A person who wishes to apply for appointment as a Notary Public first submits an application to the Maryland Secretary of State. The Secretary’s staff then forwards the application to the State Senator of the applicant’s Senatorial District and then to the Governor for his/her approval of appointment. If approved, the Governor’s staff will notify the applicant to appear before the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the County (or Baltimore City) where the applicant resides.
Before the Clerk of the Court, the appointee takes the oath of office, receives the Commission, and is qualified to act as a Notary Public. All Montgomery County Notary Publics are sworn in.
If you have received a notice from the Secretary of State that you need to contact the Montgomery County Circuit Court for swearing in, please contact the License Department at 240-777-9460 for an appointment.
The fee for a Notary Commission is $22 ($11 to the Secretary of State, and $11 to the Clerk of the Court). Notaries are by appointment only. Please call 240-777-9460 to make an appointment.
The fee to authenticate a Montgomery County Notary is $1 per signature.
Additional information can be found at the Maryland Office of the Secretary of State, Notary Division.
