2026 state guide · ME

How to become a notary in Maine

By NotaryRequirements.com · Source review July 19, 2026
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Official application ↗Your application checklist

Quick answer

Minimum age: 18 years; residency and other eligibility rules below
Required fees: $50
Exam / course: Exam required · No mandatory course
Bond coverage: Not required
Commission term: 7 years
Remote status: Electronic RON available

Maine notaries pay a $50 fee, pass a short exam based on the Secretary of State's free Course of Study, and take an oath before a Dedimus Justice. There is no bond and no required class, and the commission runs a generous seven years under Maine's 2023 RULONA law.

Maine rebuilt its notary law from the ground up on July 1, 2023, when it adopted the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (4 M.R.S. chapter 39). The same law that opened the door to electronic and remote notarization also took something away: Maine notaries can no longer perform marriages under their commission — that power moved to a separate Marriage Officiant license. What stayed pleasantly old-fashioned is the swearing-in, done before a 'Dedimus Justice,' an office that survives in Maine basically for this purpose.

The process itself is cheap and light: a paper application with a built-in exam based on the state's free Course of Study, a $50 fee, roughly three to four weeks of processing, then your oath before a Dedimus Justice within 30 days. No bond, no paid training, no stamp requirement for paper work — many Maine notaries operate with just a pen, though the state recommends a stamp and journal anyway. The commission lasts seven years, among the longest anywhere.

Maine also leaves fees to the market: there is no state schedule capping what you charge for a notarization, which matters if you plan to build a mobile or signing business. If you want to notarize electronically or for remote signers, you'll file a separate Notice with the Secretary of State, train with an approved technology provider (consumer video apps are banned), and take on the stamp and 10-year journal duties that come with digital work.

Who can become a notary in Maine?

Age: at least 18 years old.
Residency: Maine residents qualify, and so do non-residents who have a place of employment or a business located in Maine.
Background: You cannot have been convicted of (or pled guilty or no contest to) a disqualifying offense, any crime punishable by a year or more in prison, or any crime involving fraud, dishonesty, or deceit. Findings or admissions of liability based on fraud or dishonesty in legal or disciplinary proceedings also disqualify, as does having a notary commission revoked, suspended, conditioned, or non-renewed for cause in any state.
Demonstrate the ability to read and write English.
Pass the Secretary of State's Notary Public Examination, which is based on the published Course of Study.

Your application checklist

Work through the application in order. Check off completed steps; your progress is saved only in this browser.

Step 1. Download the current 'Application for a Notary Public Commission' from the Maine Secretary of State's notary page. New commissions are paper-only — the online Total Notary Solution portal is for renewals and record updates, not first-time applicants.
Step 2. Read the free Course of Study PDF the Secretary of State publishes, then complete the Notary Public Examination that accompanies the application. It covers Maine's notarial laws, rules, procedures, and ethics.
Step 3. Submit the completed application and exam to the Secretary of State with the $50 fee (check payable to 'Treasurer, State of Maine', or credit/debit). Processing runs about 15–20 business days.
Step 4. When approved, you receive a Certificate of Qualification. You then have 30 calendar days from the appointment date to appear before a Dedimus Justice — a Maine officer who exists mainly to swear in officials — and take the oath under 4 M.R.S. § 1922(3). The SOS website has a Dedimus Justice search tool.
Step 5. Return the completed Certificate of Qualification to the Secretary of State within 45 calendar days of appointment. Miss the deadlines and you must request reappointment within 90 days of the failure notice.
Step 6. Optionally buy a stamp. Maine does not require one for in-person paper notarizations, but the SOS strongly recommends it, and you will need a conforming stamp if you later add electronic or remote notarization.

How long it takes: The Secretary of State lists 15–20 business days to process new applications (10–15 for renewals). After approval, build in time for the Dedimus Justice oath within 30 days and returning your certificate within 45.

What it costs in Maine

First-time, non-attorney applicant for a traditional commission. Government appointments, attorney exemptions, renewals and remote authorization may differ.

Known required fees: $50

This is an itemized starting point. Blank prices are unknown, not free. Add actual quotes below; do not count a bundled fee or supply twice.

Application / commission fee (required)

$50 · Source

First-time traditional commission. Fee exemptions may apply to certain applicants.

Your actual charge (USD)

Required examination / application assessment (required)

No separate fee · Source

No separate first-attempt charge is listed in the reviewed application guidance. Confirm before applying.

Your actual charge (USD)

Optional seal and record book (optional)

Get a quote · Source

These supplies are optional for a traditional commission. Include them only if you plan to buy them.

