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Free Texas Notary Acknowledgment Template

A Texas notary acknowledgment is the certificate a notary completes after you appear and acknowledge executing an instrument. Pick the right statutory short form with our online form before your appointment.

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What Is a Notary Acknowledgment in Texas?

A Texas notary acknowledgment is a formal declaration before an authorized official, such as a notary, confirming your signature is authentic. The term also covers the officer’s certificate on the instrument. Chapter 121 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code and Chapter 406 of the Government Code govern it.

Texas Requirements for a Notary Acknowledgment

The Texas Secretary of State commissions notaries for four-year terms, and each has statewide jurisdiction.

Notary Seal

Under Gov’t Code § 406.013, the seal shows “Notary Public, State of Texas” around a five-point star. It also includes the notary’s name and commission expiration date. Notaries commissioned or renewed on or after January 1, 2016 must also include their notary ID number.

Record Book

Every notary keeps a record book, whether or not they charge fees (§ 406.014). Each entry notes the date, your name and residence, how the notary identified you, and a brief description of the instrument. Importantly, the notary can’t record your ID card or passport number, and entries are public information.

Fees

For taking an acknowledgment, a notary may charge up to $10 for the first signature and $1 for each additional signature (§ 406.024). The notary must post the fee list and be ready to itemize the bill. Because the schedule can change, check the current amounts.

Personal Appearance

According to the Secretary of State, a notary can’t take an acknowledgment over the telephone. Instead, you must personally appear when the notary performs the notarization.

Does a Texas Notary Acknowledgment Have to Say How You Were Identified?

Only if it isn’t a short form. Under CPRC § 121.005(b), a certificate of acknowledgment must note how the notary identified you. It states either that the notary personally knows you or that they relied on a witness or ID. However, that rule excludes the short forms in § 121.008.

So the choice of form matters for a Texas notary acknowledgment. The statutory short forms are simpler because they leave out the identification statement.

Either way, the notary still has to identify you. Section 121.005 also allows a current foreign passport for deeds and other instruments in a residential real estate transaction.

Tip

Spot a wrong county on the certificate? The Secretary of State says a notary may correct the certificate of acknowledgment to reflect the proper facts. For example, they can strike the wrong county and write in the right one. The notary can’t change the instrument itself.

How to Sign a Texas Notary Acknowledgment

Here’s the usual sequence.

  1. Choose the § 121.008 short form that fits how you’re signing.
  2. Fill in “State of Texas,” the county, and each signer’s name.
  3. Bring a government-issued ID card or a US passport.
  4. Appear in person and acknowledge that you executed the instrument.
  5. The notary enters the act in their record book.
  6. The notary signs, applies the seal, and dates the certificate with the day you actually appeared.

What to Include in a Texas Notary Acknowledgment

For a natural person acting in their own right, § 121.008 opens with “State of Texas” and a county line. The key sentence follows: “This instrument was acknowledged before me on (date) by (name or names of person or persons acknowledging).”

The form ends with:

  • The signature of the officer
  • The title of the officer
  • “My commission expires” and the date

Other short forms cover an attorney-in-fact, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, and a public officer, trustee, or other representative. Add the notary’s seal to complete your Texas notary acknowledgment. Document Genius gives you the right short form before you go.