Texas Notary QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
$4 fee - ANSWER Protesting a bill or note for non-acceptance or non-payment, register, and seal.
$1 fee - ANSWER Each notice of protest.
$4 - ANSWER Protesting in all other cases
$4 - ANSWER Certificate and seal to a protest
$6 for the first signature and $1 for each additional signature - ANSWER Taking the acknowledgement or
proof of a deed or other instrument in writing, for registration, including certificate and seal
$6 fee - ANSWER Swearing a witness to a deposition, seal, certificate, and other business connected with
taking that deposition
$6 fee - ANSWER All notarial acts not provided for
not to exceed $25 for performing an online notarization in addition to any other fees authorized under
Tex. Gov't Code Ann. §603.006) - ANSWER An online notary public or their employer may charge a fee
Note - ANSWER Notaries public must keep posted at all times in a conspicuous place in the respective
offices a complete list of fees the notary may charge by law (Tex. Gov't. Code Ann. §603.008).
Tex. Gov't. Code Ann. §603.006 - ANSWER an officer who by law may charge a fee for a service shall keep
a fee book and shall enter in the book all fees charged for services rendered
What notarial acts can a Texas notary public perform? - ANSWER A Texas notary public is authorized to
perform the following notarial acts [Tex. Gov't. Code Ann. §406.016(a)]:
Take acknowledgments and proofs of written instruments
, Administer oaths
Protest instruments permitted by law to be protested
Take depositions
Certify copies of documents not recordable in the public records
What is the process to become a Texas electronic notary public? - ANSWER There are no additional
application requirements to perform in-person electronic notarizations; you just need to have an active
notary public commission and acquire an electronic signature and electronic notary seal through a third-
party vendor.
acknowledgement - ANSWER A formal declaration before an authorized official, such as a notary public,
by someone who signs a document and confirms that the signature is authentic. Also, the certificate of
the officer on such an instrument indicates that the document has been so acknowledged.
affidavit - ANSWER A voluntary declaration of facts, written down and sworn to or affirmed by the
declarant ("affiant") before a Notary Public or other officer having the authority to administer an oath.
affirmation - ANSWER The act of affirming the truth of a document, not an oath. "I solemnly affirm and
declare the foregoing to be a true statement..." Note that an affidavit may appear in two forms: a sworn
affidavit with oath, or an affirmed affidavit with affirmation. Each has the same legal import.
jurat - ANSWER A certification added to an affidavit or document stating when, where and before whom
such affidavit was made.
oath - ANSWER A solemn declaration, accompanied by a swearing to God or a revered person or thing,
that one's statement is true or that one will be bound to a promise. The person making the oath
implicitly invites punishment if the statement is untrue or the promise is broken.
protest - ANSWER A Notary Public's written statement that, upon presentment for payment or
acceptance, a negotiable instrument was neither paid nor accepted.
verification - ANSWER A formal declaration by which one swears to or affirms the truth of the statements
in a document. Also, the statement of a Notary Public that the person appearing before the notary has
been properly identified as being the person purported to be appearing.
$4 fee - ANSWER Protesting a bill or note for non-acceptance or non-payment, register, and seal.
$1 fee - ANSWER Each notice of protest.
$4 - ANSWER Protesting in all other cases
$4 - ANSWER Certificate and seal to a protest
$6 for the first signature and $1 for each additional signature - ANSWER Taking the acknowledgement or
proof of a deed or other instrument in writing, for registration, including certificate and seal
$6 fee - ANSWER Swearing a witness to a deposition, seal, certificate, and other business connected with
taking that deposition
$6 fee - ANSWER All notarial acts not provided for
not to exceed $25 for performing an online notarization in addition to any other fees authorized under
Tex. Gov't Code Ann. §603.006) - ANSWER An online notary public or their employer may charge a fee
Note - ANSWER Notaries public must keep posted at all times in a conspicuous place in the respective
offices a complete list of fees the notary may charge by law (Tex. Gov't. Code Ann. §603.008).
Tex. Gov't. Code Ann. §603.006 - ANSWER an officer who by law may charge a fee for a service shall keep
a fee book and shall enter in the book all fees charged for services rendered
What notarial acts can a Texas notary public perform? - ANSWER A Texas notary public is authorized to
perform the following notarial acts [Tex. Gov't. Code Ann. §406.016(a)]:
Take acknowledgments and proofs of written instruments
, Administer oaths
Protest instruments permitted by law to be protested
Take depositions
Certify copies of documents not recordable in the public records
What is the process to become a Texas electronic notary public? - ANSWER There are no additional
application requirements to perform in-person electronic notarizations; you just need to have an active
notary public commission and acquire an electronic signature and electronic notary seal through a third-
party vendor.
acknowledgement - ANSWER A formal declaration before an authorized official, such as a notary public,
by someone who signs a document and confirms that the signature is authentic. Also, the certificate of
the officer on such an instrument indicates that the document has been so acknowledged.
affidavit - ANSWER A voluntary declaration of facts, written down and sworn to or affirmed by the
declarant ("affiant") before a Notary Public or other officer having the authority to administer an oath.
affirmation - ANSWER The act of affirming the truth of a document, not an oath. "I solemnly affirm and
declare the foregoing to be a true statement..." Note that an affidavit may appear in two forms: a sworn
affidavit with oath, or an affirmed affidavit with affirmation. Each has the same legal import.
jurat - ANSWER A certification added to an affidavit or document stating when, where and before whom
such affidavit was made.
oath - ANSWER A solemn declaration, accompanied by a swearing to God or a revered person or thing,
that one's statement is true or that one will be bound to a promise. The person making the oath
implicitly invites punishment if the statement is untrue or the promise is broken.
protest - ANSWER A Notary Public's written statement that, upon presentment for payment or
acceptance, a negotiable instrument was neither paid nor accepted.
verification - ANSWER A formal declaration by which one swears to or affirms the truth of the statements
in a document. Also, the statement of a Notary Public that the person appearing before the notary has
been properly identified as being the person purported to be appearing.
