A Texas Notary Public has the authority to notarize:
- Take acknowledgments
- Administer oaths or affirmations
- Protests instruments
- Take depositions
- Certify copies of non-recordable documents
- Letters and Testaments
- Legal & Medical Documents
- And much more!
Identification Requirements:
- Driver's License (states other than Texas may be used)
- ID Card
- Military ID
- Passport
- Credible Witness or Personal Knowledge
Explanation: Identity verification involves a credible witness, someone whom the notary public already personally knows and the notary feel comfort notarizing without identification then it is up to the discretion of the notary.
If the notary does not know the person, someone who personally knows the signer, must present with identification. The credible witness has to appear with the signer at the time that the document is being notarized. It is considered a best practice (or may be required by law) that the notary administer an oath or affirmation to the credible witness and that the witness sign an affidavit stating that he or she verifies the identity of the document signer.
Unacceptable forms of ID:
- Social Security card
- Birth certificate
- Wedding license
- Credit cards are NOT acceptable as a form of I.D., as they lack sufficient information for the notary to determine if the person presenting them is the person whose name appears on them.
Notary Team CAN NOT:
- Change, alter, or draft any instrument to be notarized (by law)
- Determine which type of notarial certificate should be attached to a document that does not contain one
- Perform a notarial act on a military base that a federal enclave or an Indian reservation
- Refuse a request for notarial services on the basis of the sex, age, religion, race, ethnicity or national origin of the requesting party
We CAN NOT notarize:
- Certified Copies of Death or Birth Certificates
- Marriage Licenses
- Documents Not Completely filled out
- I-9 or Immigration Documents
- Copyrighted Material
- Photographs
- Translated Documents
TEXAS Mandated Notary Fees (Travel or other fees are NOT included):
Please note these fees are per document that need to be notarized. Example if you have (2) documents requiring the notary to stamp and sign, then expect to pay a minimum of $12. Also, if your document requires (2) or more people that need to have their signature notarized, there's a charge for each additional person needing to sign on the same document.
Travel and other fees are set by the individual notary, but my be disclosed
- Acknowledgments - $10.00
- Oaths or affirmations - $10.00
- For a certificate under seal not otherwise provided for - $10.00
- Copy certification - $10.00
- Depositions - $0.50 per 100 words
- Uncertified copy of a record from a notary journal - $.50
- Additional Signature - $1
- Witness fee may vary, if you can not provide your own