Texas online notary applicants must already hold an active Texas notary commission. The online notary application is submitted electronically through the Texas Secretary of State's online commissioning system, and the application fee is paid during the application flow.
This page is a practical submission checklist, not legal advice. Confirm current filing requirements with the Texas Secretary of State before submitting.
Submission artifacts
| Artifact | Official source |
|---|---|
| Application for Appointment as an Online Notary Public | Submitted electronically through the Texas Secretary of State online commissioning system. |
| Statement of Officer | Downloaded from the application, signed with your digital certificate, and uploaded. |
| Electronic seal | Uploaded as a BMP, JPEG, PNG, or TIF file. |
| Digital certificate | Obtained from a third-party provider that issues X.509-compliant PKI certificates. The Secretary of State does not recommend a specific provider. |
| Application fee | Paid by credit card during the application. |
| Existing Texas notary commission | You must already be commissioned as a Texas notary. |
Online application form breakdown
| Section | Information requested |
|---|---|
| Identifying information | Notary ID number, date of birth, last four digits of your SSN, legal name exactly as commissioned, and an email address for correspondence. |
| Acknowledgments | Agreement to comply with Chapter 87 of the Texas Administrative Code, to use a compliant PKI-based provider, and to meet the eligibility requirements. |
| Statement of Officer | Download, sign with your digital certificate, and upload. |
| Electronic seal | Upload your seal image. |
| Payment | Credit card payment of the application fee. |
| Review and submit | Check the summary, then submit. You will receive an application number by email within three business days. |
Filing portal
Start the application from the Texas Secretary of State's online notary application page, using the "I am ready to apply for my online commission" button. That button leads to the SOS Portal, where you accept the Rules of Use to continue.
If you don't receive an application number within three business days, call the Secretary of State at 512-463-5705.
Texas SOS online-notary appointment is separate from NotaryCentral platform RON access. If you already requested RON access in the app, all requests are processed as quickly as possible and you should expect an update within 7 days. See When will my RON access be activated?.
Before you submit
Make sure you can answer "yes" to each item below:
- You already hold an active Texas notary commission and know your notary ID number.
- Your legal name and commission details match the Texas Secretary of State's notary records.
- You have your date of birth and the last four digits of your SSN available.
- You have an X.509-compliant digital certificate and an electronic seal that meet Texas requirements.
- You can receive official correspondence at the email address entered in the application.
- You can certify that you meet Texas's online notary eligibility requirements.
- You are ready to pay the application fee by credit card.