Maine Notary RULONA

What RULONA Changed in Maine

On July 1, 2023, Maine enacted the Revised Uniform Law on Notarial Acts (RULONA), replacing the state's older common-law-based notary standards with a codified statutory framework under Title 4, Chapter 39 of the Maine Revised Statutes. The law didn't just update existing rules — it restructured how notarization works in the state by creating three distinct pathways: traditional paper, in-person electronic (IPEN), and remote online (RON).

If you were commissioned before July 2023, several things about your practice changed. If you're applying for the first time, RULONA is the only framework you'll know — but understanding what it replaced helps you navigate outdated advice that still circulates online.

Three Pathways Instead of One

Before RULONA, Maine had one type of notarization: in-person, on paper, with a wet-ink signature. Electronic and remote notarization existed in legal gray areas or under temporary pandemic-era orders.

RULONA formalized all three methods with distinct rules for each:

Traditional paper notarization remains the baseline. The signer appears in person within Maine's borders, signs a physical document, and the notary applies a wet-ink signature and optional physical stamp. Journals are recommended but not legally required for this pathway.

In-Person Electronic Notarization (IPEN) is the same face-to-face interaction, but the document is digital. The notary applies an electronic signature and a mandatory electronic stamp. A journal is required — not optional — and may be a bound paper register or a secure electronic format.

Remote Online Notarization (RON) removes the physical-presence requirement for the signer. They appear through a live, two-way audio-visual session on an approved technology platform. The notary must still be physically in Maine. Mandatory requirements include an electronic journal, an X.509 digital certificate, and a continuous audio-visual recording of every session retained for at least 10 years.

The Marriage Officiant Split

One of RULONA's most consequential changes had nothing to do with digital technology. Before July 2023, a Maine notary commission automatically carried the authority to solemnize marriages. RULONA repealed that bundled authority entirely.

A new, separate credential — the Licensed Marriage Officiant — was established under the Department of Health and Human Services. Active, resident Maine notaries are automatically eligible for this separate license at no cost, unless they affirmatively opt out. But the two roles are now legally distinct. Non-resident notaries (New Hampshire residents commissioned in Maine) are completely ineligible for the marriage officiant license.

If you were commissioned before July 2023 and relied on your notary authority to officiate weddings, you need to confirm your marriage officiant status through the state's separate licensing track.

Journaling Rules Under RULONA

RULONA introduced the sharpest divide in recordkeeping Maine notaries have faced:

For traditional paper notarizations, keeping a journal is still not legally required. The Secretary of State strongly recommends it for liability protection, but there's no statutory mandate. If you do keep a paper journal, you may maintain only one active journal at a time, and records must be retained for 10 years.

For electronic and remote notarizations, journaling is strictly mandatory. The journal may be paper or a secure electronic format, but it must exist. Unlike the traditional one-journal limit, electronic and remote notaries can maintain multiple active journals simultaneously. The 10-year retention requirement applies.

The Notice to Perform System

RULONA created a registration process for notaries who want to expand into electronic or remote work. After obtaining your traditional commission, you must file a "Notice to Perform Electronic and/or Remote Online Notarizations" with the Secretary of State.

This notice requires attaching your training certificate from an approved technology provider, exemplars of your electronic signature and stamp, and a signed certification that you've read and understand the applicable statutes and rules. There is no state filing fee. You cannot perform any electronic or remote acts until you receive formal approval.

What RULONA Didn't Change

The traditional commissioning process — paper application, open-book exam, three required signatures, $50 fee, 30-day oath deadline — remained substantively the same. RULONA modernized the framework around what notaries can do once commissioned, not how they get commissioned in the first place.

The eligibility requirements also stayed constant: 18 or older, English proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking, Maine residency (or New Hampshire residency with Maine employment), and the same criminal-history standards.

Commission terms remained at seven years for Maine residents and four years for qualifying New Hampshire residents.

The Maine Notary Commission Requirements Guide covers the complete post-RULONA framework for all three notarization pathways, including the Notice to Perform registration process and the marriage officiant licensing transition.

See more Maine guides →