A Maryland notary acknowledgment is used by a notary public to verify the identity and signature of an individual who signed a document. Through the acknowledgment form, the notary ensures that the person has given their signature intentionally and for the purpose outlined in the document. Additionally, the form helps to prevent any fraudulent or forged signatures.
A notary public’s term lasts 4 years from the date their commission was issued (§ 18-103(c)(1)).
Yes. Maryland passed Senate Bill 678, effective October 1, 2020, allowing online notarization of documents. The requirements for this process can be found in §§ 18–214, 18-220, & 18-223.
Declaration by Signer – To achieve an online notarization, the signer must (§§ 18–214(c)):
Note: Online communication technology cannot be used to notarize a will or trust.
Maryland Remote Notary Acknowledgment Form – Completed by a notary to acknowledge a signature they witnessed over online communication technology.
Maryland Remote Declaration Form – During the remote notarization, the signer must fill out this form, attach it to the document, and send both to the notary within 3 days.
State of Maryland
[COUNTY NAME OR “CITY OF BALTIMORE”]
On this [DAY] day of [MONTH] , [YEAR] , before me, the undersigned officer, personally appeared [SIGNER NAME(S)] , known to me (or satisfactorily proven) to be the person(s) whose name(s) is/are subscribed to within the instrument and acknowledged that he/she/they executed the same for the purpose therein contained.
In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand and official seal.
________________________
Signature of Notary Public
Notary Public
My Commission Expires: [MM/DD/YYYY]
