When is a notarial certificate required under Maryland law?

• A. What is the notarial requirement? Every time you perform a notarial act. It must be complete before the signing and placing your seal on a document. It must be completed at the time of the signing and when the signer is in front of you, it cannot be completed before or after. If a mistake is made, the notary can later correct it based on the journal entry
• B. Only for real estate documents
• C. Only if the signer requests
• D. Only when the notary believes it is necessary

Answer: (A)

Notarial certificates are required for every notarial act, and they must be completed at the moment the act occurs, in the presence of the signer. This means you verify the signer’s identity, witness the signing (or the acknowledgment), and then fill out the certificate and affix your seal during that same session. It cannot be done beforehand or after the signing. This timing ensures the certificate accurately reflects what actually happened and prevents backdating or post-event alterations. If a mistake occurs, you don’t simply tweak the certificate later based on the journal; you correct the record by providing a properly completed certificate (often by redoing the act or issuing a new, corrected certificate) and ensuring the journal supports the entry. Notaries do not certify only certain types of documents, nor is certification optional or dependent on the signer’s request or the notary’s personal belief.