How to Become a Notary in Texas

Becoming a notary public in Texas is one of the more practical professional credentials you can add without significant investment of time or money. The entire process — from application to receiving your commission — typically takes two to four weeks and costs between $50 and $100 all-in. Once commissioned, you can notarise documents for individuals, businesses, and legal proceedings, and you can charge fees for your services.

Texas notaries are commissioned by the Texas Secretary of State. The commission lasts four years and is renewable. Texas also offers a separate Remote Online Notarization (RON) authorisation for notaries who want to notarise documents electronically over audiovisual technology — a significant market expansion since 2018 when Texas became one of the first states to authorise RON.

This guide covers every step of the process in the order you need to complete it.

Q: Do you need to pass a test or take a course to become a notary in Texas? A: No. Texas does not require a mandatory training course or examination to become a notary public. You must meet basic eligibility requirements, purchase a surety bond, complete an application, and pay a filing fee. While training is not legally required, many applicants choose to complete a notary education course through the Texas Association of Notaries or the National Notary Association to understand their duties and reduce liability — but this is optional, not mandatory.

1. Confirm You Meet the Eligibility Requirements

Before beginning the application process, confirm that you meet all of Texas’s eligibility requirements for a notary commission. The Secretary of State will reject applications that do not meet these criteria.

To become a notary in Texas you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be a legal resident of Texas (you must be domiciled in Texas, not merely working there)
• Not have been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude — unless you have been pardoned or had your civil rights restored
• Be able to read and write in English (Texas notaries must be able to communicate in English, though they may also work in other languages)

Texas does not require US citizenship to become a notary. Lawful permanent residents and other individuals with valid legal status who are Texas residents are eligible to apply.

There is no minimum educational requirement. You do not need a law degree, a paralegal credential, or any specific professional background to become a notary in Texas.

2. Purchase a $10,000 Surety Bond

Texas law requires all notary applicants to obtain a surety bond of $10,000 before submitting their application. This bond protects the public from financial harm caused by a notary’s errors or misconduct — it is not insurance for the notary but a guarantee to the public.

The bond is purchased from a surety company, insurance company, or notary bonding service — not from the state. You will pay a premium for the bond, which is a small fraction of the bond’s face value. Typical Texas notary bond premiums range from $30–$75 for a four-year bond, depending on the provider.

Vendors that commonly provide Texas notary bonds include:

• The National Notary Association (NNA)
• Texas Association of Notaries
• Notary Bond brokers and local insurance agencies

When you purchase the bond, the bonding company provides you with a bond form that you submit with your Secretary of State application. Some bonding companies also offer package deals that include errors and omissions (E&O) insurance alongside the required surety bond. E&O insurance is optional but recommended — it protects you personally if a notarial error results in a claim that exceeds the surety bond coverage.

3. Complete and Submit the Application to the Secretary of State

Texas notary applications are submitted to the Texas Secretary of State. You can apply online through the Secretary of State’s website (sos.texas.gov) or by mail using a paper application.

Online application process:

1. Go to sos.texas.gov and navigate to the Notary Public section
2. Create or log in to your SOS Direct account
3. Complete the notary application form with your personal information, county of residence, and term start date
4. Upload your surety bond form (provided by your bonding company)
5. Pay the application fee — currently $21 for a standard four-year commission
6. Submit the application

Paper application process:

Download Form 2301 from the Secretary of State website, complete it, attach your original surety bond, and mail it with a check or money order for $21 to the Secretary of State’s office in Austin.

The Texas Secretary of State application fee is $21 — among the lowest notary commission fees in the country. Combined with a surety bond premium of $30–$75, the total out-of-pocket cost to become a commissioned Texas notary is typically $50–$100 for a four-year commission, making it one of the most affordable professional credentials available.

Processing time for online applications is typically faster than mail applications. Most applicants receive their commission certificate within 2–4 weeks of a complete application submission. The Secretary of State will mail your official commission certificate to the address on your application.

4. Purchase Your Notary Seal and Journal

After receiving your commission certificate from the Secretary of State, you need to obtain the supplies required to perform notarial acts. Texas law specifies the format and content requirements for your notary seal.

Notary seal requirements in Texas:

Texas law requires notaries to use a seal that contains:

• The words “Notary Public, State of Texas” (in that exact form)
• Your name as it appears on your commission
• Your commission expiration date
• Your notary commission number (assigned by the Secretary of State and printed on your commission certificate)

Texas allows both rubber stamp seals (ink stamp) and embosser seals (raised impression). Many notaries use a rubber stamp for everyday use — it produces a legible impression on photocopies and scanned documents — and keep an embosser as a secondary option. Rubber stamp seals typically cost $20–$40.

Notary journal:

Texas law does not legally require notaries to maintain a journal, but it is strongly recommended by the Secretary of State and by notary professional organisations. A journal creates a contemporaneous record of each notarial act — the date, the type of act, the document notarised, and the identity verification method used. This record provides critical protection in any dispute about whether a notarisation occurred or was performed properly.

A standard bound notary journal costs $15–$30 and is available from NNA, office supply stores, or notary supply vendors.

5. Understand Your Duties and Limitations

Before performing any notarial acts, it is essential to understand what Texas notaries are authorised to do — and what they are prohibited from doing.

Notarial acts authorised in Texas:

• Acknowledgments: The signer personally appears before you and acknowledges that they signed the document voluntarily
• Jurats: The signer personally appears, signs in your presence, and swears or affirms the truth of the document’s contents
• Oaths and affirmations: Administering sworn statements for affidavits and other sworn documents
• Copy certifications: Certifying that a copy of a document is a true copy of the original (Texas notaries cannot certify copies of vital records such as birth, death, or marriage certificates — those require official certified copies from the issuing agency)
• Signature witnessing: Witnessing the signing of documents

Key prohibitions:

• Texas notaries may not give legal advice or prepare legal documents unless they are licensed attorneys. Explaining what a document means, advising someone whether to sign, or selecting which notarial act to perform based on the document’s legal requirements all constitute unauthorised practice of law if performed by a non-attorney notary.
• Texas notaries may not notarise a document in which they have a direct financial or beneficial interest.
• Texas notaries may not notarise a document signed by a family member if the notary has a direct interest in the transaction.

Fee limits:

Texas law caps notary fees at $6 per notarial act for standard in-person notarisations. You may charge less; you may not charge more. For remote online notarisations, the cap is $25 per notarial act.

6. Optional: Apply for Remote Online Notarization (RON) Authorisation

Texas was a national leader in authorising Remote Online Notarization (RON) — the ability to notarise documents over live audiovisual technology without the signer being physically present. Texas RON became available in January 2018 under Texas Government Code Chapter 406.

RON allows a Texas notary to notarise documents for signers located anywhere in the world, as long as the notary is physically in Texas at the time of the notarisation. This significantly expands the market for notary services and is particularly valuable for real estate transactions, estate planning documents, and business agreements involving parties in different locations.

To become a Texas RON notary:

1. You must already hold a standard Texas notary commission
2. Complete the RON application through the Secretary of State’s website — there is no additional state filing fee for RON authorisation
3. Register with a state-approved RON platform — Texas maintains a list of approved platforms that meet the state’s audiovisual, identity verification, and record-keeping requirements. Current approved platforms include Notarize (now Proof), DocVerify, and others on the SOS-approved list
4. The RON platform will provide identity verification tools (knowledge-based authentication and credential analysis), the audiovisual session technology, and tamper-evident electronic seal application

RON sessions must be recorded and the recording retained for a minimum of five years under Texas law. The RON platform typically handles this requirement automatically.

Texas’s Remote Online Notarization authorisation allows a commissioned Texas notary to serve signers located anywhere in the world — not just Texas residents — as long as the notary is physically in Texas during the session. For notaries who want to build a RON-based notary business, Texas’s permissive framework and large population make it one of the most commercially attractive states in the country for online notary services.

7. Renewing Your Texas Notary Commission

Texas notary commissions expire four years from the commission start date printed on your certificate. The Secretary of State does not automatically notify you of your expiration date, so you are responsible for tracking your renewal.

Renewal process:

The renewal process is identical to the initial application: purchase a new surety bond for the next four-year term, complete a new application through the Secretary of State, and pay the $21 filing fee. You do not need to reapply for RON authorisation separately — your RON status renews with your notary commission.

Timing your renewal:

You can apply for renewal up to 90 days before your current commission expires. Applying early ensures continuity of your commission. If your commission expires before you renew, you cannot perform notarial acts until your new commission is issued, and you will need to purchase a new seal with your updated commission dates and number.

Retiring your current seal:

When your commission expires or you choose to resign your commission, you should deface or destroy your notary seal to prevent its unauthorised use. You are not required to return your seal to the Secretary of State, but you should ensure it cannot be used to create fraudulent notarisations.

Becoming a Texas notary is a low-cost, low-barrier credential that can supplement income, serve your employer or community, or form the basis of a mobile notary or loan signing agent business. The loan signing agent path — performing notarisations for real estate closings on behalf of title companies and signing services — is one of the more lucrative applications of a notary commission and requires only your notary credential plus familiarity with the standard loan package documents. Popular reasons for changing jobs covers the broader motivations behind career transitions — and becoming a notary as a side income source or as a stepping stone to a new professional direction fits several of the most common ones. For those interested in other accessible professional credentials, why take an online course for medical coding and billing and where to enroll covers another low-barrier entry point into a stable professional field.