2026 state guide · MD

How to become a notary in Maryland

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: $36 + variable costs
Exam / course: Exam required · Training required
Bond coverage: Not required
Commission term: 4 years
Remote status: Electronic RON available

Maryland notaries apply online for $25, complete a required course of study, pass an exam through an authorized provider, and take an oath at their circuit court ($11). There is no bond, and the commission lasts four years — with an old-school twist: your state senator signs off on the appointment.

Maryland modernized almost everything about its notary program — applications went fully electronic in 2021, remote notarization has been permanent since October 2020, and a RULONA-based statute governs the details — yet it kept one 19th-century flourish: your state senator personally approves your appointment, unless they've handed that job to the Secretary of State. New applicants also face a course-and-exam requirement that took effect October 1, 2021.

Here's the practical path: pass an authorized provider's course and exam, file the online application with the $25 fee (up from $9 since January 2024), wait for senator sign-off and the Governor's appointment, then swear the oath at your circuit court within 30 days for $11. No bond exists in Maryland, so total startup cost usually stays between $75 and $150 including a stamp and the mandatory journal.

Know the economics before you print business cards: Maryland caps in-person notarizations at $8 per act, one of the tighter caps in the region, while remote notarizations can bring $30 each plus mileage at the IRS rate and a $5 travel fee. That gap is why many Maryland notaries register for remote work — a free notification through the SOS portal once you pick an authorized vendor.

Who can become a notary in Maryland?

Age: at least 18 years old.
Residency: You must live in Maryland or have a place of employment or practice in the state. Out-of-state residents who work in Maryland qualify if their home state extends the same courtesy to Marylanders working there.
Background: The statute asks for applicants 'of good character, integrity and abilities.' There is no automatic felony bar in the eligibility list, but the application requires disclosure and the Secretary of State (or your senator) weighs your record — contact the Notary Division before applying if you have a conviction history.
Maryland residents are appointed on the approval of the state senator for their legislative district (some senators delegate this to the Secretary of State).
The online application asks for character references and a current driver's license or MVA ID.

Your application checklist

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

Step 1. Complete the mandatory course of study and pass the examination through a provider on the Secretary of State's authorized list (required for all new applicants since October 1, 2021). Course/exam pricing is set by each provider.
Step 2. Look up your legislative district and state senator with the Maryland General Assembly's lookup tool — the application asks for both, because your senator approves or denies Maryland-resident applications (unless that authority is delegated to the Secretary of State).
Step 3. Create an account and file the notary application through the Secretary of State's online system (mdsos2.my.site.com) and pay the $25 application fee. Everything is electronic — keep your email current, because all notices arrive that way.
Step 4. Wait for the determination (the SOS says roughly 2–14 days after a complete application) and for the Governor's office to issue the appointment.
Step 5. Within 30 days of the notice of appointment, appear before the Clerk of the Circuit Court for your county (or Baltimore City) to take the oath of office and pay the clerk $11 ($10 commission fee plus $1 registration).
Step 6. Buy your official stamp and a journal. The stamp must show your name as commissioned, 'Notary Public', and the county of commission; the journal is mandatory for every notarial act.

How long it takes: The SOS quotes about 2–14 days for a determination on a complete new application (1–3 days for renewals), but senator review and the Governor's appointment step can stretch the calendar. You then have 30 days after the appointment notice to take the oath at the circuit court.

What it costs in Maryland

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

Known required fees: $36 + variable costs

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)

$25 · Source

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

Your actual charge (USD)

Court commission and registration (required)

$11 · Source

Confirm the current charge and any applicant exemptions with the linked authority.

Your actual charge (USD)

Required education and assessment (required)

Get a quote · Source

Price and delivery depend on the approved provider. Obtain a quote before enrolling.

Your quote (USD)

Required seal and supplies (required)

Get a quote · Source

Follow the guide’s seal and recordkeeping rules; journals are mandatory in some jurisdictions and optional in others. Enter only required supplies here, without double-counting a vendor package.

Your 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: Required for new applicants since October 1, 2021, and taken through the same authorized providers that give the course of study. Renewing notaries repeat the course but not the exam.

