TX NNJE Fees and Compensation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the maximum fee a Texas notary may charge for a jurat?
- $1.00 per signature
- $6.00 per signature (Correct answer)
- $10.00 per signature
- $15.00 per signature
Correct answer: $6.00 per signature
The maximum fee for a jurat in Texas is $6.00 per signature, the same as for an acknowledgment.
Question 2: A Texas notary's employer instructs the notary to notarize documents for free as a company benefit. May the notary comply?
- No, notaries must always charge the statutory fee
- Yes, the employer may direct the notary to waive fees for company clients (Correct answer)
- Only if the employer reimburses the notary separately
- Only for internal company documents
Correct answer: Yes, the employer may direct the notary to waive fees for company clients
An employer may instruct a notary to provide free notarization as a business service, since the statutory fee is a maximum rather than a requirement.
Question 3: Which of the following is NOT an allowable basis for a Texas notary fee?
- The type of notarial act performed
- The complexity of the document
- The notary's personal opinion of the signer's wealth (Correct answer)
- The number of signatures notarized
Correct answer: The notary's personal opinion of the signer's wealth
Texas notary fees must be based on the type and number of acts performed, not on subjective judgments about a signer's financial status.
Question 4: If a Texas notary charges more than the statutory maximum fee, what is the potential consequence?
- A warning letter from the NNA
- Disciplinary action by the Secretary of State, including possible commission revocation (Correct answer)
- A mandatory fee refund only
- No consequence if the signer agreed to the higher fee
Correct answer: Disciplinary action by the Secretary of State, including possible commission revocation
Charging above the statutory maximum is a violation of Texas notary law and can result in disciplinary action, including revocation of the notary's commission.
Question 5: In Texas, who sets the maximum fees that notaries may charge?
- Each individual county
- The Texas Legislature through statute (Correct answer)
- The Secretary of State by executive order
- The National Notary Association
Correct answer: The Texas Legislature through statute
Maximum notary fees in Texas are set by the Texas Legislature and codified in the Texas Government Code.
Question 6: Should a Texas notary's journal include an entry even when no fee is charged?
- No, unpaid acts do not require journal entries
- Yes, every notarial act requires a journal entry regardless of fee (Correct answer)
- Only if the signer requests documentation
- Only for acts performed outside normal business hours
Correct answer: Yes, every notarial act requires a journal entry regardless of fee
Every notarial act must be recorded in the journal regardless of whether a fee was charged, as the record is about the act, not the payment.
TX NNJE Fees and Compensation 2
What is the maximum fee a Texas notary may charge for a jurat?