New Notary Application Information

Notary Public Online Application and Renewal Service Now Available​

  • Duties & Responsibilities: Prior to applying to be commissioned as a Notary Public in the State of Maryland, you should understand the duties and responsibilities of notaries public and how to properly perform notarial acts once commissioned. Please review the Notary Handbook before submitting your notary public application.
  • PLEASE NOTE: THIS MUST BE DONE ONLINE AT www.egov.maryland.gov/sos/notary Online applications will be processed faster, allowing the ability to check the status of the application online.
  • BE PREPARED TO COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION, HAVE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS READY BEFORE YOU APPLY:
    1. An electronic image of your government issued photo identification that verifies your home address. This image must be in PDF, JPEG, JPG, or PNG format. If your current address does not match the address on your government issued photo identification, you must also provide a copy of your MVA Change of Address Card with an address that matches the home address provided on your application. A passport is not an acceptable ID for a notary application because it does not contain your address.
    2. Contact information for 3 references who can attest to the notary’s character. (family members and employer references will NOT be accepted) You must provide the name, current mailing address, current phone number, and current email address for each reference. Make sure to provide current information, a reference’s failure to respond to a reference check may prevent your approval.
    3. The legislative district in Maryland where you reside. To check your legislative district click here: www.mdelect.net. When at this page, enter your address on the left-hand side of the page. After entering your address, your State Senator’s name and legislative district number can be found to the left of the page. Be sure to provide your State Senator’s name, not your US Senators’ names.
    4. Application Fee: The $9 application fee is due at the time of application as is a $2.00 service/convenience fee. Payment may be made by credit card, electronic check, or PayPal.
    • For registered voters the legislative district number is available at the Board of Elections' website. You can find the name of your State Senator by using the look-up link provided by the Maryland General Assembly or by contacting your Local Elections Office in your county or the City of Baltimore.
    • Maryland residents who are not registered voters can use the Maryland General Assembly link.
    • Non-Maryland residents should select the county or City of Baltimore in which you would like to be commissioned, i.e., generally we suggest using the Maryland General Assembly link for district information.
  • Review by State Senator: After reviewing your notary application and accepting the processing fee, the application is forwarded to your State Senator for his or her recommendation. Since State Senators may contact your references, please ensure that the information you provide about your references is complete. Incomplete information will result in a delay of the processing of your application.
  • Approval & notification:  If your State Senator recommends you for a notary public commission, the Office of the Secretary of State issues a commission and forwards it to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county in which you reside or, for non-Maryland residents, the county in which you selected to be commissioned. The Notary Division will send an email, to the email address provided, stating that you have been commissioned as a notary public and instruct you to go to the Clerk of the Circuit Court to take the oath of office. At the Clerk of the Circuit Court, you will pay a separate fee of $11.00 to the Clerk (some courts are cash only).
  • Commissioning: You must be commis​sioned at the Clerk's Office within 30 days of being notified. If you are not commissioned within the 30 day period, your commission is revoked. If you do not receive a postcard but were notified by your State Senator that your application has been approved, please contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court in your county of residence or, for non-Maryland residents, the county in which you selected to be commissioned to determine if your commission is at the Clerk's Office. If within the 30 day period, your commission is likely to be at the Clerk's Office.
  • Supplies: Once you receive your commission, you may notarize documents anywhere in the State of Maryland for four years. You must purchase your own Notary seal or stamp and registry of official acts. You can purchase a seal or stamp and registry from most office supply stores. Please note that Maryland law requires that you record every official act you perform as a notary public in your registry.​
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