Maryland's authorized remote online notary (RON) vendors
A Maryland notary who works through a remote notarization platform must use a vendor the Secretary of State has authorized, and must name it on a notification form before the first remote act (COMAR 01.02.08.07). The office keeps the List of Authorized Remote Online Notary (RON) Vendors: 36 names in alphabetical order, no date printed on it, under a line saying the state endorses none of them. The other states we read are under state rules and approved lists.
Last checked
Fig. 1The authorized list
Every vendor on Maryland's list is authorized for remote online notarization; the list carries no in-person electronic entries and no type column. We have read and compared 24 of the 36; the other 12 are on the list all the same, and each links to its own site from the state's PDF. To see the same providers against the other state lists, use the state-approved RON platforms comparison or the state-approved platform finder.
| Platform, as the list writes it | Our comparison |
|---|---|
| Authxperts, LLC | Not compared yet |
| Blend Labs, Inc. | Read the comparison |
| Blue Notary, LLC | Read the comparison |
| Cyberize It, LLC | Not compared yet |
| CYBERSYGN | Not compared yet |
| Digital Delivery, Inc. | Not compared yet |
| DocMagic, Inc. | Read the comparison |
| DocuSign | Read the comparison |
| E-Notary Seal, LLC | Not compared yet |
| eNotaryLog, LLC | Not compared yet |
| Epic River Healthcare, Inc. | Read the comparison |
| Expedite (formerly known as DocVerify) | Read the comparison |
| GoCertificates.com, Inc. | Not compared yet |
| KYS-Tech, Inc. | Not compared yet |
| NotaryCam | Read the comparison |
| NotaryHub by EverythingLegal | Read the comparison |
| NotaryLive | Read the comparison |
| Notary Launchpad (aka ATX Courier & Notary, LLC) | Not compared yet |
| OneNotary, Inc. | Read the comparison |
| OneSpan North America, Inc. | Read the comparison |
| Online Notary Center | Read the comparison |
| OnlineNotary Inc. | Read the comparison |
| PandaDoc, Inc. | Read the comparison |
| Pavaso | Read the comparison |
| POPi/o Mobile Video Cloud, LLC | Not compared yet |
| Pro Notary, LLC | Read the comparison |
| Proof (formerly Notarize) | Read the comparison |
| Qualia Labs, Inc. | Read the comparison |
| Rocket Close, LLC | Read the comparison |
| Secured Signing, Inc. | Read the comparison |
| SIGNiX | Read the comparison |
| Simplifile, LC | Read the comparison |
| Simply Sign LLC | Not compared yet |
| Snapdocs Technologies, LLC (formerly Pactima) | Read the comparison |
| Stavvy, Inc. | Read the comparison |
| USA Notary Service, LLC | Not compared yet |
What “authorized” means here
A vendor gets on the list by applying to the Secretary of State and receiving written authorization before any Maryland notary may use its technology (COMAR 01.02.08.05A–B). Maryland defines a remote online notary vendor as a company whose technology mainly serves remote notarial acts and includes the identity proofing and credential analysis a notary may need (COMAR 01.02.08.01B(10)). The checks are about the company and its technology, not about fit, so read the list both ways.
What the Secretary of State checked
The company is incorporated to do business in the United States, is based here, and has operated lawfully here for at least 3 years.
All of its encryption and decryption happens in the United States.
Its technology lets you identify the signer the ways the statute allows, keeps the session recordings for the state's period and lets you reach your own recordings.
Before you use it, it trains you on its technology and checks with the Secretary of State that you are in good standing, then checks again every year you subscribe.
It follows Maryland's Personal Information Protection Act and tells the Secretary of State about a security breach when it tells anyone else.
What the list leaves to you
Which vendor to pick. The list itself says so: “The Secretary of State does not endorse any Remote Online Notary vendor; the list of vendors below is in alphabetical order.”
Who the platform is built for. The list puts a solo notary's platform beside lender and title closing systems, with nothing to tell them apart.
That the authorization lasts. The Secretary of State may revoke it if a vendor's technology stops meeting the law, and the list prints no date.
Whether you can still meet your own duties on it: recording every session, keeping the recording 10 years, charging no more than the remote fee. Those stay yours, and if the vendor stops letting you meet them you must tell the Secretary of State promptly.
Price, plans, or whether it takes independent Maryland notaries this year. None of that is on the list; check with the vendor.
Two kinds of Maryland remote notary
In Maryland a remote act can go ahead without a listed vendor at all. When you know the signer personally, or a credible witness identifies them, you may notarize a paper record over ordinary communication technology. The list only binds you when the platform does the identity work: the remote ID check and the credential analysis and identity proofing behind it.
| Requirement | With an authorized vendor | Without a vendor |
|---|---|---|
| RecordsSOS Notary Division page | Electronic records | Tangible (paper) records |
| TechnologyCOMAR 01.02.08.01B(3), .07A(2) | A vendor on the authorized list, named on your form | Other communication technology that lets you and the signer see and hear each other at once |
| How you identify the signerCOMAR 01.02.08.07A(3) | Personal knowledge, a credible witness, or the signer's ID checked by credential analysis and identity proofing | Personal knowledge or a credible witness only, which you acknowledge on the form |
| What you tick on the online formSOS Remote Notary Information | Remote acts on electronic records using an authorized remote online notary vendor | Remote acts using other communication technology |
| RecordingCOMAR 01.02.08.07A(4), A(7) | Audio-video of the whole session, kept 10 years | The same: audio-video of the whole session, kept 10 years |
Your steps around the list
The list is where the vendor stops and you start. Maryland ties the vendor to your filing, so every change of platform is a notice to the Secretary of State, not just a new subscription.
Hold a current Maryland commission in good standing
Remote authority is open only to a notary already commissioned in Maryland and in good standing.
