What laws must a Maryland notary follow if doing a remote notarization?

• A. Federal laws only
• B. The signer’s state laws
• C. Maryland rules and laws, even if the signer is elsewhere
• D. Local county ordinances only

Answer: (C)

A Maryland notary must follow Maryland notary laws and rules for any act, including remote notarizations, no matter where the signer is located. When you perform a remote notarization, you’re acting under the authority of your Maryland commission, so you apply Maryland requirements for identification, authentication, recordkeeping, and the use of approved technology and procedures. Federal laws and local county ordinances don’t set the standards for how a Maryland notary conducts an act, and the signer’s state laws don’t control how a Maryland notary must execute the notarization. The signer being in another state doesn’t change that you must comply with Maryland’s rules for remote notarizations.