29-250 C.M.R. ch. 700, § 3 - RENEWAL OF NOTARY PUBLIC COMMISSION

1. Notice of expiration. The Secretary of State shall send written notification to a notary public, no less than 30 calendar days prior to the expiration of the notary's commission. Notice will be sent to the email address recorded on the Secretary of State's database. If the notary public does not have an email address, the notice will be sent by U.S. Postal Service, regular first-class mail. Failure to receive the notice does not delay or suspend the expiration of the commission.

2. Application for renewal. An application for renewal of a notary public commission must include the following information:

A. The name under which the current notary public commission was issued;

B. The legal name of the notary public seeking renewal of the commission (if changed since issuance of the commission that is expiring);

C. The date of expiration of the commission;

D. The physical address of the applicant's residence and the applicant's mailing address;

E. The applicant's email address and contact telephone number;

F. The physical address of a place of employment or location of the notary public's business in Maine if the notary is not a resident of Maine;

G. A list of any crimes for which the notary public has been convicted since the date of issuance of the commission that is expiring;

H. Disclosure of any legal proceedings in any jurisdiction that resulted in findings against the applicant or admissions of liability by the applicant; and

I. A declaration signed by the notary that all information provided in the application is true and correct.

3. Deadline for filing. If the notary fails to file a renewal application before the expiration date of the current commission, the notary public is not authorized to perform any notarial acts until the commission has been renewed or a new commission has been issued and the applicant has taken the oath of office before a Dedimus Justice. If the application for renewal is not received by the Secretary of State within 90 calendar days after the expiration date of the commission, the notary public must apply for a new commission.

4. Examination. An applicant for renewal must pass an examination administered by the Secretary of State to demonstrate an understanding of the laws, rules, procedures and ethics relevant to performing notarial acts.

5. Application Fee. Every application for renewal of a notary public commission, or a new commission, must be accompanied by payment of a fee prescribed by 5 M.R.S. §87, submitted to the Secretary of State and made payable to the Treasurer, State of Maine.

Notes

29-250 C.M.R. ch. 700, § 3