Maine Notary Public — All Questions

What does a Maine notary certify when taking an acknowledgment?

• a.That the document's contents are true
• b.That the identified individual appeared and acknowledged signing the record voluntarily✓
• c.That the notary approves the transaction
• d.That the document is recorded

An acknowledgment certifies that the signer personally appeared, was identified, and acknowledged executing the record for its stated purpose. It does not certify the truth of the contents (that is a jurat) or the merits of the transaction.Maine Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; Maine Notary Public Handbook

What does a Maine jurat require that an acknowledgment does not?

• a.The document must be about real estate
• b.Two notaries must be present
• c.The signer must sign in the notary's presence and take an oath or affirmation as to the truth of the statement✓
• d.The signer must be a Maine resident

A jurat requires the signer to sign in front of the notary and to swear or affirm that the statement is true. An acknowledgment requires neither an oath nor signing in the notary's presence.Maine Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; Maine Notary Public Handbook

Which distinctive act are Maine notaries public authorized to perform that notaries in most states are not?

• a.Issue driver's licenses
• b.Grant divorces
• c.Record deeds
• d.Solemnize (perform) marriages✓

Maine is one of a small number of states where a notary public may solemnize marriages. This is a distinctive Maine power; in most states officiating weddings is not among a notary's duties. Maine notaries still cannot issue licenses, grant divorces, or record deeds.Maine Notary Public Handbook (Maine Secretary of State)

A signer asks a Maine notary which notarial certificate a document needs. What should the notary do?

• a.Ask the signer or the receiving agency which act is required, because choosing it is the unauthorized practice of law✓
• b.Choose a jurat automatically
• c.Refuse all service
• d.Complete both certificates to be safe

A non-attorney notary may not decide which notarial act a document needs; that is legal advice. The notary asks the signer, or the agency requiring the document, which act is needed and completes only that certificate.Maine Notary Public Handbook (Maine Secretary of State)

For a standard Maine notarization, when may the notary act without the signer physically present?

• a.When the signer emails the document
• b.Never; personal appearance is required, and remote acts require an approved audio-video platform under Maine's remote notarization rules✓
• c.When a relative confirms the signer by phone
• d.When the notary knows of the signer by reputation

Personal appearance is required for every notarization. Maine authorizes remote notarization only through an approved audio-video platform with identity verification. An email, phone vouch, or reputation does not satisfy the appearance requirement.Maine Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; Maine Notary Public Handbook

What must a complete Maine notarial certificate include?

• a.The venue, the date of the act, the notary's signature, and the notary's title and commission expiration date✓
• b.The signer's thumbprint
• c.The notary's date of birth
• d.A legal opinion about the document

A Maine certificate shows the venue (state and county), the date of the act, the notary's signature, and the notary's title with the commission expiration date. Maine does not require a thumbprint, and the notary never includes a legal opinion.Maine Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; Maine Notary Public Handbook

How may a Maine notary establish a signer's identity?

• a.Only by a Maine driver's license
• b.Only by a relative's statement
• c.By personal knowledge of the signer, or by satisfactory evidence such as a current government photo ID or a credible witness✓
• d.By the signer's spoken name

Under Maine's Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, a notary may rely on personal knowledge of the signer, or on satisfactory evidence: a current government-issued photo ID bearing a signature, or the oath of a credible witness who knows the signer.Maine Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; Maine Notary Public Handbook

Which is acceptable identification for a Maine notarization?

• a.A frequent-shopper card
• b.A current U.S. passport✓
• c.A Social Security card
• d.A utility bill

Acceptable ID is a current government-issued document with the signer's photo, signature, and an identifying number, such as a passport, driver's license, state ID, or military ID. Shopper cards, Social Security cards, and utility bills do not qualify.Maine Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; Maine Notary Public Handbook

A Maine signer lacks ID but brings a credible witness. What is required before relying on the witness?

• a.The witness signs for the signer
• b.Nothing; the witness is automatically enough
• c.The witness's ID is copied onto the certificate
• d.The witness must personally know the signer, be identified to the notary, and take an oath vouching for the signer's identity✓

A credible witness must personally know the signer, be personally known to or identified by the notary, and take an oath or affirmation as to the signer's identity. Only a sworn, qualifying witness may substitute for missing identification.Maine Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; Maine Notary Public Handbook

If a Maine notary cannot confirm a signer's identity by any allowed method, what must the notary do?

• a.Refuse to perform the notarization✓
• b.Perform it and note the doubt
• c.Accept an ID that expired years ago
• d.Rely on the signer's spoken name

When identity cannot be established through personal knowledge, an acceptable ID, or a credible witness, the notary must refuse. Notarizing despite genuine doubt about identity defeats the fraud-prevention purpose of the office.Maine Notary Public Handbook (Maine Secretary of State)

What is the best description of Maine's recordkeeping expectation for notarial acts?

• a.A journal is prohibited
• b.The journal must be filed with the county after each act
• c.Keeping a journal of notarial acts is strongly recommended as the notary's record, and remote notaries must keep records of electronic acts✓
• d.Only attorneys may keep a journal

Maine strongly recommends keeping a journal as the notary's record of each act; a good journal is the best defense if an act is later questioned. Remote (online) notaries must keep records of their electronic acts under Maine's remote notarization rules.Maine Notary Public Handbook (Maine Secretary of State)

Under Maine's updated notary law, what does the notary use to authenticate a notarial act on paper?

