Maryland Notary Practice Exam 2026 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

In notarial practice, the signer is the person whose identity is verified and who signs the document being notarized. The notary’s role is to confirm that the signer is really who they claim to be (using valid ID), that the signer appears before the notary, and that the signing is done in the notary’s presence, so the appropriate notarial certificate (acknowledgment or jurat) can be completed. The clerk isn’t the person whose signature is being notarized, and a witness may observe the signing but is not the signer. Therefore, the statement correctly identifies the signer as the individual whose identity is verified and who signs the document.