Maryland Notary Practice Exam

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

• What action should a notary take if they discover a certificate was incorrectly completed after sealing?
• What is the purpose of the Maryland notary seal or stamp?
• Under Maryland law, what must be true for remote notarizations to be valid?
• When can you refuse to notarize?
• What is required for a signer to pass a willingness and competence screening?
• When should identity verification occur?
• What is the proper method for dating the notarial act on the certificate?
• When is a notarial certificate required under Maryland law?
• Which two kinds of documents can you not notarize remotely?
• How should a notary respond when a signer presents an expired ID?
• How long should a Maryland notary retain records of notarial acts?
• What happens if you don't know the signer and they have no acceptable ID?
• When can you surrender or destroy notarization documents?
• If a notary has a financial interest in the transaction, what should they do?
• Which statement about cross-state notarization is true?
• What is the purpose of maintaining a notary journal?
• What is needed for an ID to be acceptable?
• May a Maryland notary notarize a document for a close relative?
• What must you NEVER do if a document has blanks?
• A notary identifies a signer who acknowledges that the signature on the document is theirs. The document may be signed before appearing in front of the notary.
• Whose signature goes on the signature line?
• Who is legally permitted to finalize the notarial certificate?
• Can a notary charge a fee for notarial services?
• What information is commonly required on a Maryland notary seal?
• What details belong in the 'Additional Information' box?
• What form of identification is generally required by Maryland notaries to verify identity?
• How does a notary identify a signer and witness the signature?
• What key information should be included in a notary certificate for an acknowledgment?
• Are notaries allowed to give legal advice?
• How long do you have to swear an oath of office after senatorial approval of your application?
• Which act would be rare and used in international banking?
• For every commission, including a renewal, you must:
• What should a notary do if they suspect coercion or duress?
• What are the three things you must check when Checking the Document?
• Under Maryland notary practice, which situation requires you to decline notarizing a document?
• How long does your notary jurisdiction last?
• Can a Maryland notary certify copies of documents?
• When a document has blanks that cannot be filled, what is the recommended action for the notary?
• Which steps help protect a notary from fraud during notarization?
• Who may legally complete the notarial certificate?
• If there is no date on a document, what should you record as the date?
• What must a signer do before a notary administers an oath or affirmation?
• The venue is determined by:
• Which office in Maryland is responsible for appointing notaries, enforcing rules, maintaining records, and handling disciplinary actions?
• Who is allowed to complete a notarial certificate?
• Which statement best describes the date of a document?
• Notary certifies that the signer personally appeared, signed the document in the notary's presence, and swore to or affirmed the truth of the statement.
• If a notarial act is performed, who is allowed to complete the certificate?
• Which practice aligns with Maryland notary identity verification standards?
• Which statement about journal formats is true?
• What should a notary do if a document has blank spaces?
• The venue for the notarization is:
• Which item would NOT be an acceptable form of identification under Maryland notary rules?
• Which element is included in a jurat certificate but not necessarily in an acknowledgment certificate?
• A notary is asked to notarize a document where the signer has already signed the document once, by someone else. Under what condition may the notary proceed?
• What is the purpose of an acknowledgment?
• When is a verification on oath of a credible witness used?
• What is Personal Appearance?
• Which statement describes how a notary journal should be stored?
• Why is including the notarization location important?
• If a signer uses an identification document, what details must you record?
• Which statement best describes the risk if a notary acts beyond authority?
• When is a jurat used in a Maryland notarial act?
• What are acceptable practices for electronic notarizations?
• Which description best captures the notary’s primary public role?
• If a notary seal includes the commission expiration date, what does that signify regarding authority?
• What needs to be affixed to the blank space in the lower left-hand part of the certificate?
• Are there penalties for notaries who fail to file required renewals or reports?
• By Maryland law, you may not notarize for:
• What should a notary do if the signer cannot provide acceptable identification and no alternatives exist?
• Which party is authorized to complete the notarial certificate?
• What does a notarial certificate serve as?
• What is the role of the notary’s information on a certificate?
• What is the consequence if a notary acts beyond their authority?
• Rare act used in international banking to indicate a payment instrument was not accepted?
• What does Checking the Document NOT entail?
• Regarding notarial certificates, who is the designated person to complete it?
• What should a notary do to ensure the signer’s name on the certificate matches the signer’s ID?
• The notarial certificate should be completed by which individual?
• Whose name gets printed under "Name of Person making the Acknowledgment?"
• What are the requirements for the journal you keep?
• Which states can a Maryland notary notarize in?
• For a valid notarial certificate, who should perform the completion?
• Regarding a document with multiple signers who appear before the notary, what must be done with certificates?
• Which set includes the three most common notarial acts?
• Which statement best describes the notary's requirement regarding the signer’s physical presence?
• What does checking for completeness entail?
• How should a notary handle confidential or sensitive information encountered during a notarial act?
• List the basic steps for using a credible witness
• When can a notary file a request for reappointment?
