For Notaries · Texas
How to Become a Notary in Texas
To become a notary in Texas, you must be a Texas resident, at least 18, with no felony or crime-of-moral-turpitude conviction. Complete the state's notary education, obtain a $10,000 surety bond, and file your application with a $21 fee through the Texas Secretary of State. Commissions last four years.
Need a document notarized instead? This guide covers becoming a commissioned notary in Texas. If you are looking for a notary today, compare where to get a document notarized or notarize it online in minutes.
Last updated: July 16, 2026 · By Andrew Ray Yon, MBA, ChFC — CEO & Founder, USA Notary
Texas notaries are commissioned by the Office of the Texas Secretary of State and governed by Chapter 406 of the Texas Government Code. The process has been modernized: applications, renewals, status checks, and payments now all run through the state's new SOS Notary Portal, and Senate Bill 693 added a notary education requirement that every applicant completes through that same portal before being commissioned.
This guide covers the full path: the traditional commission, the optional online (remote) notary commission that lets you notarize for signers who appear on live video, what Texas lets you charge, the record-book rules that trip up new notaries, and renewal. Everything here is sourced from the Texas Secretary of State's own pages, linked inline and listed at the end.
Texas Notary Requirements at a Glance
| Eligibility | Texas resident, 18+, no felony or crime of moral turpitude |
|---|---|
| Background check | Run by the Secretary of State on all applicants |
| Surety bond | $10,000, from a Texas-licensed bonding company |
| State filing fee | $21 |
| Commission term | 4 years |
| Notary education | Required (SB 693), completed through the SOS Notary Portal |
| Online / remote notary | Available after your traditional commission (+$50 state fee) |
Who Can Become a Texas Notary
Texas keeps the eligibility bar short: you must be a Texas resident, at least 18 years old, and have no final conviction for a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude — the Secretary of State's page gives theft and various misdemeanors as examples of moral turpitude. There is no citizenship requirement listed, no minimum residency period, and no requirement to be commissioned in the county where you live: a Texas notary has statewide jurisdiction and may perform notarial acts in any Texas county.
The Office runs background checks on all notary applicants. A criminal history does not always end the application, but it changes the paperwork: applicants may be required to submit copies of the court order and sentencing documents for any conviction, plus a written statement describing the nature, circumstance, date, and location of each one. If the Office finds an applicant — or a sitting notary — ineligible at any time, it must reject the application or revoke the commission.
Two edge cases worth knowing before you file. First, Texas has a separate state employee notary public track: an employee of a state agency or university can be commissioned without a bond, with the application paid by agency voucher — but a state employee notary can only notarize for their agency, never for the public. Second, Texas does not commission or register "notary signing agents" — that is a private industry designation layered on top of a regular commission, not a state credential, so no Texas agency can issue it.
Wondering whether the whole process can happen from your couch? Since applications, education, and payment all run through the SOS Portal, most of it can — our explainer on whether you can become a notary online separates what states let you do remotely from the steps (like the oath) that still need another human.
How to Become a Traditional Notary in Texas: 6 Steps
- 1
Confirm you're eligible
You must be a legal Texas resident, at least 18 years old, and not have a final conviction for a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude. The Secretary of State runs a background check on every applicant, so if you have a conviction history, gather your court orders and sentencing paperwork now — you may be required to submit them with the application.
- 2
Complete your notary education
Texas requires new applicants to complete a notary education course — mandated by Senate Bill 693 — through the Secretary of State's SOS Notary Portal before you're commissioned. The state is also updating the Texas Administrative Code to spell out the standards for meeting and passing the education requirement, so complete the course through the official portal rather than a third-party stand-in.
- 3
Get a $10,000 surety bond
Purchase a $10,000 notary surety bond from a bonding company licensed to do business in Texas — the proof-of-bond form must be completed by the licensed surety agency itself. The bond is a promise to pay anyone who suffers a financial loss because of your actions as a notary: it protects the public, not you. Errors-and-omissions insurance is the separate, optional policy that protects the notary.
- 4
Submit your application and $21 fee
File your notary public application, with proof of your bond, through the SOS Notary Portal and pay the $21 filing fee. Many bonding agencies will also file the application on your behalf as part of a package — if yours does, you'll get an email from the state asking you to e-sign the submitted application.
