryland notary exam, and what is the passing score?

Yes, for new applicants, from a provider on the state’s authorized list, and the standard is set by regulation. COMAR 01.02.08.16F: ‘The examination shall contain at least 20 questions that are clearly stated in a multiple-choice format, and each applicant must correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions in order to be issued a Certificate of Passing.’ Each question has four choices with one correct answer, the provider must hold a bank of at least 50 questions, and electronic testing must score immediately. You upload the certificate of passing with your application. Whether renewing notaries must re-sit the exam is stated inconsistently on the Secretary of State’s own FAQ – one answer says renewals must pass an examination, another says renewals need only the course, and the Renewal Applicant page and its upload checklist mention only the course.

Does Maryland require a notary bond?

No. Maryland requires no surety bond and no errors and omissions insurance. Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-103 lists everything an applicant must file and pay – the sworn application, the Senator’s approval, qualification before the clerk, $1 registration and the $11-or-lesser commission fee – and no financial security appears among them. The words ‘bond’, ‘surety’ and ’errors and omissions’ do not appear on the Secretary of State’s notary pages, and COMAR 01.02.08’s seventeen regulations include no bond or insurance rule.

Do Maryland notaries have to keep a journal?

Yes – for every notarial act, including ordinary paper ones. Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-219(a)(1): ’each notary public shall maintain a journal in which the notary public chronicles all notarial acts that the notary public performs,’ retained for 10 years after the last act recorded. A paper journal must be a permanent bound register with numbered pages, and only one may be kept at a time for tangible records. Each entry must be made at the time of the act and must record the date and time, the record and act type, the full name and address of each individual, how identity was established (including the credential’s number and its issue and expiry dates, per the SOS), the fee charged – and if none, the SOS says the entry ‘should indicate no fee’ – and whether the person appeared in person or by communication technology.

How much can a Maryland notary charge?

Since January 22, 2024, no more than $8 for an ordinary notarial act and no more than $30 for a remote notarial act (COMAR 01.02.08.02A). Where the same record is signed at the same time by the same people in multiple copies, the notary may charge $8 for each signature on the original or first copy and $4 for each signature on each additional copy. Photocopies or other reproductions of a notarized record or a journal entry are capped at $2 each, and certifying a copy of a record in the notary’s journal is $6. Travel is reimbursable at the IRS business mileage rate plus a travel fee of no more than $5.

Can Maryland notaries perform remote online notarizations?

Yes, since October 1, 2020, and Maryland offers two separate remote authorizations. Filing the online Remote Notary Notification, the notary elects to perform remote acts on electronic records using an authorized RON vendor, or remote acts that do not require a vendor – for tangible (paper) records where the signer is identified by personal knowledge or a credible witness – or both. Selecting a vendor that is not on the Secretary of State’s authorized list means the notification is rejected. Every remote act requires an audio-visual recording (Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-214(a)(3)), and where the signer is outside the United States the record must connect to a US matter, property or transaction.

Does a Maryland notary need a stamp, and what must it say?

Yes for paper records: ‘If a notarial act regarding a tangible record is performed by a notary public, the notary public shall affix an official stamp to or emboss an official stamp on the certificate’ (Md. Code, State Gov’t Sec. 18-215(b)(1)). It may be an ink stamp, an embosser, or an electronic device or process, and it must be capable of being copied together with the record. It must show your name as commissioned, your office, the county in which you reside (or, for out-of-state notaries, the county in which you qualified) and the commission expiration date – although the expiration date may instead appear in the notarial certificate. The stamp is a public seal for criminal-law purposes, may never be lent, must be reported to the Secretary of State if lost or stolen, and must be destroyed or disabled when the commission ends.

Can a Maryland attorney notarize without a commission?

No. The Secretary of State answers it directly: ‘Even if one has other professional licenses in Maryland, they cannot act as a Notary unless they are a Notarial Officer, as defined in the law. Notarial officers are: a notary public of the State; a judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of a court of the State; or a magistrate appointed by a court of the State.’ Maryland’s notarial-officer list therefore excludes attorneys, which is different from several nearby states – a Maryland lawyer who wants to notarize must be commissioned like anyone else.

Can I be a Maryland notary if I live in another state?

Yes, on two conditions. You must have a place of employment or practice in Maryland, and – per the Secretary of State’s eligibility list – you must ‘be a resident of a state that allows Maryland residents working in that state to serve as notaries public in that state.’ You will be commissioned in the Maryland county where you work (or, without a fixed Maryland work address, the county where you most regularly work, with a written explanation), you qualify before that county’s Clerk of the Circuit Court, and you may be asked to email proof of working in Maryland such as a contract or bill.

See every license and certification LicensingAtlas covers in Maryland.

Sources & verification

Last verified against these sources: August 12, 2026.

We re-fetch every cited source on a weekly schedule: see what changed at the agencies, or every correction we have ever made.

LicensingAtlas states licensing and certification requirements categorically from official sources. It is a reference, not legal or career advice, and requirements change frequently — confirm details with the issuing board before you act.