Required course: A course of study from an SOS-authorized provider is mandatory — for new applicants (with exam) and again at each renewal (course only). The SOS publishes the current provider list; prices vary by provider.

Remote notarization in Maryland

Electronic RON available

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

Maryland's RULONA-based law (2019's SB 678, State Government § 18-214) made permanent remote notarization effective October 1, 2020, after an emergency pandemic authorization. Remote acts can charge up to $30 instead of the standard $8.

Hold an active Maryland commission, then submit the remote notary notification form through the SOS online filing system (no separate fee is listed). For electronic-record RON you must name one or more vendors from the SOS's authorized RON vendor list; a separate option covers remote notarization of tangible records using communication technology. You get an authorization email before you may begin, and you must keep an audio-visual recording and journal entries for remote acts.

Full guide: how to become a remote online notary.

After you're commissioned

Check your seal and recordkeeping requirements. Required. The official stamp — ink stamp, embosser, or electronic equivalent — must show your name exactly as commissioned, the words 'Notary Public', and the county (or Baltimore City) where you were commissioned, and it must reproduce when the record is copied. The commission expiration date must appear in the stamp or elsewhere in the notarial certificate. Details are in COMAR 01.02.08. See the new-notary supplies checklist and Maryland stamp requirements before you order.

What you can charge: Maryland caps notary fees at $8 per notarial act ($30 for a remote notarization). Effective January 22, 2024: $8 maximum for an in-person notarial act, $30 for a remote one, and $8 for the original plus $4 for each additional copy notarized at the same time. Travel can be billed at the IRS mileage rate plus a maximum $5 travel fee. The low in-person cap makes volume and remote work the realistic revenue paths.

E&O insurance: Not required. Since Maryland has no bond, optional errors-and-omissions coverage is the only insurance protecting you if a notarization goes wrong.

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

Maryland notary FAQ

Why does my state senator matter for a Maryland notary application?

Maryland kept a piece of political tradition: applications from Maryland residents are approved or denied by the state senator for the applicant's district, with the Governor then making the appointment. Some senators have delegated the decision to the Secretary of State. That's why the online application asks for your legislative district and senator's name before you can submit.

How much does a Maryland notary commission cost now?

The application fee is $25, raised from the old $9 fee (plus $2 service charge) on January 22, 2024. Add $11 at the circuit court for your oath, whatever your authorized provider charges for the required course and exam, and a stamp and journal. Most people land somewhere around $75–$150 all-in, with no bond to buy.

Do I have to take a class and test to become a Maryland notary?

Yes. Since October 1, 2021 every new applicant must finish a course of study and pass an examination through a provider on the Secretary of State's authorized list. When you renew four years later you repeat the course, but not the exam.

What can a Maryland notary charge?

As of January 22, 2024, up to $8 per in-person notarial act and up to $30 for a remote notarization; extra copies of the same record notarized at once run $4 each after the first. Travel may be billed at the IRS mileage rate plus a $5 maximum travel fee. Those caps are per act, so a multi-signature loan package can still add up.

How do I add remote online notarization (RON) in Maryland?

Once commissioned, file the remote notary notification form in the SOS's online system, selecting one or more vendors from the state's authorized RON list — no extra state fee is listed. You'll receive an email confirming you're authorized before you may perform remote acts, which pay up to $30 each. Maryland has allowed permanent RON since October 1, 2020.

Does Maryland require a notary journal?

Yes, for every notarial act — Maryland calls it the journal (formerly the 'fair register'). Paper journals must be permanent bound registers; electronic journals are allowed for electronic acts. You keep the journal for 10 years after the last act recorded in it.

Official sources

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

Notary Division — Maryland Secretary of State
New Notary Applicant Information — Maryland Secretary of State
Notary FAQ — Maryland Secretary of State
Remote Notary Information — Maryland Secretary of State
Notary Commission (license overview) — Maryland OneStop / Secretary of State
State Government Article § 18-103 (application, term, renewal, fees) — Maryland General Assembly

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 Maryland Secretary of State.