- 5
Receive your commission
Once approved, you receive a four-year commission. The commission certificate is a one-time download from your Notary Portal dashboard, so save it immediately. Then order your notary seal and record book (journal) — both are required before you notarize.
- 6
Take your oath of office
Don't skip this step — most guides do. Texas law requires you to take the official oath of office before entering the duties of office (Government Code §406.010). In practice, you sign your commission under oath before another active Texas notary; you cannot swear yourself in. Only then are you ready to notarize across Texas.
After You Apply: Approval, Oath, or Appeal
Submitting the application starts an email trail. You'll get a confirmation email when it lands, then a second notification once the Office of the Secretary of State processes it. If approved, that email includes instructions for downloading your commission from the SOS Portal Notary system — and the state is explicit that a notary public cannot execute their own commission: you must sign it under oath in the presence of another notary public or authorized official before you act.
A denial is not a dead end. The Secretary of State refunds the filing fee on denied applications, the denial email spells out the next steps, and applicants can appeal the decision in the State Office of Administrative Hearings. If your circumstances have changed — or the denial rested on paperwork you can now supply — reapplying is also on the table.
How long does the whole runway take? The bond and education are same-week tasks; state processing is the variable you can't control. Our breakdown of how long it takes to become a notary maps each stage of the timeline so you can plan a realistic start date for taking work.
How to Become an Online (Remote) Notary in Texas
A Texas online notary public can notarize for signers who appear on live audio-visual conference instead of in person — this is remote online notarization (RON), governed by Subchapter C, Chapter 406 of the Texas Government Code.
1. Hold a current traditional commission
You must already be a commissioned Texas notary (with a notary ID number assigned by the Secretary of State). You cannot be an online-only notary in Texas — and your online commission will expire on the same date as your traditional one, whenever you obtain it.
2. Get a compliant digital certificate and electronic seal
Obtain a digital certificate from a third-party provider that uses PKI technology and is X.509 compliant, so any change to a signed document is evident. Your electronic seal must carry the words "Notary Public, State of Texas" around a five-point star, your name, your notary ID number, and your commission expiration date — the same elements as a physical Texas seal, in electronic form.
3. Apply electronically and pay the $50 fee
Apply through the Secretary of State's online commissioning system: upload your digitally-signed Statement of Officer and your seal image, agree to the identity-proofing and credential-analysis standards in Texas Administrative Code Chapter 87, and pay the $50 application fee (plus a 2.7% convenience fee). The state says to expect a response within three business days.
Two obligations come with the online commission. You must use a third party to perform identity proofing and credential analysis on every signer — that's how a government ID is validated when the signer appears on live video instead of across a desk. And you must keep an electronic record of each online notarization, including a recording and backup of the audio-visual conference, for five years. The good news: Texas requires no additional bond for online notaries beyond the traditional $10,000 one.
New to the online side of the work? Start with whether you can become a notary entirely online — it separates the commission, the RON registration, and the platform account, the three pieces first-timers most often blur together.
Traditional Notary vs. Remote Online Notary in Texas
Texas allows remote online notarization, so once you hold a Texas commission you can add an online notary commission and notarize for signers who appear on live video — and take on assigned online signings.
| Traditional (in-person) notary | Remote online notary (RON) | |
|---|---|---|
| How the signer appears | In person, in the same room | Over a live, recorded audio-video call |
| Available in Texas? | Yes | Yes — apply for an online notary commission (+$50 state fee) |
| What you need | Seal and record book | An approved RON platform, identity-proofing, and an X.509 digital certificate |
| Record keeping | Paper record book, kept the longer of your term or 3 years | Electronic record incl. the session recording, kept 5 years |
| Where the work comes from | Local, walk-in and mobile appointments | Nationwide — e.g. assigned online signings through USA Notary |
What Does It Cost to Become a Notary in Texas?
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $21 (fixed by the state) |
| $10,000 surety bond | Premium varies by bonding company |
| Notary education | Completed through the SOS Notary Portal |
| Seal, record book & supplies | Varies by supplier |
| Online notary application (optional) | $50 state fee + 2.7% convenience fee |
| Digital certificate & electronic seal (online notaries) | Varies by third-party provider |
Only the state fees ($21 filing, $50 online) are fixed; bond premiums and supplies vary by provider. See costs and fees on USA Notary for platform-side details, or the national picture in what it costs to become a notary in every state.
