How to Become a Notary in Texas (2026 Guide)

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Key Takeaways

• New for 2026 applications: SB693 requires an education course of up to two hours through the Secretary of State before appointment, plus continuing education at renewal
• You must be a Texas resident, at least 18 years old, with no felony or moral turpitude convictions
• Pay the $21 filing fee and post a $10,000 surety bond (Form 2301B, from a surety licensed in Texas, payable to the governor)
• No separate state exam: the assessment inside the SOS education course is the test
• Commission term is 4 years
• Maximum fees have been $10 for the first acknowledged signature and $10 for an oath since September 1, 2023, with $1 for each additional signature (HB 255, not SB693)

Becoming a Texas notary is a short process: meet the residency requirements, complete the Secretary of State’s education course if you are applying on or after January 1, 2026, post your $10,000 surety bond, submit your application with the $21 filing fee, and take your oath. Texas requires no separate state exam. Two recent laws get conflated in coverage of these requirements. HB 255 (2023) raised the maximum fees. SB 693 (2025) added the education requirement, a ten-year journal retention rule, and a new criminal offense for notarizing when the signer never appeared.

Requirements

To qualify as a Texas notary public, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a legal resident of Texas
• Have no conviction for a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude

That’s it. Texas doesn’t require training (beyond the new SOS course), an exam, or prior experience.

Step-by-Step Application Process

Step 1: Complete the SOS Education Course (If Applying on or After January 1, 2026)

SB 693, effective September 1, 2025, requires applicants for a new appointment to complete an education course offered through the Texas Secretary of State website. The course runs up to two hours and covers notary law, duties, and best practices. The requirement applies to applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026; notaries appointed before September 1, 2025 are exempt. Renewing notaries complete continuing education at reappointment.

Step 2: Submit Your Application

Obtain proof of your notary public surety bond from a Texas-licensed bonding company (Form 2301B: a $10,000 bond from a solvent surety authorized in Texas, payable to the governor), then complete the notary public application (available from the TX SOS forms page) and submit it with the bond proof and the $21 filing fee. You can file electronically through a bonding company or by mail, and many bonding companies handle the entire submission, bond included.

Step 3: Take Your Oath of Office

Once the Secretary of State approves your application, you’ll take your oath of office before a notary public or other authorized officer. Your commission certificate will be issued after the oath is filed.

Step 4: Purchase Your Supplies

After receiving your commission, buy your notary seal (stamp) and a record book (journal). Texas requires both. Stamps cost $15–$25 and journals cost $10–$50. These are available from office supply stores and online notary supply companies. If you are heading into loan signing work, add a dual-tray laser printer to the list.

Costs to Get Commissioned

Item	Cost
State filing fee	$21
$10,000 surety bond premium	Varies by surety (typically $50-$100)
Notary stamp	$15–$25
Notary journal	$10–$50
Total	$96–$196

What SB693 Actually Changed (Effective September 1, 2025)

Senate Bill 693 took effect September 1, 2025, and its education requirement reaches applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026. Four changes matter to working notaries:

• New applicants complete an SOS education course of up to two hours before appointment, and renewing notaries complete continuing education. Notaries appointed before September 1, 2025 are exempt.
• Notarizing a document knowing the signer never personally appeared is now a criminal offense under Government Code §406.0091. It is a Class A misdemeanor, and a state jail felony when the instrument involves real property.
• Journal entries must be retained until the tenth anniversary of the notarization (§406.014(g)). The record book itself was already required under §406.014; only the retention period is new.
• The Secretary of State gained expanded “good cause” grounds for denying a commission (§406.009(d)).

Fee Schedule

Since September 1, 2023, the maximums have been $10 for the first acknowledged signature and $10 for an oath or verification, with $1 for each additional signature in the same instrument (Gov’t Code §406.024). The caps adjust with the consumer price index every five years, so check the SOS schedule before you set your rates. Authorized online notaries can charge up to $25 per notarization. These are maximums. You can charge less, but charging more can result in criminal prosecution and commission revocation.

Mobile Notary and Online Notary

Texas allows notaries to perform mobile notary services and set their own travel fees. The state also permits online notarization (RON). You can apply for an online notary commission after receiving your regular commission. You’ll need a digital certificate, electronic seal, and an approved RON platform.

Renewal

Texas notary commissions last 4 years. The renewal process is the same as the initial application, plus SB693 continuing education for reappointments. Apply no more than 90 days before your commission expires to avoid a gap. You’ll need a new stamp with your updated commission dates.

Becoming a Signing Agent in Texas

Texas is an escrow and title state, not an attorney state. Title companies run most closings, and no attorney needs to be present when loan documents are signed. The exception is the home equity line of credit (HELOC), which must close at the lender’s office, an attorney’s office, or a title company. Standard purchases and refinances carry no such restriction, so Texas signing agents handle those at the borrower’s location, alongside out-of-state loan packages for escrow companies and signing services. For comparison, see our guides for California and Florida, both attorney-involved markets in different ways.

According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for a Texas notary is approximately $46,000. Signing agents who handle loan closings can earn significantly more.

Notarial Acts You Can Perform

Texas notaries can perform the following notarial acts:

• Acknowledgments: verifying the signer appeared before you and acknowledged signing voluntarily
• Jurats: administering an oath or affirmation and witnessing the signer sign in your presence
• Oaths and affirmations: swearing in a signer for verbal statements
• Certificates under seal: certifying copies of documents that are not recordable in public records (§406.016(a)(5)). Vital records such as birth certificates do not qualify
• Protests: certifying dishonor of negotiable instruments (rarely used)

For online notaries, the same acts apply plus electronic notarizations performed through an approved RON platform.

Notarizing for Family Members

Texas does not have a specific statute prohibiting notarizing for family members. However, the general rule against notarizing documents in which you have a direct financial or beneficial interest still applies. This means:

• You cannot notarize any document in which you or your spouse are a party to the transaction or have a direct beneficial interest
• You should not notarize for yourself under any circumstances
• Notarizing for parents, siblings, or adult children is not explicitly prohibited, but you must have no financial interest in the document

The safest practice is to avoid notarizing for immediate family members whenever possible to prevent any appearance of conflict of interest.

Penalties for Notary Misconduct in Texas

Texas takes notary misconduct seriously. Under the Texas Government Code, penalties include:

• Notarizing without the signer present: under §406.0091 (added by SB693), notarizing knowing the signer never personally appeared is a Class A misdemeanor, or a state jail felony for real-property documents
• Charging excessive fees: exceeding the §406.024 maximums can result in commission revocation and criminal prosecution
• Forgery or fraud: falsifying a notarization is a felony offense
• Commission revocation, the Secretary of State can revoke your commission for any violation of notary law
• Civil liability. You can be sued for damages caused by improper notarizations, and you repay the surety anything it pays out on your bond, which is why many Texas notaries carry E&O insurance on top of the bond

Employer Obligations

If your employer pays for your notary bond, stamp, or supplies, they do not gain control over your notarial acts. Key points:

• Your notary commission is yours personally. It cannot be transferred to or owned by your employer
• An employer may not limit who you notarize for, require you to notarize without proper identification, or pressure you to skip required steps
• If you leave your job, your commission and your stamp go with you. Your employer must return all notary supplies to you
• The employer can require you to perform notarizations as part of your job duties during work hours, but they cannot override your professional judgment on whether a notarization is proper

How Texas Compares to Neighboring States

Requirement	Texas	Oklahoma	Louisiana	New Mexico	Arkansas
Bond	$10,000	$10,000	$50,000	$10,000	$7,500
Exam	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Training	Yes (2-hr course, new applicants from 1/1/2026)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Term	4 years	4 years	5 years	4 years	10 years
Max Fee	$10	$5	No maximum	$5	No maximum
RON	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Texas pairs its $10,000 bond with the highest fee cap among the neighbors that set one, at $10 per acknowledgment (Louisiana and Arkansas leave fees to the market). Louisiana’s bond jumped from $10,000 to $50,000 effective February 1, 2026 under Act 258 of 2025, making it the outlier by far. Arkansas pairs the longest commission term here, 10 years, with required training and a state exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated October 2026. Requirements verified against the Texas Secretary of State and Government Code Chapter 406. Fee history: HB 255 (2023). Education, retention, and penalty changes: SB 693 (2025).