IncludeYour quote (USD)

Quotes stay in this page and are not sent to our analytics. Optional insurance, travel, retakes and remote authorization may add costs.

Exam and training

Exam: Yes, but it is nothing like a proctored sit-down test: the Notary Public Examination is completed with your application (and online at renewal), and it is based directly on the Secretary of State's free Course of Study. On the online renewal version you cannot advance past a question until you answer it correctly.

No course is mandatory. The Secretary of State publishes the Course of Study covering Maine notarial law, rules, procedures, and ethics free of charge — reading it is effectively your exam prep.

Remote notarization in Maine

Electronic RON available

A commissioned notary must meet the state-specific authorization, technology and recordkeeping rules below.

Enabled by Maine's adoption of the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA), 4 M.R.S. chapter 39, effective July 1, 2023, with implementing rules effective October 2, 2023. If you change technology providers you must notify the SOS within 10 business days.

Before your first electronic or remote notarization you must file the 'Notice to Perform Electronic and/or Remote Notarizations' form and receive Secretary of State approval. The notice must name your technology provider(s) from the SOS-approved list, include each provider's certification that you completed its training, certify that you have read 4 M.R.S. chapter 39 and the rules, and attach samples of your electronic signature and electronic stamp. Zoom, FaceTime, and similar apps are prohibited. No additional state exam is required, and journals plus a conforming stamp become mandatory for these acts.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Check your seal and recordkeeping requirements. Not required for in-person paper notarizations, though the SOS strongly recommends one; a stamp IS required for all electronic and remote notarizations. When used, it must show your name exactly as commissioned, 'Notary Public' plus 'State of Maine' or 'Maine', and your commission expiration date, and it must be capable of being copied with the record. No shape or size is mandated. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Maine stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: Maine sets no fee schedule for ordinary notarial acts — the Secretary of State's guidance notes there is no required fee schedule, so charges are up to you and your customer. Tell signers the price before you start.

E&O insurance: Not required. With no bond in the picture, optional errors-and-omissions insurance is the only financial backstop a Maine notary has against claims over a mistaken notarization.

Earning more with your commission

Loan signings are one possible service after commissioning — notarizing mortgage document packages for title companies. Availability depends on local demand, hiring requirements and state restrictions. If that interests you, start with what a loan signing agent actually does and earns. Loan signing agent guide

Maine notary FAQ

Can Maine notaries still marry people?

Not as notaries. Effective July 1, 2023, Maine repealed notaries' authority to solemnize marriages (19-A M.R.S. § 655) and created a separate 'Marriage Officiant' license under 5 M.R.S. § 90-G. Resident notaries active at the changeover were issued the officiant license automatically unless they opted out; anyone else who wants to perform weddings files a separate officiant application.

What is a Dedimus Justice and why do I need one?

A Dedimus Justice is a Maine-only officer whose job is administering oaths of office. After the Secretary of State approves your application, you have 30 days to be sworn in before one — the SOS website has a search tool to find a Dedimus Justice near you — and 45 days to return your Certificate of Qualification. Blow the deadlines and you must ask for reappointment within 90 days.

Does Maine make new notaries take a test?

Yes, but it's an open-book affair, not an exam hall. The Notary Public Examination comes with the application and draws on the free Course of Study PDF covering Maine's laws, rules, and ethics. At renewal you take it online, where the system won't let you move on until each answer is correct.

I live in New Hampshire but work in Maine — can I get a Maine commission?

Yes. Maine commissions non-residents who have either a place of employment or a business located in Maine. The application, $50 fee, exam, and Dedimus Justice oath are the same as for residents, and the commission still runs seven years.

Do I need a stamp or journal in Maine?

For ordinary in-person paper notarizations, neither is legally required — though the Secretary of State strongly recommends both. The rules flip for electronic and remote work: there a conforming stamp and a journal are mandatory, and journals must be kept for 10 years after the last act recorded in them.

Official sources

Use these authority pages and publications to check the requirements. Review notes identify details that still need confirmation.

Notary Public Resources — Maine Secretary of State
Notaries Public Frequently Asked Questions — Maine Secretary of State
Frequently Asked Maine Notary Public Questions (PDF) — Maine Secretary of State
Apply to Be a Remote/Electronic Notary — Maine Secretary of State
4 M.R.S. Chapter 39 — Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts — Maine Legislature
Notary Public Course of Study (PDF) — Maine Secretary of State

The source review date covers our earlier research. Recent checks above apply only to the named topics. Requirements and charges can change; confirm the current packet with Maine Secretary of State — Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions.