{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-state-government-18-215","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, State Government § 18–215","heading":"","body":"(a) (1) Each notarial act shall be evidenced by a certificate.\n(2) The certificate shall:\n(i) be executed contemporaneously with the performance of the notarial act;\n(ii) be signed and dated by the notarial officer and, if the notarial officer is a notary public, be signed in the same manner as on file with the clerk of the circuit court for the county in which the notary public resides or was qualified;\n(iii) identify the jurisdiction in which the notarial act is performed;\n(iv) contain the title of office of the notarial officer; and\n(v) if the notarial officer is a notary public, indicate the date of expiration, if any, of the notarial officer’s commission.\n(b) (1) If a notarial act regarding a tangible record is performed by a notary public, the notary public shall affix an official stamp to or emboss an official stamp on the certificate.\n(2) If a notarial act is performed regarding a tangible record by a notarial officer other than a notary public, the notarial officer may affix an official stamp to or emboss an official stamp on the certificate.\n(3) If a notarial act regarding an electronic record is performed by a notarial officer, the notarial officer may attach an official stamp to or logically associate an official stamp with the certificate.\n(c) A certificate of a notarial act is sufficient if it meets the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this section and:\n(1) is in a short form provided in § 18–216 of this subtitle;\n(2) is in a form otherwise allowed by the laws of this State;\n(3) is in a form allowed by the laws applicable in the jurisdiction in which the notarial act was performed; or\n(4) sets forth the actions of the notarial officer and the actions are sufficient to meet the requirements of the laws of the State.\n(d) By executing a certificate of a notarial act, a notarial officer certifies that the notarial officer has complied with §§ 18–203, 18–204, and 18–205, and, if applicable, § 18–214 of this subtitle.\n(e) A notarial officer may not affix the notarial officer’s signature to, or logically associate it with, a certificate until the notarial act has been performed.\n(f) (1) If a notarial act is performed regarding a tangible record, a certificate shall be part of, or securely attached to, the record.\n(2) If a notarial act is performed regarding an electronic record, the certificate shall be affixed to, or logically associated with, the electronic record.\n(3) If the Secretary of State has adopted regulations under § 18–222 of this subtitle to establish standards for attaching, affixing, or logically associating the certificate, the notarial officer shall use a process for attaching, affixing, or logically associating the certificate that conforms to the standards.","path":["Article - State Government"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gsg\u0026section=18-215","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T20:00:58Z","sha256":"f7b6c172061554ed00a210d051e15708947877b24c7681199d4bfe43a0fb0d44","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-state-government-18-214","next":"us-md/md.-code-state-government-18-216"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}