The notary public application is the form, printed as Application for a Notary Public Commission, that the Maine Secretary of State requires from anyone applying for a new notary commission. Maine residents and nonresidents who have a business or place of employment in Maine use the same form. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the agency publishes the original form and receives the application at the address printed on it.
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What is ME NOT APP?
The Notary Public Application, printed as Application for a Notary Public Commission (Form No. ME NOT APP – 7/1/2023), is the State of Maine form that an applicant completes and delivers to the Secretary of State to request a new notary public commission.
The form is longer than a typical application. It combines several parts in one document:
- applicant identity, home and mailing addresses, and contact details;
- four disclosure questions about revoked or suspended commissions in other jurisdictions, crimes punishable by one year or more of imprisonment, crimes involving fraud, dishonesty or deceit, and legal or disciplinary proceedings based on alleged fraud, dishonesty or deceit;
- a 15-question Notary Public Examination and a section matching eight terms, such as jurat, acknowledgement and credible witness, to their definitions;
- a Nonresident Eligibility section, completed only if you are not a Maine resident;
- a Marriage Officiant License section for Maine residents, with an opt-out box;
- a signed declaration that the information is true and that you have read 4 M.R.S. Chapter 39 and the Secretary of State's Chapter 700 rules.
The top of the page has an office-use area for the notary public number and the date the commission is issued. The Secretary of State's page lists this form as the application for new commissions; renewals are handled through a separate online process.
Who needs to file ME NOT APP?
Anyone applying for a new notary public commission in Maine completes this application. The declaration at the end of the form recognizes two groups:
- Maine residents who are at least 18 years old.
- Nonresidents of Maine who are at least 18 years old and have a business or place of employment located in Maine.
Nonresidents must also complete the Nonresident Eligibility section. If you have a business in Maine, you fill in the business name and its physical and mailing addresses. If you are employed in Maine, your employer completes the certification, with the business name, the work location, the employer's signature, and a printed name and title.
Maine residents who receive a commission are also eligible for a separate marriage officiant license at no additional cost, unless they mark the opt-out box. Nonresidents are not offered that license on this form.
This form is for new applicants. The Secretary of State's page says notary renewals are processed online rather than on this application.
When to file ME NOT APP
Submit the application when you want to be appointed as a new notary public in Maine; the form prints no filing deadline of its own. Answer every question and complete the whole examination before you send it, because the form says the entire application must be completed.
Two timing rules on the form affect what you do after applying. First, before you perform any electronic or remote online notarization, you must submit the separate electronic or remote online notification form and receive approval from the Secretary of State. Second, since July 1, 2023, a notary no longer has authority to solemnize marriages as a notary; a marriage officiant license is required, and the form issues one automatically to Maine resident notaries unless they opt out.
If you opt out and later want the license, you must submit a separate marriage officiant license application and pay its application fee.
Documents you need
- Payment of the application fee, payable to the Treasurer, State of Maine; the form states the amount.
- Credit Card Payment Voucher (PDF), which the Secretary of State's page lists next to the application, if you pay the fee by credit card.
- Additional sheets with details, if you answer Yes to a revocation, conviction or proceedings question and the form lacks room.
- Employer's completed and signed certification on the Nonresident Eligibility section, if you are a nonresident employed in Maine.
- The completed Notary Public Examination and definitions section, which are part of the application itself.
How to fill out ME NOT APP
Select your applicant type
At the top, mark Maine Resident Applicant or Nonresident Applicant. Nonresidents must also complete the Nonresident Eligibility section.
Enter your name and birth date
Type or print your legal name (first, middle, last, suffix) and your date of birth in the boxes provided.
Add addresses and contact details
Enter your home address as a physical location (street, city/town, state and zip code) and a mailing address if different. Add your e-mail address, contact telephone, work telephone and any other language fluency.
Answer the revocation question
Mark No or Yes for whether any notary commission you hold or held in another state or jurisdiction was ever revoked or suspended. If Yes, give the state or jurisdiction, the date and the reason.
Answer the three conviction and proceedings questions
Mark No or Yes for crimes punishable by one year or more of imprisonment, crimes involving fraud, dishonesty or deceit, and proceedings with findings or an admission of liability based on alleged fraud, dishonesty or deceit. For each Yes, give the details the form lists and attach additional sheets if needed.
