Quick answer. Below is Maryland's statutory certificate wording, act by act. We show six forms: acknowledgment (individual), acknowledgment (representative capacity), jurat (verification on oath or affirmation), signature witnessing, copy certification and paper copy of an electronic record. There is no fixed remote sentence in the sources we read.
Which Maryland certificate do I use?
| Act | Use it when | Maryland source |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgment (individual) | The signer declares that the signature on the document is theirs and that they signed willingly. No oath is given. Deeds, powers of attorney and many contracts use it. | Md. State Gov't § 18-216(b) |
| Acknowledgment (representative capacity) | Like an acknowledgment, but the signer signs for someone else: a company, a trust, a partnership, or a principal under a power of attorney. The certificate names the capacity and the party represented. | Md. State Gov't § 18-216(c) |
| Jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) | The signer swears or affirms that the statements in the document are true, and signs in front of you. Affidavits and other sworn statements use it. | Md. State Gov't § 18-216(d) |
| Signature witnessing | You watch the signer sign and confirm who they are. There is no oath, and the signer does not need to state that the contents are true. | Md. State Gov't § 18-216(e) |
| Copy certification | You certify that a copy is a true copy of an original presented to you, only for documents your state lets notaries copy (vital records and recorded documents are usually excluded). | Md. State Gov't § 18-216(f) |
| Paper copy of an electronic record | Certifying that a paper printout matches an electronic record. | Md. State Gov't § 18-216(g) |
Maryland certificate wording
Acknowledgment (individual) Statutory wording
The signer declares that the signature on the document is theirs and that they signed willingly. No oath is given. Deeds, powers of attorney and many contracts use it.
State of ..... County of .....
This record was acknowledged before me on the ... day of ..., 20... by ...
...................................... Signature of notarial officer
Title of office
Stamp
My commission expires: ________
Acknowledgment (representative capacity) Statutory wording
Like an acknowledgment, but the signer signs for someone else: a company, a trust, a partnership, or a principal under a power of attorney. The certificate names the capacity and the party represented.
State of ..... County of .....
This record was acknowledged before me on the ... day of ..., 20... by ... as (type of authority, such as an officer or trustee) of (name of party on behalf of whom record was executed).
...................................... Signature of notarial officer
Title of office
Stamp
My commission expires: ________
Jurat (verification on oath or affirmation) Statutory wording
The signer swears or affirms that the statements in the document are true, and signs in front of you. Affidavits and other sworn statements use it.
State of ..... County of .....
Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on the ... day of ..., 20... by ...
...................................... Signature of notarial officer
Title of office
Stamp
My commission expires: ________
Signature witnessing Statutory wording
You watch the signer sign and confirm who they are. There is no oath, and the signer does not need to state that the contents are true.
State of ..... County of .....
Signed (or attested) before me on the ... day of ..., 20... by ...
...................................... Signature of notarial officer
Title of office
Stamp
My commission expires: ________
Copy certification Statutory wording
You certify that a copy is a true copy of an original presented to you, only for documents your state lets notaries copy (vital records and recorded documents are usually excluded).
State of ..... County of .....
I certify that this is a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of ...
Dated the ... day of ..., 20... by ...
...................................... Signature of notarial officer
Title of office
Stamp
My commission expires: ________
Other Maryland forms
Paper copy of an electronic record Statutory wording
Certifying that a paper printout matches an electronic record.
State of ..... County of .....
I certify that this is a true and correct copy of an electronic record entitled ..., dated the ... day of ..., 20..., containing ... pages.
Dated the .... day of ..., 20... by ...
