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

Requirements verified July 19, 2026 against Maryland Secretary of State

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.

How to apply: step by 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.
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).
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.
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.
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).
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

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.

Can you notarize online in Maryland? RON allowed

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

To add RON to your commission: 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

Get your stamp and journal. 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

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

Maryland notary FAQ