How to become a notary public in Maine

Maine notary public licenses

Maine issues 2 notary public credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for every Maine notary public license on this page, so they are shown once here. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

How to apply

Application form

Form (PDF, maine.gov)⁶⁷

Who needs a Notary Public license

Performs notarial acts (acknowledgments, oaths/affirmations, jurats, signature witnessing, certified copies) anywhere in Maine. Electronic or remote notarizations need prior SOS approval. Since July 1, 2023 a notary may not solemnize marriages without a separate marriage officiant license.¹

Work that does not need this license:

• Maine-admitted attorneys, judges and court clerks are notarial officers by law and do not need a notary commission.⁸

Requirements for a Notary Public license

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

Minimum age

18 years old¹

Exam

Notary Public Examination (questions on the application form, based on the SOS Course of Study)²

Background check

Background check required³
Disqualified by any conviction punishable by 1+ year imprisonment, any crime of fraud, dishonesty or deceit, findings or admissions of fraud in legal or disciplinary proceedings, or a notary commission revoked, suspended, conditioned or not renewed for cause in another state.⁹

Residency or citizenship

Maine resident, or a nonresident with a place of employment or business in Maine (employer certification or business details required). No citizenship requirement stated.³

Also required

Take the oath before a Dedimus Justice within 30 days of appointment and return the certificate of qualification within 45 days.⁹

Also required

Report changes of name, address, contact details, employment/business basis or convictions within 30 days.⁵

Also required

Maine-resident notaries automatically receive a free marriage officiant license unless they opt out.³

How much a Notary Public license costs

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee.

What a notary public may charge the public:

• No state fee schedule for notarial acts; any fee must be disclosed in writing and agreed before the act.⁹

How to apply

1. Check eligibility: 18+, reads and writes English, Maine resident or works/has a business in Maine, no disqualifying conviction or fraud finding.⁵
2. Study the free Notary Public Course of Study and complete the latest paper Application for a Notary Public Commission, including the exam questions (new applications cannot be filed online).⁵
3. Mail it with the $50 fee (check to Treasurer, State of Maine, or card voucher) to the Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions.³
4. On approval, take the oath before a Dedimus Justice within 30 days and return the certificate of qualification within 45 days of appointment.⁵

Processing time

15 to 20 business days.¹⁰

Renewal and continuing education

How often

Every 7 years¹

When it expires

Renew online up to 45 days before expiry (or up to 90 days after, with no authority to notarise meanwhile); pass the online renewal exam, pay $50, print the renewal and oath, be sworn by a Dedimus Justice and mail the signed exam and oath.⁶

Renewal fee

$50⁹ (Every 7 years, online)

If it expires

Expired 1-20 days: keep the same month/day; 21-90 days: new expiry date; more than 90 days: apply for a new commission. No notarial acts while expired.⁹

Renew online

apps1.web.maine.gov¹⁰

Moving to Maine with a license from another state

These are the routes SOS publishes for the Notary Public license. The other notary public licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Approval to perform electronic and/or remote online notarizations

Electronic notarization (signer present, electronic record and signature) and/or remote notarization (signer anywhere, via SOS-approved audio-video technology). Zoom or FaceTime may not be used; journal and electronic stamp are mandatory.⁵

Requirements

Exam

Not required⁵

Also required

Use only SOS-approved technology providers; report a change of provider within 10 business days.⁵

How to apply

1. Choose an SOS-approved technology provider and complete its training.⁵
2. Submit the Notarial Officer's Notice form and wait for SOS approval before the first electronic or remote act.⁵

Renewal

When it expires

Approval lapses with the commission (rule says it expires automatically on listed events).⁹

From another state

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

City and county rules

Notary PublicNo local license. The only local step is finding a Dedimus Justice to administer the oath; most do so free.¹¹

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire a notary public in Maine, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Maine is on the Maine license lookup page.

Look up a license

apps1.web.maine.gov¹²

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• 4 M.R.S. §1922 (commission; qualifications; oath; 7-year term)
• 4 M.R.S. §1923 (examination; course of study)
• 4 M.R.S. §1924 (grounds to deny, revoke, suspend)
• 5 M.R.S. §87
• SOS Rules ch. 700, Rules Governing Notaries Public, Notarial Officers, Notarial Acts and the Procedures for Electronic and Remote Notarization (eff. Oct. 2, 2023)
• 4 M.R.S. §1929 (commissions in effect July 1, 2023)
• 4 M.R.S. §1921 (notification; technology)

Common questions

Notary public licenses in other states

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming