Md. Code, State Government § 18-204
This is the official text of Md. Code, State Government § 18-204, part of Maryland’s Code, State Government — covers the structure and operation of Maryland state government.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§18–204.
Official statutory text
(a) A notarial officer who takes an acknowledgment of a record shall determine, from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of the identity of the individual in accordance with § 18–206 of this subtitle, that:
(1) the individual appearing before the notarial officer and making the acknowledgment has the identity claimed; and
(2) the signature on the record is the signature of the individual.
(b) A notarial officer who takes a verification on oath or affirmation of a statement shall determine, from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of the identity of the individual in accordance with § 18–206 of this subtitle, that:
(1) the individual appearing before the notarial officer and making the verification has the identity claimed; and
(2) the signature on the statement verified is the signature of the individual.
(c) A notarial officer who witnesses or attests to a signature shall determine, from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of the identity of the individual in accordance with § 18–206 of this subtitle, that the individual appearing before the notarial officer and signing the record has the identity claimed.
(d) A notarial officer who certifies or attests a copy of a record or an item that was copied shall determine that the copy is a full, true, and accurate transcription or reproduction of the record or item.
(e) (1) A notarial officer who certifies that a tangible copy of an electronic record is an accurate copy of the electronic record shall:
(i) reasonably determine whether the electronic record is in a tamper–evident format; and
(ii) personally print or supervise the printing of the electronic record onto paper or other tangible medium.
(2) A notarial officer who certifies that a tangible copy of an electronic record is an accurate copy of the electronic record may not make the certification if the notarial officer has detected a change or an error in an electronic signature or other information in the electronic record.
(f) A notarial officer who makes or notes a protest of a negotiable instrument shall make or note the protest in accordance with § 3–505(b) of the Commercial Law Article.
(1) the individual appearing before the notarial officer and making the acknowledgment has the identity claimed; and
(2) the signature on the record is the signature of the individual.
(b) A notarial officer who takes a verification on oath or affirmation of a statement shall determine, from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of the identity of the individual in accordance with § 18–206 of this subtitle, that:
(1) the individual appearing before the notarial officer and making the verification has the identity claimed; and
(2) the signature on the statement verified is the signature of the individual.
(c) A notarial officer who witnesses or attests to a signature shall determine, from personal knowledge or satisfactory evidence of the identity of the individual in accordance with § 18–206 of this subtitle, that the individual appearing before the notarial officer and signing the record has the identity claimed.
(d) A notarial officer who certifies or attests a copy of a record or an item that was copied shall determine that the copy is a full, true, and accurate transcription or reproduction of the record or item.
(e) (1) A notarial officer who certifies that a tangible copy of an electronic record is an accurate copy of the electronic record shall:
(i) reasonably determine whether the electronic record is in a tamper–evident format; and
(ii) personally print or supervise the printing of the electronic record onto paper or other tangible medium.
(2) A notarial officer who certifies that a tangible copy of an electronic record is an accurate copy of the electronic record may not make the certification if the notarial officer has detected a change or an error in an electronic signature or other information in the electronic record.
(f) A notarial officer who makes or notes a protest of a negotiable instrument shall make or note the protest in accordance with § 3–505(b) of the Commercial Law Article.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Maryland?
Find a Maryland lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.