Getting Started as an Online Notary

Before applying to be an online notary public, there are several things that you must do first.

• You must already hold a current commission as a notary public in the State of Texas. You can check to see if you are commissioned using our Notary Public Search.
• You must know the following information (please see the Notary Public Search for help):
  • The name under which you are currently commissioned as a traditional notary public;
  • Your notary identification number assigned by the secretary of state;
  • Your date of birth; and
  • Your social security number.
• You must not have been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude.
• You must have the following:
  • Digital Certificate containing your electronic signature. The digital certificate must be issued by a third party provider, must use Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) technology and must be X.509 compliant. When affixed to the document, the digital certificate must render any subsequent changes to the document evident. The secretary of state cannot recommend a provider to you, but whatever source you get your digital certificate from should be able to verify that the digital certificate meets these requirements. See Digital Certificates for more information.
  • An electronic seal that meets the following requirements:
    • The seal must contain the following information:
      • The words "Notary Public, State of Texas" around a star of five points;
      • The notary public's name;
      • The notary public's identifying number; and
      • The date the notary public's commission expires (please note that your online notary public commission will expire on the same date as your traditional notary public commission).
    • The seal may be a circular form not more than two inches in diameter or a rectangular form not more than one inch in width and 2-1/2 inches in length. The seal must have a serrated or milled edge border.
  • You must have the ability to do the following:
    • Maintain an electronic record of the online notarization, including a recording and backup of the audio-visual conference. See Record-Keeping Requirements for Online Notaries for more information.
    • Use a third party to perform identify proofing and credential analysis in order to identify the person for whom you are performing the notarization. See Identity Proofing and Credential Analysis for more information.

Please read the instructions below.  At the bottom of the instructions you will find a link to apply for your online commission.

Step 1:

• In order to begin the online application process, you will need to provide the following information:
• Your notary identification number assigned by the secretary of state (please see the Notary Public Search page for this information);
• Your date of birth;
• The last four digits of your social security number;
• Your last name, which must match the last name under which you are already commissioned; and
• A valid email address. This is the email address to which your online notary public commission will be sent.
• If the information above does not match the information in the notary public database for a current notary public, you will not be permitted to continue.

Step 2:

• You are required to acknowledge that you agree to the following:
• You will comply with the standards set forth in the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 87 relating to identify proofing and credential analysis. See Identity Proofing and Credential Analysis for more information.
• You will use a third party provider who has provided you with evidence of its ability to provide an electronic technology standard that utilizes Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) technology from a PKI service provider that is X.509 compliant when attaching or logically associating the notary’s electronic seal and digital certificate to an electronic document.  See Digital Certificates for more information.
• You will, upon request by the secretary of state, promptly provide any necessary instructions or techniques supplied by a vendor that allow the online notary public’s digital certificate and seal to be read and authenticated.
• You meet the eligibility requirements to be commissioned as a Texas notary public by being at least 18 years of age, a resident of the State of Texas, and you have not been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude.
• You will not be permitted to continue unless you check the box indicating that you agree to each statement.

Step 3:

• You must download the Statement of Officer and sign it using your digital certificate.
• After you sign the Statement of Officer, you must save it to your computer and then upload the saved document to the secretary of state online notary application system.
• Once you upload the signed Statement of Officer, the screen will show the Certificate Details.
• Please note that you are required to maintain, at all times, a current digital certificate and electronic seal. If you replace, update, or make any changes to your digital certificate or electronic seal, you are required to provide updated information to the Secretary of State. Failure to provide a timely update may result in disciplinary action, up to and including revocation of your commission.

Step 4:

• You must upload your electronic seal in an acceptable image format to the secretary of state online notary application system.
• Acceptable formats include: BMP, JPEG, PNG or TIF.  Seals that are not in the required format may be rejected.
• The seal must meet the following requirements:
• The seal must contain the following information:
• The words "Notary Public, State of Texas" around a star of five points;
• The notary public's name;
• The notary public's identifying number; and
• The date the notary public's commission expires (please note that your online notary public commission will expire on the same date as your traditional notary public commission).
• The seal may be a circular form not more than two inches in diameter or a rectangular form not more than one inch in width and 2-1/2 inches in length. The seal must have a serrated or milled edge border.
• Once you upload your seal, an image of the seal will appear on the screen.

Step 5:

You will enter your credit card information on this screen. The application fee is $50, plus a 2.7% convenience fee.

Step 6:

You will be given a summary of all the information entered. Please double check that the information is correct.

• The summary will show the term of your traditional notary public commission and the term of your online notary public commission. Please note that your online notary commission will terminate at the same time that your traditional commission expires.
• If the information is correct, please click “Submit My Application”

Step 7:

After clicking “Submit My Application” you will be informed whether the submission was submitted.

• If the application was not submitted, there will be information directing you how to continue.
• If the application was submitted, you will be provided with a notary application number, which is just a reference number. An email will be sent to the email address provided in Step 1. You should receive a response within three business days. If you do not, please contact the office at 512-463-5705.