A Maryland notary stamp must carry your name and office as commissioned, the county you reside in, and your commission expiration date unless the certificate carries that date instead. A notary who lives outside Maryland names the county where they qualified. An embosser is allowed as a full alternative. This page covers the wording, the silences in the law and what to send a stamp maker.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against Md. Code, State Gov't § 18-217(a)(1), (b) and the commissioning structure the state uses: The Governor, on approval of the applicant's State Senator, with the Office of the Secretary of State running the Notary Division day to day and the clerk of the circuit court taking your qualification within 30 days. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp required | Yes. A commissioned Maryland notary uses a stamp. | Md. Code, State Gov't § 18-217(a)(1), (b) |
| Name and office | Your name and office. In practice that is the name on your commission, followed by the title Notary Public. | Md. Code, State Gov't § 18-217(a)(1), (b) |
| County | Your county of residence. | Md. Code, State Gov't § 18-217(a)(1), (b) |
| Notary residing outside Maryland | The county in which you qualified is named instead, and Baltimore City counts as a county. | Md. Code, State Gov't § 18-217(a)(1), (b) |
| Commission expiration date | Required on the stamp, unless the notarial certificate carries that date instead. | Md. Code, State Gov't § 18-217(a)(1), (b) |
| Embosser | Allowed outright as a complete substitute. | Md. Code, State Gov't § 18-217(a)(1), (b) |
| Size and shape | Not addressed. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Ink color | The notary law says nothing about it. | Not addressed in the cited rules |
| Commission term | Four years. | Maryland notary handbook, Office of the Secretary of State |
| Lost or stolen device | Notify the Secretary of State promptly once you find the device is gone. | Maryland notary handbook, Office of the Secretary of State |
For the same rule in the other 53 jurisdictions, read notary seal requirements by state.
What must a Maryland notary stamp say?
The statute asks for your name and office, your county, and your commission expiration date. In practice that line is the name carried on your commission, followed by the title Notary Public.
Match the name on the stamp to the name on the commission, character for character. A middle initial that appears on the commission belongs on the stamp, and a nickname you sign with does not. Our walk through of the Maryland notary seal requirements line by line sets the same wording out as a layout.
Which county belongs on the stamp?
The county where you reside. If you live outside Maryland and hold a Maryland commission, the stamp names the county where you qualified instead, and Baltimore City counts as a county for this purpose.
This is the single item most often wrong on a reorder, because people move within the state and reorder from an old file. A change of county of residence is also a reportable change, which makes the stamp and the notice two halves of the same task.
Does the expiration date have to appear on the stamp?
Only if you are not putting it in the notarial certificate. Section 18-217 gives you the choice: the commission expiration date goes on the stamp, or it goes in the certificate you complete.
Putting the date on the stamp is tidy but ties the device to one commission term. Keeping it in the certificate lets the same device carry through a renewal, which is worth weighing before you approve artwork. We compare the two approaches in our note on what renewal means for an existing Maryland stamp.
What size and shape does Maryland require?
Neither is addressed. The notary law states the content of the stamp and stops there, with no diameter, no rectangle dimension and no required outline.
Silence is not permission to be unreadable, and every word the statute lists still has to fit and print cleanly. A rectangular stamp sized to hold a full name, the office, a county and a date is the common choice for exactly that reason.
Is an embosser allowed instead of an inked stamp?
Yes. The statute permits an embosser as a full alternative rather than as a decorative extra, so a crimped impression carrying the required wording stands on its own.
The practical consideration is reproduction. An embossed impression can vanish on a photocopy or a scan, which is why many Maryland notaries keep an inked stamp for documents that will be copied and reserve the embosser for originals. Our overview of what belongs in a Maryland notary kit covers how the two devices are usually paired.
Which ink color does the law require?
None is specified. The notary law does not address ink color at all, so no shade is mandated and none is forbidden by the provision cited here.
Dark ink remains the sensible default because recorders and receiving parties work from copies. Where a specific recipient asks for a particular color, that is their requirement rather than the state's.
How long does a Maryland commission run?
Four years. Before the term ends the Secretary of State issues a renewal application; the handbook sets the window from 60 days ahead of expiry through to 30 days after it, and you re-qualify before the clerk of the circuit court inside 30 days.
Notaries are commissioned, not licensed, and the commission is what your stamp represents. If your stamp shows an expiration date, plan the reorder around that four year cycle so a new device is ready when you re-qualify.
What do you do if the stamp is lost or stolen?
Notify the Secretary of State promptly once you find the device is gone. The obligation attaches to the discovery, not to the outcome of a search.
Treat the device as a credential rather than as office stock. Store it separately from the journal and the certificates, and order the replacement only after the notice has gone in. More on how the stamp law shapes what you buy is set out in that article.
Which changes must you report, and how quickly?
Within 30 days, and the list is long: a change of name, county of residence, home address, business address, personal email, business email, home or cell phone, or business phone all require notice to the Office of the Secretary of State.
Two of those items change the stamp itself. A name change and a change of county of residence both alter wording the statute requires on the face, so the notice and the new device belong in the same week. Our summary of the wider Maryland notary requirements puts these duties in order.
What should you have ready when ordering?
Your name exactly as commissioned, the county of residence or of qualification, your decision on whether the expiration date goes on the face, and the device type you want.
Bring the commission document rather than working from memory, because the stamp follows it. If you are ordering an embosser and an inked stamp together, keep the wording identical on both. Our practical tips on Maryland notary seal wording cover the common layout choices.
Frequently asked questions
Can you keep one stamp across two commission terms?
Yes, if the expiration date is not on the face and nothing else on the stamp has changed. A stamp that shows the date has to be replaced when the term rolls over.
Does the word Maryland have to appear on the stamp?
The statute lists the name and office, the county and the expiration date. It does not name the state as a separate required item in the provision cited here.
What does name and office mean in practice?
It means your name as commissioned together with your title as a notary public. Those two elements sit on the stamp as a single identification of who is acting and in what capacity.
Is a self-inking stamp treated differently from a hand stamp?
No. The law addresses the wording rather than the mechanism, so a self-inking model, a hand stamp with a pad and an embosser are all acceptable carriers of the required content.
If you move to a different Maryland county, is a new stamp needed?
Yes, because the county of residence is a required element. Report the change within 30 days and order a stamp that names the new county before you notarize again.
Does the stamp have to be round?
No shape is specified. Round, oval and rectangular devices all satisfy a statute that speaks only to what the stamp says.
Once your name, county and date decision are settled, put the wording into production. Browse the Maryland notary stamps and embossers we make and send your commission details exactly as they appear on the commission.
