Texas Notary Public Exam — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A Texas notary who is not an attorney is asked by a client to help select the correct notarial certificate for a document. Which of the following actions is the notary permitted to take?

Prepare a new document for the client with the correct notarial certificate included.
Show the client samples of different notarial certificates and allow the signer to choose. (Correct answer)
Advise the client that an acknowledgment is usually best for this type of document.
Refuse the notarization because the document is incomplete without the certificate.

Correct answer: Show the client samples of different notarial certificates and allow the signer to choose.

A non-attorney notary in Texas commits the unauthorized practice of law (UPL) if they select or advise on the type of notarial certificate to be used. The proper procedure is to present the signer with the different types of certificates and let them make the selection. The notary may then attach the chosen certificate to the document.

Question 2: What is the maximum fee a Texas notary may charge for administering an oath or affirmation?

$25.00
$6.00 (Correct answer)
$10.00
$1.00

Correct answer: $6.00

Texas Government Code §406.024 sets the maximum fee for administering an oath or affirmation at $6.00 per oath.

Question 3: A Texas notary is asked to notarize a document for a person who does not speak English. The notary should:

Require a certified interpreter to be present
Proceed only if the signer can communicate their acknowledgment somehow (Correct answer)
Notarize without verifying understanding
Refuse to notarize the document

Correct answer: Proceed only if the signer can communicate their acknowledgment somehow

The notary must be able to communicate with the signer sufficiently to confirm identity and willingness; an interpreter may help facilitate this.

Question 4: If a signer's identification document is expired, a Texas notary should:

Refuse to notarize and request a valid ID (Correct answer)
Accept it if the photo still looks like the signer
Ask a witness to verify identity instead
Proceed if the expiration is within one year

Correct answer: Refuse to notarize and request a valid ID

Texas notaries must require current, unexpired identification; an expired ID is not acceptable.

Question 5: Which best describes the Texas notary surety bond?

A grant from the state to fund notary training
A financial guarantee protecting the public from notary misconduct (Correct answer)
A deposit held by the county clerk
A life insurance policy for the notary

Correct answer: A financial guarantee protecting the public from notary misconduct

The $10,000 surety bond is a contract that protects members of the public who suffer financial loss due to a Texas notary's improper acts.

Question 6: What should a Texas notary do if their official seal is stolen?

Report the theft to local law enforcement and notify the Secretary of State (Correct answer)
File an insurance claim with their surety company
Continue using a backup seal without reporting the theft
Request the county clerk to issue a temporary seal

Correct answer: Report the theft to local law enforcement and notify the Secretary of State

A notary whose seal is stolen should immediately report the theft to law enforcement and notify the Texas Secretary of State to prevent fraudulent use.

Question 7: What does it mean for a notarial act to be ministerial in Texas?

The notary must be a government minister to perform the act
The act is performed according to clear legal requirements without the notary exercising personal judgment about its legality (Correct answer)
The notary may refuse any act they personally disagree with
The act must be performed in a government building

Correct answer: The act is performed according to clear legal requirements without the notary exercising personal judgment about its legality

Ministerial means the notary follows clearly prescribed steps without making legal judgments about whether the document should be executed.

Question 8: Under Texas law, who may administer oaths in connection with official state business?

Any adult citizen who has taken a course
Only licensed attorneys
Commissioned notaries public and other authorized officials (Correct answer)
Only judges and magistrates

Correct answer: Commissioned notaries public and other authorized officials

Texas notaries public are among the officials authorized by law to administer oaths in connection with legal and official matters.

Question 9: What type of entity must provide the surety bond for a Texas notary public?

A federally chartered bank
A Texas state agency
A company authorized to do business in Texas (Correct answer)
A nonprofit bonding organization

Correct answer: A company authorized to do business in Texas

The surety company providing the notary bond must be authorized to conduct business in the state of Texas.

Question 10: How long after receiving your commission can you begin notarizing documents in Texas?

After completing a notary training course
After purchasing a surety bond
Immediately
After receiving your notary seal and journal (Correct answer)

Correct answer: After receiving your notary seal and journal

You can begin notarizing documents after you have received your notary commission and purchased your notary seal and journal.

Question 11: Can a Texas notary perform a notarial act on a document written entirely in Spanish?

Yes, but only if the notary is bilingual in Spanish
Yes, the language of the document does not affect the notary's ability to authenticate the signer's identity and signature (Correct answer)
No, only English documents can be notarized under Texas law
No, documents must be in English to be notarized in Texas

Correct answer: Yes, the language of the document does not affect the notary's ability to authenticate the signer's identity and signature

Texas law does not require documents to be written in English; a notary may notarize a document in any language as long as the notarial certificate is completed in English.

Question 12: Which state authority has jurisdiction over complaints against Texas notaries?

Texas State Bar Association
Texas Secretary of State (Correct answer)
Texas Attorney General's Office
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation

Correct answer: Texas Secretary of State

The Texas Secretary of State oversees notary public commissions and has authority to investigate complaints and take disciplinary action.