What a Texas Notary Can Charge
The costs above are what you pay to get commissioned — this is the other side of the ledger. Texas caps what a notary may charge per notarial act, and here is exactly where those ceilings sit.
| Maximum in-person fee (per notarial act) | $10 +$1 add’l |
|---|---|
| Maximum remote online notarization (RON) fee | $25 + fee |
Two Texas statutes set these numbers. Government Code §406.024 specifies the maximum fees for in-person notarial acts, and §406.111 specifies the maximum an online notary may charge for an online notarization. Both are ceilings, not price lists — a notary may always charge less or nothing at all, and the Secretary of State treats excessive fees as grounds for disciplinary action. Travel, printing, and after-hours convenience are separate charges from the notarial fee itself, so quote them as their own line items.
A per-act cap also explains why volume, not the stamp price, is what makes notary work pay — the notaries earning real income stack signings, loan packages, and online sessions on top of the base fee. To see how Texas compares with every other state — including which states set no cap at all — check the full 50-state breakdown of how much a notary costs.
Verified July 2026 against the National Notary Association "Notary Fees by State" table and primary state statutes/Secretary of State rules. Several states (WA, VA, NC) raised caps in 2023–2024. Fees are per notarial act/signature; a notary may charge less, never more. Confirm your state before relying on a figure.
The Record Book and Rules Texas Notaries Must Follow
A record book (journal) is mandatory for every Texas notary under Government Code §406.014, and the state prescribes what goes in each entry:
- The date of the document and the date of the notarization.
- The name and address of each signer and witness.
- The method used to identify them — and if a credible witness vouched for a signer without valid ID, that witness's name and address.
- A brief description of the document.
- For land conveyances: the original grantee's name and mailing address, and the county where the land sits.
One counterintuitive rule: a Texas notary cannot record identifying numbers from a signer's driver's license, ID card, or passport in the record book. Entries are public information — anyone who pays the fee can request certified copies, and you must respond within ten business days. Keep the book for the longer of your commission term or three years after each notarization (permanently is the best practice), and know that your employer does not own your record book or seal even if they paid for them — the Texas Attorney General has said so explicitly (Op. GA-0723).
A few bright-line prohibitions round out the rulebook: no notarizing over the telephone, no certified copies of recordable documents such as birth or marriage certificates, no notarizing Form I-9, and — unless you are also an attorney — no choosing the notarial certificate for a signer. Advertising in a language other than English requires a conspicuous "I am not an attorney" notice, and using the phrase "notario publico" is prohibited outright.
Electronic vs. Online Notarization: Texas Treats Them Differently
These two terms get blurred constantly, and Texas law splits them cleanly — a distinction most guides skip entirely.
| Electronic notarization | Online notarization (RON) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who may perform it | Any commissioned Texas notary | Only a commissioned Texas online notary public |
| Where the signer is | Physically present with the notary — only the document and signature are electronic | Anywhere — the signer appears on live video |
| Governing law | Texas Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (Ch. 322) | Government Code Ch. 406, Subchapter C + 1 TAC Ch. 87 |
| Extra registration | None | $50 online notary application + digital certificate + electronic seal |
Renewing Your Notary Commission in Texas
Commission term in Texas
4 years — the state issues every commission for four years, regardless of who paid the fees.
A Texas commission is not a one-time credential: the authority ends the day the commission does, and notarizing on a lapsed commission is acting without authority. Renewals are filed through the same SOS Notary Portal as new applications, so calendar the expiration date and start early enough that a processing queue doesn't leave you turning away work.
Online notaries have a sequencing rule the Secretary of State prints in bold: your online commission expires the same day as your traditional one, and you should not renew the online commission until the traditional renewal is complete and your new commission certificate is in hand. Renew traditional first, online second — in that order. And if you decide not to renew at all, Texas tells you to destroy your seal and turn your record book in to your local county clerk so neither can be misused.
For timelines, typical costs, and what to do if you've already let a commission lapse, see our step-by-step notary commission renewal guide.
