In most cases, a bill of sale does not need to be notarized in Maryland. A buyer’s and seller’s signatures are enough for ordinary personal property. The one situation where notarization is actually required involves vehicles: the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration demands a notarized bill of sale on its own form when a car or truck less than seven years old sells for less than its book value.1Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Buying a Vehicle in Maryland Boats have their own rule, and it is more flexible than most sellers assume.
Vehicle Sales Are Where the Rule Actually Bites
The MVA requires a notarized bill of sale on Form VR-181 when two conditions are both true: the vehicle is seven years old or newer, and the sale price is below the vehicle’s book value.1Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Buying a Vehicle in Maryland The notarized form establishes the actual purchase price so the MVA can calculate the 6.5% excise tax on what you paid rather than on the higher book value.
Skip the notarized form and the MVA will tax you on book value. On a five-year-old car with a $15,000 book value that you bought for $11,000, that is $975 in excise tax instead of $715. The notarized bill of sale saves you $260.
There is a practical shortcut. If your purchase price is within $500 of book value, the MVA will accept the price written on the title assignment without a notarized bill of sale.1Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Buying a Vehicle in Maryland The notarization requirement really only matters when the gap between the sale price and book value is meaningful.
A notarized bill of sale is not required when the vehicle is older than seven years or when the sale price meets or exceeds book value.1Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Buying a Vehicle in Maryland For vehicles seven years and older, excise tax is based on the purchase price or a minimum value of $640, whichever is greater.2Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Title and Registration Information
One more detail: when notarization applies, you must use the MVA’s Form VR-181. A generic notarized bill of sale will not be accepted in its place.1Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Buying a Vehicle in Maryland You can call the MVA’s Customer Service Center at 1-410-768-7000 to check a vehicle’s book value before your transaction and decide whether the form is necessary.
Boats: Notarization or a Signed Certification
Every vessel owner in Maryland must apply for a certificate of title within 30 days of purchase, and the application must include the date of sale and the purchase price. The application has to be either sworn before a notary public or accompanied by a written certification stating that all information is true and correct under penalty of perjury.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Natural Resources 8-715 – Certificate of Title for Vessels That second option means notarization is not strictly mandatory for boats. A signed penalty-of-perjury certification does the same job.
Notarization still helps when supporting paperwork is incomplete. If the manufacturer’s certificate of origin or a previous title assignment is missing the buyer’s name, the purchase price, or the seller’s signature, a notarized bill of sale can fill those gaps when you submit to the Department of Natural Resources.
Everything Else: Not Required
For personal property that is not a vehicle or a boat, Maryland does not require notarization. Selling furniture, tools, a musical instrument, livestock, equipment? A signed bill of sale is legally sufficient.
One boundary to be aware of, because it is often confused with a notarization rule: Maryland’s version of the Uniform Commercial Code requires a written document for the sale of goods worth $500 or more. Without something in writing signed by the party you want to enforce the deal against, the contract may not be enforceable in court.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Commercial Law 2-201 A plain, unnotarized bill of sale satisfies that writing requirement. Below $500, even an oral agreement can technically be valid, though a written bill of sale is still smart protection.
Even when the law does not require it, notarization can be worth the small fee on a high-value private sale. A notary independently confirms that the people signing are who they say they are and that they signed voluntarily. If a dispute later surfaces about whether the sale happened or whether a signature is real, the notary’s seal and record carry weight in court. For a $200 end table, that is overkill. For $5,000 of equipment from someone you found online, it is cheap insurance.
If You Do Get It Notarized
Both the buyer and seller should appear before the notary together, bringing the unsigned document and valid photo identification. The notary verifies each person’s identity, watches both parties sign, and then applies the seal. Do not sign the document before you get there; the notary has to witness the signatures.
Maryland caps notary fees by regulation. An in-person notarial act costs no more than $8 per signature. Remote online notarization is capped at $30. Additional copies of the same document signed at the same time are $4 per signature.5Maryland Secretary of State. COMAR 01.02.08.02 – Charges and Fees Notaries work at banks, credit unions, shipping centers, and some law offices. Many charge less than the maximum, and some banks notarize free for account holders.
Maryland also allows notarization by video call under ยง 18-214 of the State Government Article. The notary must be physically located in Maryland, but the signer can be anywhere, including outside the United States. The notary verifies the signer’s identity through credential analysis and identity proofing, and the entire session is recorded on audio and video and kept for at least 10 years.6Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code State Government 18-214 One caveat worth a phone call: no person or agency is required to accept a remotely notarized document, and the MVA could decline one. Confirm acceptance before you rely on it for a vehicle transaction.