Question 13: When a signer presents a foreign government-issued passport as ID in Texas, the notary should:

Reject it because only US IDs are acceptable
Forward the information to the Secretary of State
Require a second US-issued ID in addition
Accept it if it contains a photo, description, and ID number (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Accept it if it contains a photo, description, and ID number

A foreign passport is acceptable in Texas if it meets the standard requirements of containing a photo, physical description or signature, and an ID number.

Question 14: To perform their first remote online notarization, a commissioned Texas Notary Public must complete several steps. Which of the following is a required action before conducting any online notarial acts?

Publish an announcement of their online notary services in a local newspaper for 30 days.
Purchase a second, separate $10,000 surety bond specifically for online notarizations.
Register with the county clerk in every Texas county where they anticipate performing notarizations.
Obtain a digital certificate and electronic seal, and submit an application to the Secretary of State for authorization to perform online notarizations. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Obtain a digital certificate and electronic seal, and submit an application to the Secretary of State for authorization to perform online notarizations.

Before performing RONs, a traditional Texas notary must apply for and receive a separate commission as an online notary public. This process involves obtaining a digital certificate (containing an electronic signature) and an electronic seal from a third-party vendor and then submitting an online application to the Secretary of State.

Question 15: What does Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance provide for a Texas notary?

Protection against criminal prosecution for notary misconduct
A replacement for the surety bond requirement
Government-backed coverage for all notarial acts
Coverage for financial losses the notary causes due to mistakes or negligence (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Coverage for financial losses the notary causes due to mistakes or negligence

E&O insurance protects the notary personally by covering financial losses that result from honest mistakes or negligence in performing notarial acts.

Question 16: May a Texas notary allow their employer to retain the notary's record book as business property?

Yes, if the notary has signed a written employment agreement
No, the record book belongs to the notary personally, not the employer (Correct answer)
Yes, employer ownership of the record book is standard practice
No, record books must always be filed with the county clerk

Correct answer: No, the record book belongs to the notary personally, not the employer

The notary's record book is the personal property of the notary who created it, not of the employer, even if the notary performed acts in the course of employment.

Question 17: A notary's official seal is lost or stolen. Under Texas law, what is the FIRST action the notary must take upon discovering the loss?

Order a new seal from an authorized vendor.
Report the loss or theft to the Texas Secretary of State. (Correct answer)
Notify the county clerk of their residence.
File a report with local law enforcement.

Correct answer: Report the loss or theft to the Texas Secretary of State.

While filing a police report is recommended, especially in cases of theft, the primary required action is to notify the Secretary of State. The SOS website provides instructions to log in to their portal to report the lost or stolen materials. A notary must obtain a new seal before resuming notarial services.

Question 18: Can a Texas notary use a facsimile signature stamp instead of their handwritten signature on notarial certificates?

Yes, electronic signature stamps are acceptable
No, Texas law requires the notary's handwritten or electronic signature on notarial certificates (Correct answer)
Yes, as long as the stamp is registered with the Secretary of State
No, only the seal is required — no signature is needed

Correct answer: No, Texas law requires the notary's handwritten or electronic signature on notarial certificates

Texas law requires notaries to personally sign notarial certificates; a facsimile rubber stamp signature is generally not acceptable for traditional notarizations.

Question 19: In Texas, a jurat requires the signer to do which of the following?

Provide a fingerprint
Sign in the notary's presence and swear or affirm the document's truthfulness (Correct answer)
Present two forms of identification
Sign the document before appearing before the notary

Correct answer: Sign in the notary's presence and swear or affirm the document's truthfulness

A jurat requires the signer to sign in the presence of the notary and swear or affirm that the contents of the document are true.

Question 20: Under Texas law, which of the following is a prohibited act for a Texas notary?

Notarizing a document in which the notary has a direct financial interest
Taking a traditional acknowledgment over the phone with verbal consent only (Correct answer)
Asking the signer for government-issued photo ID
Refusing to notarize a document not written in English

Correct answer: Taking a traditional acknowledgment over the phone with verbal consent only

Taking a traditional acknowledgment over the phone is prohibited because personal appearance before the notary is required for traditional notarizations.

Texas Notary Public Exam

The Texas Notary Public Exam is a 20-question multiple-choice assessment administered by the Texas Secretary of State, testing knowledge of basic notary principles, authorized notarial acts, and proper procedures required for commissioning.

Questions

30 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

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Exam Rules

You can skip questions and return to them later
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No feedback shown until you submit the entire exam
Unanswered questions count as wrong — answer everything
10 pretest questions are mixed in and don't affect your score
Timer auto-submits when time runs out
Your progress is auto-saved every 30 seconds

These practice questions were written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

statutes.capitol.texas.gov — Eligibility, fees, renewal, score validity · verified Oct 2026
sos.state.tx.us — Test delivery, score release, time limit, fees, passing score, retake policy, test dates · verified Oct 2026