File the remote notary notification form online
The paper form is gone. On the online form you choose acts with an authorized vendor, acts with other communication technology, or both.
Name one or more vendors from the authorized list
Pick the name as the list writes it. A form that names a vendor not on the list comes back with an email saying you are not authorized; you may file again to correct it.
Wait for the confirmation email
Only then are you authorized. Holding yourself out as a remote notary before the notice is filed is unlawful.
Take the vendor's training
The vendor must train you on its technology and confirm your standing with the Secretary of State before it serves you, and again every year.
Tell the Secretary of State when you change vendors
Written notice within 10 business days of the change. If you run more than one platform, keep every one of them on file; working on more than one RON platform covers the journal and recording side of that.
Report a vendor that stops letting you meet the law
If you reasonably believe the vendor you named no longer lets you meet Maryland's notary law, tell the Secretary of State in writing, promptly.
File a new form at every renewal
Your remote authority expires with your commission, so each renewal means a new notification form and naming your vendor again.
Maryland's rules for a remote act
These are the rules any platform you name has to let you keep. The recording period sets a date years out for every session; the recording retention date tool works it out, and the certificate line is explained in electronic notary certificate wording. For signers abroad, read the conditions below with remote signers outside the US. Maryland also lets a signer sign paper on camera and send it on (§ 18-214); that procedure is in remote ink notarization.
- Remote notarization authorized
A notary located in Maryland may perform a notarial act using communication technology for a remotely located individual; remote notarizations became legal in Maryland on October 1, 2020.
- How a notary gets RON authority
Before the first remote act, notify the Secretary of State on the online remote notary form and name the authorized remote online notary vendor(s) you will use; tell the office within 10 business days of a vendor change and file a new form at each renewal.
- Training or exam
New notary applicants must complete a course of study and pass an exam. For remote work, the vendor must train the notary on its technology before providing service.
- Session recording kept for
Keep the audio-visual recording for at least 10 years after it is made.
Md. Code, State Gov't § 18-214(j)(3); COMAR 01.02.08.07A(7) read
- Electronic journal
Every notary keeps a journal of all notarial acts; an electronic journal must be in a permanent, tamper-evident electronic format.
- Journal kept for
Keep the journal for 10 years after the last notarial act it records.
- Journal entry fields
Date and time; description of the record and type of act; full name and address of each individual; how identity was established and the ID with issue and expiration dates; the fee; whether the signer appeared in person or by communication technology; and the ID number of any credential used.
- Identity proofing
Personal knowledge, a credible witness, or remote presentation of an ID plus credential analysis plus identity proofing.
- Digital certificate and e-seal
A notary may select one or more tamper-evident technologies for electronic records; for an electronic record the official stamp may be attached to or logically associated with the certificate. No digital-certificate type is named in the statute.
- Fee for a remote act
Up to $30 for a remote notarial act (up to $8 for other notarial acts).
- Where the signer may be
The notary must be located in Maryland. A signer outside the United States is allowed if the record relates to a U.S. court or entity, U.S. property or a transaction substantially connected with the U.S., and the notary has no actual knowledge that the act is prohibited where the signer is.
- Certificate wording
The certificate must indicate a remotely located individual and communication technology; a short form is sufficient with the statement "This notarial act involved a remotely located individual and the use of communication technology."
Choosing among the listed vendors
Because the list is alphabetical and says nothing about who each vendor is for, start from your work. A notary who brings their own clients should read RON platforms for a solo notary; one who wants jobs sent to them, RON platforms that send you signings; a title or settlement notary, RON and eClosing platforms for title and escrow; and an office already signing electronically, e-signature platforms with a notary feature. Each vendor named there that sits on Maryland's list carries a “Read the comparison” link in the table above.
Questions notaries ask
Does the Maryland Secretary of State recommend a RON vendor?
No. Its FAQ says it does not endorse a specific commercial brand of communication technology platform, and the list is alphabetical. The vendor you use must be authorized in Maryland all the same.
Can I use a platform that is not on the authorized list?
Not for remote acts that use a RON vendor: a form naming an unauthorized vendor comes back with an email saying you are not authorized. Without a vendor you may still work on tangible records with other communication technology, but only when you know the signer personally or a credible witness identifies them.
Can I name more than one vendor?
Yes. The form takes one or more authorized vendors. When you change vendors, tell the Secretary of State in writing within 10 business days.
Does a vendor stay on the list for good?
Not necessarily. The Secretary of State may revoke a vendor's authorization if its technology stops meeting the law (COMAR 01.02.08.06), and Maryland's list prints no date or approval period, unlike Maine's list, which dates each approval. Read the list again on the day you file.
What can I charge for a remote notarial act in Maryland?
Up to $30 for a remote notarial act (up to $8 for other notarial acts). The vendor's own charges are a matter between you and the vendor; check its terms. Other states' caps are in remote notarization fees by state.
How can someone check that I am authorized for remote acts?
The Secretary of State's notary search shows a notary's remote notary status when you search a name. Notaries authorized on or before June 21, 2023 also appear on the two lists the office posted for them.
Does my remote authority carry over when I renew?
No. Remote authority expires with the commission, and at renewal you file a new remote notary notification form, naming your vendor again.
Related
- RON technology providers on state lists: who sits on the mostOne table of providers against the state lists, dated, each linked to the state's own list.
- State-approved RON platform finderPick a state that publishes a list and see the platforms on it, as the state writes them.
- What state rules ask of a RON platformThe requirement rows every comparison on this site uses, explained once, with the state source for each.
- How to become a remote online notaryThe common path from commission to first remote act, each step linked to its state page.
- RON recording retention by stateHow long each state makes you keep the session recording, who may hold it, and what happens when you leave a platform.