Do I need a payed Membership to notarize an app?

As I read, beginning in macOS 10.15, all software distributed with Developer ID must be notarized. So, this also means, if I have my very own code, build the app in Xode and distribute the build over my own homepage (for free), the app must be notarized. Right?


So, I started to get my own builds notarized. But it fails with

Error Messages:
  You must first sign the relevant contracts online. (1048)
2019-12-29 12:30:08.016 altool[2471:166433] *** Error: You must first sign the relevant contracts online. (1048)


So, I went to iTunes Connect to see wich contract I would need to sign first. But it only tells me, that my payed developer membership need to be renewd. Which will cost me 99 Euro. Does this mean, I will only be able to notarize my free app for my own homepage, if I have a payed developer membership?


Do I also need to notarize the app if it is build on my Mac, for my Mac (not for distribution)?

Replies

As I read, beginning in macOS 10.15, all software distributed with Developer ID must be notarized.

Correct.

So, this also means, if I have my very own code, build the app in Xode and distribute the build over my own homepage (for free), the app must be notarized. Right?

Yes. Well, a user is free to run whatever code they want on their Mac, so you could ship a non-notarised app and then require the user to jump through hoops to run it, but that’s not a great idea.

Does this mean, I will only be able to notarize my free app … if I have a payed developer membership?

Yes.

Do I also need to notarize the app if it is build on my Mac, for my Mac (not for distribution)?

No. Currently, the system checks for notarisation as part of the Gatekeeper process and Gatekeeper only runs if the app is quarantined. When you build an app locally, it’s not quarantined, and thus Gatekeeper never checks it, and thus notarisation is irrelevant.

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