...................................... Signature of notarial officer
Title of office
Stamp
My commission expires: ________
Remote and electronic acts in Maryland
Section 18-216 has no separate remote sentence, and the Secretary of State's FAQ gives none; it says your journal must show whether the signer appeared in person or remotely by communication technology. No official remote sentence found in the sources we read; check with the Maryland Secretary of State. (Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State, checked November 7, 2026)
What a Maryland certificate must contain
- The short forms are sufficient when completed with the information § 18-215(a) requires and, where § 18-215(b) requires it, with your official stamp affixed or embossed. (Md. State Gov't § 18-216(a); Md. Code, State Government § 18-216 (Maryland General Assembly))
- A certificate is required for every notarial act. List Maryland as the state and the county where you are physically located when notarizing, which may differ from your commission county, and include your expiration date. (Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State)
- Maryland issues no commission number; if a certificate asks for a notary ID number, the Secretary of State says to write n/a. (Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State)
- The stamp (ink, embosser or electronic) shows your name as commissioned, Notary Public, your county (or Baltimore City) of commission and your expiration date unless the certificate shows it, and must be reproducible. (Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State)
- If the record has no certificate, attach one by securely fastening it to the record. (Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State)
Common Maryland certificate mistakes
Summarized in our own words from the official sources named after each item.
- Editing the document body or pre-printed certificate text; you may only correct a pre-printed state and county. (Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State)
- Writing your commission county in the venue instead of the county where you are physically located. (Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State)
- Using a seal with a wrong expiration date. (Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State)
- Reviewing a document for accuracy, or completing parts other than the certificate (for example on a Form I-9). (Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State)
- Notarizing a record to which you or your spouse is a party or in which either of you has a direct beneficial interest. (Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State)
- Using your Maryland seal while in another state; you must be physically in Maryland. (Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State)
The Maryland certificate wording pack
$15 one time. The wording on this page is public law and stays free here; the pack is the fill-in files and the organizing.
- A one-page "which certificate do I use?" chart for Maryland: each act, when it's used and the section it comes from.
- The Maryland wording reference: every form on this page with its source, plus what a Maryland certificate must contain (venue, seal, commission details).
- Fill-in certificates in Word, one per page, with matching PDFs, so you can attach a loose certificate when a document needs one.
- A common-mistakes checklist from the official sources: six items for Maryland, each with its source.
See the Maryland certificate wording pack
Sources
- Md. Code, State Government § 18-216 (Maryland General Assembly) (checked November 7, 2026)
- Notary FAQ, Maryland Secretary of State (checked November 7, 2026)
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Notaries follow their own state's law and the official handbook, and the receiving office decides what it accepts, so nothing here guarantees a document will be accepted. The Maryland Secretary of State, notary division has the final word on Maryland practice.
Maryland certificate questions
What is the Maryland acknowledgment certificate wording?
Md. State Gov't § 18-216(b) gives: "State of ..... County of ..... This record was acknowledged before me on the ... day of ..., 20... by ..." It closes with Signature of notarial officer, Title of office and Stamp.
What is the Maryland jurat wording?
Md. State Gov't § 18-216(d) gives: "State of ..... County of ..... Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on the ... day of ..., 20... by ..." Use it only when you give the signer an oath or affirmation and they sign in front of you.
Can a Maryland notary certify a copy?
Yes, within limits. Md. State Gov't § 18-216(f) gives: "State of ..... County of ..... I certify that this is a true and correct copy of a record in the possession of ... Dated the ... day of ..., 20... by ..."
What else must a Maryland notarial certificate show?
The short forms are sufficient when completed with the information § 18-215(a) requires and, where § 18-215(b) requires it, with your official stamp affixed or embossed. A certificate is required for every notarial act. List Maryland as the state and the county where you are physically located when notarizing, which may differ from your commission county, and include your expiration date.
Is there a Maryland remote notarization statement?
Section 18-216 has no separate remote sentence, and the Secretary of State's FAQ gives none; it says your journal must show whether the signer appeared in person or remotely by communication technology. No official remote sentence found in the sources we read; check with the Maryland Secretary of State.
Who decides which Maryland certificate to use?
The person asking for the notarization, or whoever drafted the document, tells you which notarial act they need; a notary who isn't an attorney shouldn't choose it for them. If a document has no certificate, follow the Maryland Secretary of State, notary division's guidance. We are not lawyers, and nothing here promises that a receiving office will accept a document.
Related: All states · Becoming a notary in Maryland · Notary work in Maryland · Massachusetts certificate wording · Maine certificate wording