Maryland Jurat Certificate Form: Wording, Venue and the Trade Name Rule
This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. Requirements reflect the Annotated Code of Maryland, State Government Article, Title 18, but the law can change. Confirm current requirements with the Maryland Secretary of State before relying on this.
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Fillable Maryland jurat certificate
Pick the county or Baltimore City, enter the date and the signer, and the certificate updates live with the Maryland wording. Copy or print it and attach it to the affidavit.
What is the Maryland jurat wording?
Maryland uses the uniform short form, since Subtitle 2 of Title 18 is the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts.
State of Maryland
County of ______
Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on ____________ (date) by ____________ (name(s) of individual(s)).
Signature of notarial officer
(Official stamp)
My commission expires: ______
Who commissions notaries in Maryland?
The Governor appoints and commissions them, while the Secretary of State regulates notaries and maintains the records, a division of labour that few other states use. The statute lets the Governor delegate to the Secretary of State the duty of denying, refusing to renew, revoking, suspending, or imposing a condition on a commission, so in practice discipline runs through the Secretary's office. Maryland notary law sits in two subtitles: Subtitle 1 covers notaries public generally, and Subtitle 2 is the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts. Fees are set separately in the Code of Maryland Regulations.
Does Baltimore City go in the county line?
No. Baltimore City is its own jurisdiction, entirely separate from Baltimore County, and the two are different places. A certificate that says "County of Baltimore" for an act performed downtown names the wrong jurisdiction, which a clerk will notice on a recordable document. Write "Baltimore City" instead, and reserve "Baltimore County" for acts performed in Towson, Catonsville, and the rest of the surrounding county. The tool above keeps them separate so the wording comes out right.
| Element | What Maryland requires |
|---|---|
| Venue | State of Maryland and the county, or Baltimore City |
| Certificate | Each notarial act must be evidenced by a certificate |
| Stamp | Affixed or embossed on the certificate |
| Expiration | The date the officer's commission expires |
| Timing | Signed only after the act has been performed |
Can a Maryland notary advertise under a business name?
The state handbook says no, and the reasoning is worth quoting to anyone building a mobile notary business. Because notaries public are civil officers, they should not advertise their notarial services under a trade name, since the public is entitled to know the name of the officer to whom it is going for the services a notary provides. That is an unusual restriction: most states regulate what a notary does, not how they market. If you operate in Maryland, your own name belongs on the advertising, not just a brand.
When can a Maryland notary sign the certificate?
Only after the notarial act has been performed, which rules out pre-signing or pre-stamping blank certificates. Maryland requires each notarial act to be evidenced by a certificate, and the certificate must carry the date of expiration of the notarial officer's commission along with the official stamp, affixed or embossed. Completing the certificate at the moment of the act, in the signer's presence, satisfies all three requirements at once. A stamp on a page with blank lines is the opposite of what the statute contemplates.
How does a Maryland jurat differ from an acknowledgment?
By the oath and by when you sign. A jurat, which the statute calls a verification on oath or affirmation, requires you to sign the document in the notary's presence and then swear or affirm that its contents are true. An acknowledgment only asks you to confirm the signature is yours, so the document may already be signed when you arrive. Maryland accepts electronic notarization as well, having adopted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act in amended form, but the underlying distinction between the two acts does not change online.
Maryland jurat: frequently asked questions
- What is the Maryland jurat wording?
- "State of Maryland, County of ______. Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on" the date "by" the named individual, with the official stamp and the commission expiration date.
- Who commissions notaries in Maryland?
- The Governor appoints and commissions them, while the Secretary of State regulates notaries and maintains the records, a split few other states use.
- Can a Maryland notary advertise under a business name?
- The handbook says no. Because notaries are civil officers, they should not advertise notarial services under a trade name; the public is entitled to know the officer's name.
- Does Baltimore City go in the county line?
- No. Baltimore City is its own jurisdiction, separate from Baltimore County, so the venue names the City where the act took place there.
- When can a Maryland notary sign the certificate?
- Only after the notarial act has been performed. Each act must be evidenced by a certificate bearing the official stamp and the commission expiration date.
Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Annotated Code of Maryland, State Government Article sections 18-101, 18-104, 18-201 through 18-227 and 18-222; Senate Bill 678 (2019); the Maryland Handbook for Notaries Public; COMAR Title 01, Subtitle 02, Chapter 08. Confirm current requirements before relying on this.