Complete the Notary Public Examination
Answer questions 1 through 15 by checking the boxes; several say to check all that apply. Questions cover qualifications, identification, certified copies, journals, remote and electronic notarization, conflicts of interest and the official stamp.
Match the definitions
In the Definitions section, enter the letter of each word (A through H) in the blank beside its definition.
Complete Nonresident Eligibility if it applies
Select one box. If you have a business in Maine, give its legal name and physical and mailing addresses. If you are employed in Maine, your employer completes the certification with the business name, work location, signature, printed name and title.
Decide on the marriage officiant license
If you are a Maine resident and do not want the separate marriage officiant license, mark Do not issue a marriage officiant license to me (opt out). Leave it blank to be issued one automatically.
Read the declaration and sign
Mark whether you are a Maine resident at least 18 years of age or a nonresident at least 18 years of age with a business or employment in Maine. Sign, date and print your name.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that every question is answered and that the Nonresident Eligibility section is complete if needed. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, add the fee payment and any additional sheets, and submit it as described under How to submit.
How to submit ME NOT APP
You submit the application to the Maine Secretary of State by sending it, with the application fee, to the address printed on the form:
- Address: Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions, 101 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0101.
- Payment: an application fee applies, payable to the Treasurer, State of Maine. The form states the current amount. The agency's page also offers a Credit Card Payment Voucher (PDF) next to the application.
- Questions: call (207) 624-7752 or email [email protected].
Sign and date the declaration before sending. If you are a nonresident employed in Maine, make sure your employer has signed the certification first. Attach additional sheets if you answered Yes to any disclosure question and the form lacks room. The form names no online submission channel for new applications. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving questions or examination items unanswered; the form says the applicant must complete the entire application and answer all questions completely.
- Answering Yes to a revocation, conviction or proceedings question without the details the form lists, such as state or jurisdiction, date, court, docket or case number, and the crime.
- Skipping the Nonresident Eligibility section as a nonresident, or turning in the employer certification without the employer's signature, printed name and title.
- Making a fraudulent, dishonest or deceitful statement or omission; the declaration warns it could mean denial of the application or revocation or suspension of a commission.
- Not marking the opt-out box when you do not want a marriage officiant license; you will be issued one automatically and listed on the Secretary of State's public website.
- Opting out of the marriage officiant license and expecting to opt back in; the form says you would need a separate application and its fee.
- Making the fee payable to anyone other than the Treasurer, State of Maine.
- Performing an electronic or remote online notarization before submitting the notification form and receiving the Secretary of State's approval.
- Sending the application without signing and dating the declaration.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Maine notary public application?
It is the Application for a Notary Public Commission (Form No. ME NOT APP – 7/1/2023), the form the Maine Secretary of State uses for new notary commissions. It collects your identity, disclosure answers, an examination, any nonresident eligibility information and your signed declaration.
Can I fill out the notary public application online?
Yes, you can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the Maine Secretary of State and does not submit the application; you send it to the agency at the address on the form.
Who can apply to be a notary public in Maine?
The form's declaration names two groups: Maine residents at least 18 years old, and nonresidents at least 18 years old with a business or place of employment located in Maine. Nonresidents must complete the Nonresident Eligibility section.
Where do I send the Maine notary public application?
Send it to Secretary of State, Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions, 101 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0101. Questions go to (207) 624-7752 or [email protected].
Is there a fee for the notary public application, and who is it payable to?
Yes. An application fee applies, and the form says to make it payable to the Treasurer, State of Maine. The form states the amount. The agency's page also lists a Credit Card Payment Voucher (PDF) for card payment.
Does the application include an exam?
Yes. The application contains a 15-question Notary Public Examination and a section where you match eight terms to their definitions. You complete both on the form itself and submit them with the rest of the application.
Can a nonresident become a Maine notary?
Yes, if you are at least 18 and have a business or place of employment in Maine. Complete the Nonresident Eligibility section: you fill in business details yourself, or your employer completes and signs the certification.
Do I get a marriage officiant license with my notary commission?
Maine resident notaries are eligible for a separate marriage officiant license at no additional cost and receive it automatically unless they mark the opt-out box. Since July 1, 2023, a notary can no longer solemnize marriages as a notary.
Can I use this form to renew my notary commission?
No. The Secretary of State's page says renewals are processed online. You then print the documents, appear before a Dedimus Justice for the oath, and mail the originally signed exam and oath to the office.
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