Turn Your Texas Commission Into Income
Getting commissioned is step one. Once you're a Texas online notary, USA Notary connects you with assigned, paid remote signings — so your commission actually earns. Learn how notaries earn, see what platform membership costs a Texas notary, check the requirements to join our platform, see how remote online notarization works, and compare the RON platforms Texas notaries can work on.
Become a Remote Online NotaryFrequently Asked Questions
How long is a Texas notary commission valid?
A Texas notary public commission is issued for a four-year term. You must renew before it expires to keep notarizing — and if you also hold an online notary commission, it expires on the same date as your traditional one.
How much does it cost to become a notary in Texas?
The Texas Secretary of State filing fee is $21. You also need a $10,000 surety bond (the premium is set by your bonding company) plus notary education and supplies such as a seal and record book. Adding an online notary commission costs an additional $50 state fee plus a 2.7% convenience fee.
Do I have to be a traditional notary before becoming an online notary in Texas?
Yes. Texas requires you to hold a current, unexpired traditional notary commission before you can apply to become an online notary. You cannot serve as an online-only notary in Texas.
Does Texas allow remote online notarization?
Yes. A commissioned Texas online notary public may perform remote notarizations for signers who appear on live video rather than in person, using an approved digital certificate. Texas online notaries are governed by Subchapter C, Chapter 406 of the Government Code.
How long does it take to become a notary in Texas?
Timelines vary. Once you complete the required education, obtain your surety bond, and submit your application with the filing fee, the Secretary of State reviews it and issues your commission. Plan for a few weeks end to end, depending on bonding and processing times. Online notary applications are quicker: the Secretary of State says you should receive a response within three business days.
How much can a notary charge in Texas?
Texas's maximum fee for a standard in-person notarial act is $10, plus $1 for each additional signature. Texas Government Code §406.024 sets the ceilings — a notary may always charge less, or nothing at all, and charging more than the statutory maximum is grounds for disciplinary action.
How much can a Texas notary charge for online notarization?
Texas's listed maximum fee for a remote online notarization is $25 + fee — the $25 online notarization charge under Government Code §406.111 sits on top of the standard notarial fee. Platform or technology charges are separate from the notary's statutory fee.
Can you make money as a notary in Texas?
Yes. Beyond per-notarization fees, many Texas notaries add income by taking loan-signing and remote online notarization work. Once you're commissioned (and set up as an online notary), you can join USA Notary to receive assigned, paid online signings.
Where to Go From Here
This guide covers what's specific to Texas; a few of the questions that come next are the same in every state. Two topics trip up more new notaries than anything else. The first is protection: the $10,000 bond protects the public while errors-and-omissions insurance protects you, and our notary bond vs. E&O insurance explainer untangles which is a state requirement and which is your own call. The second is income: the highest-earning specialization for a commissioned notary is loan signings, so once your Texas commission arrives, read what a loan signing agent does and earns to decide whether that's your next step — remembering that Texas itself does not register signing agents.
Comparing Texas against a neighboring state, or helping someone get commissioned elsewhere? The full 50-state become-a-notary directory holds a guide like this one for every state — bond amounts, fees, terms, and each state's remote-online-notarization status side by side.
Becoming a Notary in Other States
Requirements differ by state. See the full 50-state directory.
About the author
Andrew Ray Yon, MBA, ChFC
CEO & Founder, USA Notary Services LLC
Andrew Ray Yon is the founder and CEO of USA Notary Services LLC and the architect of the SharpNote remote online notarization platform. A Certified Notary Signing Agent since 2005, he has handled mortgage and title loan signings for two decades — personally completing more than 10,000 notarizations — and holds an MBA and the ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) designation. Based in Virginia’s Greater Richmond region, he leads the company’s strategy, compliance, and platform development.
Connect on LinkedInOfficial sources
- Texas Secretary of State — Notary Public (eligibility, education, application steps, oath)
- Texas SOS — Getting Started as an Online Notary (online notary requirements, $50 fee, seal and digital-certificate specs)
- Texas SOS — Notary Public FAQs (record book, fee statutes §406.024 / §406.111, retention, renewal, prohibitions)
This guide summarizes public requirements from the Texas Secretary of State and is for general information, not legal advice. Requirements and fees can change — always confirm current details with the Texas Secretary of State before applying.