Maryland Notary study plan

Maryland Notary · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Notarial Acts and Allowable Actions a Notary May Perform

Define each notarial act a Maryland notary may perform and state in one sentence what the signer must do for each
Distinguish acknowledgments from jurats by listing the required elements of each certificate
Identify which acts a Maryland notary may not perform and explain why for each exclusion
Build a one-page comparison table of act types, required personal appearance, and certificate wording

A completed one-page act-comparison table covering every allowable notarial act with certificate elements listed

Week 2

Explain the notary's duty to verify identity and list acceptable forms of identification
Describe the stamping device requirements including what information the stamp must contain
Outline the journal entry fields a notary must record for each act
Practice writing three sample journal entries from short fact patterns

Three sample journal entries written from fact patterns, each including all required fields

Week 3

State the rules for safeguarding the stamping device and journal against theft or misuse
Describe what a notary must do if the stamp or journal is lost, stolen, or compromised
Explain the retention period and custody rules for journal records
Identify the penalties for failing to maintain or protect the stamp and journal

A written incident-response checklist for a lost or stolen stamp and journal

Week 4

A log of missed questions with corrected rules, plus a retest score of at least 85 percent

Week 5

List the maximum fee a Maryland notary may charge per act and per additional certificate
Compute total charges for travel and mileage using sample distances
Outline the steps to apply for a commission, including any required training or exam
Describe the renewal timeline and what happens if a commission lapses
Explain the process and deadlines for reporting a name or address change

A worked fee-and-travel worksheet with three sample scenarios showing itemized charges

Week 6

Define remote online notarization and state the conditions under which it is permitted
List the identity-proofing and audio-video recording requirements for RON sessions
Identify the requirements an authorized RON vendor or platform must meet
Explain how RON journal and recording retention rules differ from in-person acts
Walk through a mock RON session from identity proofing to recording storage

A step-by-step RON session checklist from signer identity proofing through recording retention

Week 7

Complete a timed 40-question practice set spanning fees, RON, and commissioning
Draft short answers explaining the difference between in-person and remote fee rules
Review the commissioning and renewal sequence until you can recite it without notes
Identify any weak domain and write five targeted review questions for yourself

A timed practice score of at least 80 percent plus five self-written review questions with answers

Week 8

Take two full-length timed practice exams under test conditions
Review all missed items and map each to its domain
Re-drill the two weakest domains with focused recall practice
Confirm you can state fee limits, stamp requirements, and renewal deadlines from memory

Two full-length practice exams completed with a final score of at least 85 percent

Week 2: Can explain every allowable notarial act and write a compliant journal entry without notes

Week 4: Scores at least 85 percent on the acts and stamping practice set and has a corrected-rule log

Week 6: Can walk through a complete RON session and state vendor and recording requirements from memory

Week 8: Scores at least 85 percent on two full-length timed practice exams with all missed items reviewed