Under Maryland law, what must be true for remote notarizations to be valid?

• A. They are never permissible in Maryland.
• B. They require in-person attendance to the notary.
• C. They are permissible if the law authorizes them and procedures are followed.
• D. They are always permissible without any law allowances.

Answer: (C)

Remote notarizations are valid in Maryland only when the law explicitly authorizes them and the notary follows the required procedures. This means a notary may perform a remote notarization if Maryland statutes authorize the practice and the act is conducted with real-time audio-visual communication, the signer’s identity is verified by approved methods, and proper records are kept (such as a journal entry and any required recording or documentation) along with applying the notary’s seal. The signer must be clearly present before the notary through the audiovisual connection, and the document must be properly acknowledged or sworn in that remote session. If there is no authorization or if the prescribed procedures aren’t followed, the remote notarization isn’t valid. Choices claiming it’s never permissible, requiring in-person attendance, or always permissible without law allowances don’t fit Maryland’s framework.