Maryland Notary Public Exam — Questions and Answers

Question 1: When notarizing a deed of trust or mortgage in Maryland, what additional information must the notary include on the notarial certificate?

The signer's social security number
The lender’s contact information
The property’s assessed value
The legal description of the property (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The legal description of the property

When notarizing a deed of trust or mortgage in Maryland, the notarial certificate must include the legal description of the property. This ensures that the document clearly and unambiguously identifies the specific real estate involved in the transaction. Including this detail is crucial for proper recordation and to prevent any confusion regarding the property being encumbered or transferred.

Question 2: In what shape must a Maryland notary's official stamp or seal be?

Circular only
Any shape that clearly reproduces legibly (Correct answer)
Oval only
Rectangular only

Correct answer: Any shape that clearly reproduces legibly

Maryland law does not restrict the shape of the notary seal; any shape that produces a legible impression is acceptable.

Question 3: Throughout which geographic area is a Maryland notary commission valid?

Only the county where the notary resides
Any jurisdiction that recognizes Maryland commissions by reciprocity
The entire state of Maryland (Correct answer)
Only within the jurisdiction where their employer is located

Correct answer: The entire state of Maryland

A Maryland notary commission is valid throughout the entire state, regardless of the county in which the notary lives or works.

Question 4: What should a Maryland notary do if they suspect that a signer is being coerced or is not fully understanding the document?

Notify law enforcement immediately
Refuse to notarize the document (Correct answer)
Proceed with the notarization
Ask the signer to sign again

Correct answer: Refuse to notarize the document

A Maryland notary must refuse to notarize a document if they suspect the signer is being coerced or does not fully understand the document. Notarization requires the signer to act willingly and knowingly, free from duress or confusion. Proceeding under such circumstances would compromise the validity of the notarial act and could facilitate fraud.

Question 5: A Maryland electronic notary (e-notary) is required to maintain a journal. How long must the journal be retained after the commission expires?

10 years (Correct answer)
3 years
7 years
5 years

Correct answer: 10 years

Maryland's electronic notary regulations require the electronic journal to be retained for 10 years after commission expiration.

Question 6: What is the maximum fee a Maryland notary may charge per individual notarial act?

$4 per act (Correct answer)
$25 per act
$2 per act
$10 per act

Correct answer: $4 per act

Maryland law caps the notary fee at $4 per notarial act, a limit that applies to both traditional in-person and remote online notarizations.

Question 7: What is required to be included in the notary bond for Maryland?

The notary’s legal description of the property
The notary’s social security number
The notary’s business address
The notary’s name and commission term (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The notary’s name and commission term

The notary bond required in Maryland must specifically include the notary's full legal name and the duration of their commission term. This information is essential for clearly identifying the bonded notary and the exact period during which the bond provides coverage. It links the financial protection directly to the individual notary and their authorized period of service.

Question 8: Maryland's Notarial Acts Act was substantially revised to align with which uniform law?

The Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA) (Correct answer)
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)
The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA)
The Uniform Probate Code (UPC)

Correct answer: The Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA)

Maryland adopted the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA), modernizing its notary statutes to align with the national standard.

Question 9: Which statement about the Maryland notary seal is TRUE?

The seal must be registered with the county clerk
The notary's commission expiration date must appear on the seal
The seal impression must be raised (embossed) to be valid
The seal must produce a legible impression that can be photocopied or scanned (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The seal must produce a legible impression that can be photocopied or scanned

Maryland requires that the seal impression be legible, including in photocopied or scanned reproductions of the document.

Question 10: Maryland allows notaries to perform notarial acts for signers in which of the following scenarios using remote online notarization (RON)?

The signer must always be physically present in Maryland for RON
The signer is physically located outside Maryland but within the United States (Correct answer)
The signer is physically located in any country worldwide
RON is only allowed for commercial, not personal documents

Correct answer: The signer is physically located outside Maryland but within the United States

Maryland RON law generally permits notarization of signers located outside Maryland within the U.S., subject to specific statutory requirements.

Question 11: What identity verification methods are required for Remote Online Notarization in Maryland?

Notary's personal knowledge of the signer
Credential analysis and knowledge-based authentication (KBA) (Correct answer)
Government-issued ID card and personal interview only
Social Security number verification and biometric scan

Correct answer: Credential analysis and knowledge-based authentication (KBA)

Maryland requires both credential analysis (examining the signer's ID for authenticity) and knowledge-based authentication (KBA) for RON identity verification.