• a.The signer's initials
• b.An official stamp showing the notary's name, title, and commission expiration date, together with the notary's signature✓
• c.A gold foil embossment only
• d.A photograph of the notary

Under Maine's updated notarial law, the notary completes the act with the notary's signature and an official stamp identifying the notary's name, title as a Maine notary public, and commission expiration date. The stamp authenticates the act and never contains the signer's information.Maine Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; Maine Notary Public Handbook

If a Maine notary keeps a journal, what should each entry ideally capture?

• a.The date, type of act, description of the document, the signer's name and signature, the identification method, and any fee✓
• b.The signer's salary
• c.A photocopy of the whole document
• d.The notary's personal opinions

A useful journal entry records the date, the type of act, a brief description of the document, the signer's name and signature, how the signer was identified, and any fee. It documents the act without storing unnecessary sensitive data.Maine Notary Public Handbook (Maine Secretary of State)

A Maine notary's official stamp is lost or stolen. What should the notary do?

• a.Do nothing unless it is misused
• b.Keep using a scanned image of the stamp
• c.Wait until the seven-year term ends
• d.Take prompt steps to prevent misuse, notify the Secretary of State as required, and obtain a replacement✓

Because a stolen stamp can facilitate fraud, the notary should promptly act to prevent misuse, notify the Secretary of State as required, and obtain a new stamp. Relying on a scanned image of the old stamp is not acceptable.Maine Notary Public Handbook (Maine Secretary of State)

How long is a Maine notary public commission valid?

• a.2 years
• b.4 years
• c.7 years✓
• d.10 years

A Maine notary commission is valid for seven years, longer than most states. To keep serving, the notary must renew and, at renewal, pass the online examination based on the state's Course of Study.4 M.R.S. Ch. 19 (notaries public); Maine Notary Public Handbook

After Maine approves a notary application, how is the new notary sworn in?

• a.By mailing a signed form to the Governor
• b.By appearing before a Dedimus Justice within 30 days to take the oath of office✓
• c.By taking the oath online instantly
• d.No oath is required in Maine

Once a Maine application is approved and the commission certificate is issued, the applicant has 30 days to appear before a Dedimus Justice to take the prescribed oath of office. Only after taking the oath may the notary begin to act.4 M.R.S. Sec. 1922(3) (oath); Maine Notary Public Handbook

Which is a qualification to become a Maine notary public?

• a.Be at least 18, be able to read and write English, and be a Maine resident (or reside in an adjacent state while employed or doing business in Maine)✓
• b.Be a U.S. citizen who owns property in Maine
• c.Hold a law license
• d.Be at least 25 years old

A Maine applicant must be at least 18, be able to read and write English, and generally reside in Maine, or reside in an adjacent state while regularly employed or doing business in Maine. Citizenship, property ownership, and a law license are not required.4 M.R.S. Ch. 19; Maine Notary Public Handbook

Which statement about the Maine notary exam is correct?

• a.There is no exam in Maine
• b.It is always a proctored, in-person, closed-book test
• c.It requires a fixed 90% score set by statute
• d.New applicants complete an examination as part of the application, and renewing notaries take an online examination based on the state's Course of Study✓

Maine handles testing through the application: new applicants complete an examination as part of applying, while renewing notaries take an online Notary Public Examination based on the Course of Study. Maine does not publish a fixed percentage threshold, so a study program should not state one as official.Maine Secretary of State — Notary Public Examination and Course of Study

How should a Maine notary treat fees for notarial acts?

• a.Charge whatever the market allows with no disclosure
• b.Never charge any fee
• c.Follow the fee rules in the Maine handbook and disclose the fee to the signer, since Maine's fee framework differs from states with a single fixed statutory cap✓
• d.Charge a mandatory $25 per act

Maine's fee framework is not a single fixed statutory cap like some states, so a notary should follow the current Maine handbook and be transparent with the signer about any fee charged. When in doubt, confirm the current fee rules with the Secretary of State rather than assuming a set amount.Maine Notary Public Handbook (Maine Secretary of State)

When must a Maine notary refuse to perform a notarial act?

• a.When the notary has a disqualifying interest, or the signer is absent, unidentified, unwilling, or appears coerced✓
• b.Whenever the document is handwritten
• c.Whenever the signer is not from Maine
• d.Whenever the notary is asked to officiate a wedding

A notary must refuse when they have a disqualifying interest in the transaction, when the signer does not personally appear, when identity cannot be confirmed, or when the signer appears unwilling, confused, or coerced. Impartiality and a competent, willing signer are required for every act.Maine Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; Maine Notary Public Handbook

May a Maine notary notarize a document in which the notary is a party or has a financial interest?

• a.Yes, if the notary discloses it
• b.No; a notary may not act when a party to, or financially or beneficially interested in, the transaction beyond the notarial fee✓
• c.Yes, for a business partner
• d.Yes, if the fee is waived

A notary must be impartial and may not notarize a transaction in which they are a party or hold a financial or beneficial interest beyond the notarial fee. Disclosure does not cure the conflict; the notary must decline and refer the signer to another notary.Maine Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; Maine Notary Public Handbook

A non-attorney Maine notary is asked to advise whether a document will hold up in court. What should the notary do?

• a.Give a brief opinion to help
• b.Advertise as a legal expert
• c.Refuse to notarize anything
• d.Decline to give legal advice and refer the signer to an attorney, while still able to perform the notarization✓

A non-attorney notary may not give legal advice or predict how a document will fare in court; that is the unauthorized practice of law. The notary declines to advise, refers the signer to a lawyer, and may still perform the notarization itself if the requirements are met.Maine Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts; Maine Notary Public Handbook