frequently asked questions

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A notary public is an official of integrity appointed by state government to serve  serves as an impartial, public official witness during the signing of important documents. The notary’s main job is to prevent fraud by verifying the identity of the signers and ensuring they are signing willingly and knowingly.

No. A witness is not required for all notarial acts in Maryland. Whether a witness is needed depends on the specific document and the notarial act performed. For some documents, such as a Power of Attorney, Maryland law requires two adult witnesses. However, the notary may serve as one of the witnesses.

Yes. Remote Online Notarization is available for qualifying documents, in accordance with Maryland law. This service allows eligible signers located anywhere in the United States to have documents notarized securely online.

Please note that not all documents qualify for online notarizations and may require in-person notarization.

Remote Online Notarization (RON) allows documents to be notarized electronically using secure audio-visual technology. Instead of meeting in person, the signer and notary connect through an approved online platform, where identity verification, electronic signatures, and notarial acts are completed in real time. 

At this time, apostille services are not available. We are actively working to expand our offerings and expect to provide apostille services in the near future. Please check back for updates.

An “apostille notary” is a notary public who provides a courier service for documents that need an apostille, not an individual who issues the apostille themselves.

• Purpose: An apostille is a specialized certification that makes a document valid for international use in countries that are part of the Hague Convention.

• Issuing Authority: The apostille is issued by an authorized state agency, such as the state’s Secretary of State office.

• Function: an apostille certifies the authenticity of the notary’s signature, seal, and position.

• Requirement: A notarized document typically needs to be sent to the state's Secretary of State to have an apostille attached before it can be used in another Hague Convention country.

Acceptable forms of identification include government-issued documents such as a passport, driver’s license, consular identification, nondriver ID card, or other government-issued identification that displays both the photograph and signature of the signer.  

No, a Maryland notary generally cannot notarize a document without a valid, unexpired identification credential, unless they have "personal knowledge" of the signer's identity through sufficient prior dealings, or the signer uses a "credible witness" who does have proper identification. 

No, a Maryland notary cannot provide legal advice or draft documents unless they are also a licensed attorney. A notary cannot act as a lawyer or interpret the contents of the document for the signer. 

What a notary CAN do:

• Witness the signing of documents
• Verify the identity of the person signing the document
• Complete the notarial certificate on a document

What a notary CANNOT do:

• Provide legal advice: a notary cannot explain the legal implications of a document or provide opinions on its content.
• Draft or prepare documents: a notary cannot create a legal document, nor can they help fill out or complete documents.
• Select the document or notarial act: notaries are not permitted to advise on what type of document to use or which notarial act is appropriate.

Our hours of operation are:

Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm (by appointment)

Weekend appointments available (by appointment)

To provide clients with professional and timely service, the following cancellation policy applies to all scheduled appointments:

Cancellation/Rescheduling Notice

Appointments may be canceled or rescheduled at no charge if notice is given at least 24 hours in advance.

To accommodate scheduling availability, a rescheduling fee will apply after two appointment changes. 

Same-day or Last-minute Cancellations

Appointments canceled with less than 24 hours' notice, or after the notary has begun travel to scheduled location, will be subject to the full-service fee.

No Shows

If the signer is not present, refuses to sign, or lacks valid identification, the signer will incur a fee to compensate for the notary's time and travel.

A standard notarization typically takes between 5 and 15 minutes, depending on the type of document and the signer’s level of preparedness. When all documents are complete and valid identification is readily available, the process is generally efficient.

Notarizations involving multiple documents or multiple signers may take 30 minutes or longer. Delays may occur if identification is unavailable or invalid, documents are incomplete, or clarification is needed regarding the notarization process.

No. A Maryland notary may not recommend or provide a witness for a signer, as doing so could be construed as the unauthorized practice of law or create a potential conflict of interest. The responsibility for securing appropriate witnesses rests solely with the signer. Notaries are required to remain impartial and must avoid any actions that could be interpreted as offering legal advice or influencing the execution or content of a document. 

Yes, a Maryland notary can notarize out-of-state documents; however, the notary must be physically located in Maryland at the time of the notarization.

No, a Maryland notary does not keep copies of the notarized documents; instead, they are required to maintain a detailed journal of all notarial acts performed, which includes information such as the date, time, and type of document, as well as the names and identification methods of the individuals involved.