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Maryland Code, State Government § 18-204

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(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.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Maryland Code, State Government § 18-204 - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/md/state-government/md-code-state-govt-sect-18-204/

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