Question 12: What is the legal effect of a Maryland notary completing a jurat on a document whose contents are false?

The signer may be liable for perjury; the notary is not liable if the oath was properly administered (Correct answer)
No legal consequence arises unless the notary knew the contents were false
The notary is equally liable as the signer for the false statements
The document is automatically void

Correct answer: The signer may be liable for perjury; the notary is not liable if the oath was properly administered

The jurat places responsibility for truthfulness on the signer; the notary's role is to administer the oath properly, not to verify factual accuracy.

Question 13: Which of the following would DISQUALIFY an applicant from receiving a Maryland notary commission?

Living in a county with few notaries
A felony conviction that has not been pardoned (Correct answer)
Working part-time rather than full-time
Being a non-attorney

Correct answer: A felony conviction that has not been pardoned

A felony conviction is disqualifying unless the applicant has received a full pardon, as it reflects on the applicant's honesty and integrity.

Question 14: What must a Maryland notary do upon resignation of their commission regarding their journal?

Continue to preserve the journal for the full retention period (Correct answer)
Destroy the journal to protect signer privacy
Submit the journal to the Secretary of State within 30 days
Transfer the journal to a successor notary

Correct answer: Continue to preserve the journal for the full retention period

Resignation does not eliminate the retention obligation; the notary must continue to preserve the journal for the required period.

Question 15: Which state agency sets the maximum notarial fee schedule in Maryland?

The Secretary of State's office
The Maryland General Assembly through statute (Correct answer)
The Governor's office
The Maryland Bar Association

Correct answer: The Maryland General Assembly through statute

Notarial fee limits are established by the Maryland General Assembly in the Notarial Acts statute.

Question 16: What distinguishes Remote Online Notarization (RON) from In-Person Electronic Notarization (IPEN)?

RON is only for real estate documents while IPEN covers all document types
RON uses digital signatures while IPEN uses wet ink signatures
In RON the signer is not physically present with the notary; in IPEN they are (Correct answer)
IPEN requires audio-visual technology while RON uses encrypted email

Correct answer: In RON the signer is not physically present with the notary; in IPEN they are

The key distinction is physical presence — in RON the signer appears remotely via audio-visual technology, while in IPEN the signer is physically present with the notary but uses electronic documents.

Question 17: A Maryland notary's seal impression fades over time and becomes difficult to read. What should the notary do?

Replace the stamp or re-ink it so impressions remain clearly legible (Correct answer)
Continue using it because fading is acceptable under Maryland law
Retire the stamp only when it stops making any impression at all
Tape a printed label with the required information next to each impression

Correct answer: Replace the stamp or re-ink it so impressions remain clearly legible

Maryland's legibility requirement means a notary must maintain a stamp that consistently produces clear, readable impressions.

Question 18: What is the primary purpose of a jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) in Maryland?

To certify the document was translated accurately
To certify that the signer swore to or affirmed the truthfulness of the document's contents (Correct answer)
To verify the identity of the signer only
To confirm the document was recorded at the courthouse

Correct answer: To certify that the signer swore to or affirmed the truthfulness of the document's contents

A jurat involves the signer swearing or affirming that the statements in the document are true, and they must sign in the notary's presence.

Question 19: Which notarial act would a Maryland notary most commonly use for a sworn affidavit?

A jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) (Correct answer)
An acknowledgment
A proof of execution by a subscribing witness
A certified copy

Correct answer: A jurat (verification on oath or affirmation)

Affidavits require the signer to swear to the truth of the contents, making a jurat the appropriate notarial act.

Question 20: If a notary refuses to perform a notarial act, which of the following is an acceptable reason under Maryland law?

The signer is not an English speaker
The notary prefers not to work on weekends
The notary has personal knowledge that the signer is acting under duress (Correct answer)
The notary dislikes the content of the document

Correct answer: The notary has personal knowledge that the signer is acting under duress

A notary may and should refuse when they have reasonable grounds to believe the signer is acting involuntarily or under duress.

Maryland Notary Public Exam

The Maryland Notary Public exam tests an applicant's knowledge of Maryland notary laws, notarial acts, ethical responsibilities, and proper procedures required to become a commissioned notary public in Maryland.

Questions

30 min

Time Limit

80%

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