Texas Notary Education (SB 693): What Is Required

The short version

• Who: new applicants and renewing notaries, for applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026
• Where: only through the Texas Secretary of State
• Cost: $20 per attempt, nonrefundable
• To pass: 70% or higher
• Attempts: no more than three in a three-month period
• Deadline: finish within 90 days after paying the fee
• Proof: must be dated within one year before you apply

Who has to take it

• New notaries applying on or after January 1, 2026 take the education course before applying.
• Renewing notaries applying on or after January 1, 2026 take the continuing education course, no matter how long they have been commissioned.
• Notaries appointed before September 1, 2025 do not take the initial course. They take the continuing education course when they renew.
• Online notary applicants also answer questions on online notarization.

How the course and assessment work

The law allows only the Secretary of State to provide the course. Private notary classes can still be useful, but they do not replace the state course.

• Each course is capped at two hours by law. The state training videos run about 45 minutes.
• The assessment is a 20-question, open-book questionnaire, and you need 70% to pass.
• Each attempt costs $20, the fee is nonrefundable, and a new fee is due for each attempt.
• You can take the course no more than three times in a three-month period.
• You must complete the course within 90 days after the Secretary of State receives your fee. After that, the fee is forfeited.
• Your proof of completion must be dated within one year before you submit your application.

How to take it

1. Log in to the Texas Secretary of State portal.
2. Select Notary, then Notary Education, then the course that fits you (traditional notary education for most people).
3. Pay the $20 fee, watch the training, and take the assessment.
4. Save your proof of completion. You need it for your application.

Other changes in SB 693

• Records for 10 years. Notaries must keep their records until the 10th anniversary of each notarization. Failing to keep records is grounds for discipline.
• Personal appearance is now a crime. Knowingly notarizing for someone who did not personally appear is a Class A misdemeanor, and a state jail felony if the document involves a transfer of real property. Online notarizations count as an appearance when done by live two-way audio and video.

Where the bond fits

Once you pass, the next step is your bond. Through Lone Star Notary Bond it is $45 for the 4-year, $10,000 bond with $5,000 of E&O included, plus the $21 state application fee that we file for you. See how to get a Texas notary bond for the full order of steps.