• What is a notary's certificate called in court?
• What recordings are required for each journal entry?
• Can a Maryland notary perform remote notarization for a Will or Trust Instrument?
• How do you determine the willingness of a signer?
• The completion of a notarial certificate is authorized for which person?
• How many journals can you keep at a time?
• Which act best describes an acknowledgement?
• Which notarization requires the signer to personally appear before the notary and acknowledge the signature for its stated purpose?
• Where can a notary journal be kept?
• Which items count as satisfactory evidence for identification?
• Who is the person permitted to finalize a notarial certificate?
• After checking document and screen signer, what's the next step?
• Which statement best describes a notarial certificate?
• When must the notary's commission expiration date be checked?
• The notary’s seal must be affixed to the certificate to validate the notarial act.
• What kind of record-keeping is recommended for Maryland notaries?
• If a signer speaks a foreign language, the notary may notarize the document if they understand it; otherwise not. Which statement aligns with this policy?
• Which statement best describes the notary's authority?
• Do you complete a journal entry before or after completing the notarial act?
• What should a notary do if asked to notarize a blank form?
• If a document contains multiple signers, what must the notary do?
• Under ordinary notarial practice, who is allowed to complete the certificate attached to a notarized document?
• What is the purpose of an acknowledgment when notarizing a signature?
• If a signer uses a signature by mark, what is required by Maryland law?
• Satisfactory evidence is the most common form of identification.
• What is the role of the Secretary of State in Maryland notary practice?
• How do you screen the signer?
• Which item indicates how the signer appeared before the notary, to be noted in the Additional Information box?
• What is required for remote notarization in Maryland relative to jurisdiction?
• What does 'personal appearance' mean in a Maryland notarization?
• In a notarial act, who may fill in the notarial certificate?
• Which act describes notary confirming identity and witnessing or attesting the signature?
• Which IDs are acceptable in Maryland?
• What should go in the 'Notary Fee' box if you do not charge the signer?
• In the context of notarial acts, which person may complete the certificate?
• Can a Maryland notary provide legal advice?
• The signer is the person whose identity is verified and who signs the document being notarized.
• What is required to reappointment as a notary?
• What is the impact of performing proper identity verification during notarization?
• How can Maryland notaries stay compliant with changing laws?
• Who makes the acknowledgement on an Acknowledgment of a Record?
• What key information should be included in a notary certificate for a jurat?
• Which statement best describes the relationship between an acknowledgment and a jurat?
• What is the notary's role in mortgage closings?
• What information does a Maryland notarial certificate typically include?
• Are remote or electronic notarizations permitted in Maryland, and under what conditions?
• What needs to be put in the notes section of the journal for disabled people?
• A Maryland Notary may notarize a foreign language document under what condition?
• Are Maryland notaries allowed to perform remote online notarizations (RON)?
• What is the correct fee of most notarial act?
• If asked to witness a signature but not perform the notarial act, what should you do?
• How should a Maryland notary handle a lost or damaged seal?
• What is the best practice if the signer cannot read the document being notarized?
• Which of the following best describes the required information to include in a notarial record regarding physical location?
• When can you start the reappointment process?
• If a signer does not have acceptable identification, what should the Maryland notary do?
• Which notarial act is not among the three most common?
• Which statement describes the language requirement for notarization?
• How do you identify a person via personal knowledge?
• What is the primary goal of the Maryland Notary Practice Exam?
• If identity fraud is suspected during a notarial act, what should you do?
• What laws must a Maryland notary follow if doing a remote notarization?
• If the notary fails to affix the seal, the certificate is:
• Which statement accurately reflects the personal appearance requirement?
• Which statement best describes Maryland standards for verifying a signer’s identity?
• What must be recorded in the notary journal when using a credible witness?
• The easiest way to check the signer for willingness and awareness is to:
• Which role is authorized to complete the notarial certificate?
• If the signer speaks a language the notary does not understand, what should the notary do?
• Which two notarial acts are most commonly performed by Maryland notaries?
• Why should a notary retain records of notarial acts?
• For every commission, including a renewal, you must appear before the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
• Why should you complete the journal entry before performing the notarial act?
• Beyond the date, what time detail may be recorded on the notarial certificate?
• What is a common reason for notarial acts to be challenged in court?
• During notarization, who has the authority to complete the notarization certificate?
• When recording the signer’s identification, which information must you include?
• T/F You complete a separate journal entry for each signer and each document.
• If a credible witness signs, what information must be recorded about the witness?
• What is the notarial act for compelling the signer to tell the truth?
• What is the recommended action when notarizing for an immediate family member?
• Notarial act certifying a copy of a document is a true reproduction?
• What elements must a notarial certificate include to establish the notary's act?
• What is the recommended practice regarding blank or partially completed documents during notarization?
• Which item best illustrates credible witness duties when ID is lacking?
• What should a notary do if signer cannot provide acceptable identification?
• Who is a Maryland notary appointed by and what do they do?