Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions

Timothy Poulin, Director and Notary Public Officer
Cathy Beaudoin, Assistant Director

The Division is responsible for administering the Notaries Public and Dedimus Justice program area for the Bureau.

Notary Public is an ancient office with many citations throughout Maine statute. The primary duty is to formally witness transactions involving paper documents. Maine Notaries, like those in Florida and South Carolina, can officiate at weddings. But there is no reciprocity with other states -- this means that out-of-state Notaries or Justices of the Peace cannot obtain permission to officiate at marriages in Maine. Only Maine adult residents can become and function as Maine Notaries Public.

Dedimus Justices perform a single function under Maine statute, that of swearing in various public officials, including Notaries Public. The office is a lifetime appointment by the Governor, but the application form is available from and the paperwork managed by the Notary Office in the Bureau of Corporation, Elections and Commission.

Authentications/Apostilles are often called "legalizations," sometimes "incumbencies," "certifications," or "convalidations"; an apostille is a form of authentication appropriate to countries which have signed the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. They are often needed in adoptions, extraditions, and certain business transactions.

The office of Justice of the Peace was merged into that of Notary Public between 1981 and 1988.

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