ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan on Tuesday issued an emergency order that temporarily waives the in-person requirement for notarizing documents in Maryland for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, subject to guidance provided by Secretary of State John C. Wobensmith.

Notaries Public commissioned in Maryland who are in good standing may perform a notarial act using communication technology for a remotely located (remote online notarizations) after affirming they are complying with the requirements and submit a Remote Notary Notification Form (PDF) and emailing it to the Office of the Secretary of State at [email protected].

Notaries Public who use remote notarizations must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Must be a current notary in good standing
• Must notify the Office of the Secretary of State of intent to use remote notarizations
• Must identify the communications technology vendor that will be used and confirm that the vendor will allow notary to, in real time, (1) view the remotely located individual and (2) compare for consistency the information and photos presented as identification credentials
• For each notarial act conducted remotely, must create and retain an audio-visual recording of the performance of the notarial act
• For each notarial act conducted remotely, must note on the notarial certification and in notary log or journal that the notarial act was performed for a remotely located individual using communications technology
• May not charge more than $4 for each remote online notarial act using communication technology, which is the same fee that may be charged when performing an in person notarial act

Notaries public can still perform notarial acts in person during the state of emergency but should use their best judgment on whether the notarial act is considered essential and abide by social distancing, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Maryland Department of Health (MDH) guidance in the conduct of any essential notarial services.

Additional guidance for performing in-person notarization amid this current public health crisis can be found here: https://www.nationalnotary.org/notary-bulletin/blog/2020/03/notaries-precautions-coronavirus.