How to Become a Notary in Maine (2026): Requirements, Cost & Steps

Requirements verified July 19, 2026 against Maine Secretary of State — Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions

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.

How to apply: step by 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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

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.

Can you notarize online in Maine? RON allowed

Yes — Maine authorizes remote online notarization (RON). 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.

To add RON to your commission: 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

Get your stamp and journal. 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

Most new notaries who turn the commission into real income do it through loan signings — notarizing mortgage document packages for title companies. If that interests you, start with what a loan signing agent actually does and earns. Loan signing agent guide

Maine notary FAQ