Texas changed its notary laws in 2025, and two of the changes matter to anyone who needs a document notarized in Houston. One makes it easier to get notarized when you don’t have a valid ID. The other makes it a crime for a notary to notarize your signature if you didn’t actually appear before them.
Here is what changed, what it means for you, and what to bring to your appointment so nothing gets turned away.
Need something notarized today? Visit our office at 6124 Hwy 6 N, book online, or request a mobile notary. Call 832-530-3652.
Quick Summary
- HB 4202: a credible witness who vouches for your identity no longer has to be personally known to the notary. They can qualify by showing their own current government photo ID with a signature.
- SB 693 (effective September 1, 2025): you must personally appear, either physically in the room or by live two-way audio-video for online notarization. A notary who knowingly notarizes without you there commits a crime.
- SB 693 also: notaries must keep their records for 10 years, and new and renewing notaries must complete state training.
Change 1: No Valid ID? The Credible Witness Rule Got Easier (HB 4202)
Before a Texas notary can take an acknowledgment, they must be sure you are who you say you are. Texas law (Civil Practice and Remedies Code 121.005) accepts three kinds of proof:
- A current ID issued by the U.S. government or a U.S. state that shows your photo and signature, such as a Texas driver’s license, Texas ID card or U.S. passport.
- For deeds and other residential real estate documents only, a current foreign passport.
- The sworn word of a credible witness.
Under the old wording, the credible witness had to be someone the notary personally knew. That rarely worked for a walk-in customer. HB 4202 added a second option: the witness can instead show the notary their own current federal or state government ID with a photo and signature.
What this means for you: if your ID is expired, lost or stolen, you may still be able to get notarized by bringing a person who knows you and has a valid ID of their own. This helps elderly relatives whose licenses have lapsed, people who just had a wallet stolen, and family members helping someone in the hospital.
Call us before you come if you are not sure your ID qualifies, or if your only ID is a foreign passport or a consular ID. We will tell you whether a credible witness is needed so you don’t make a wasted trip.
Change 2: You Must Personally Appear, or It’s a Crime (SB 693)
Since September 1, 2025, Texas law spells out what “personally appearing” before a notary means:
- In person: you are physically present with the notary, close enough that you can see, hear and talk to each other and show your ID.
- Online: you appear by live, two-way audio-video that meets Texas online notarization standards.
A notary who knowingly notarizes a signature without the signer appearing commits a Class A misdemeanor. If the document transfers real property or an interest in real property, it is a state jail felony.
What this means for you: no notary can legally “stamp it for you” because you signed at home, send a relative with your signed document, or accept a photo of your signature. If a family member can’t travel, the answer is a mobile notary visit to their home, hospital room or care facility, or an online notarization, not a shortcut.
This law targets deed fraud, where someone forges an owner’s signature to “sell” property they don’t own. Houston property owners benefit when every notary follows it.
Change 3: Notaries Keep Records for 10 Years
SB 693 requires Texas notaries to keep their notarial records for 10 years from the date of each notarization. Those records include who signed, what was notarized and how the signer was identified.
What this means for you: expect your notary to record your name, address and ID details for each notarization. If a document is ever questioned in court or by a title company, there is a record showing you appeared and how you were identified.
Change 4: New Training for Texas Notaries
SB 693 also requires training from the Texas Secretary of State for people who apply for a notary commission, and continuing education for renewals, under rules that started in 2026. Notaries appointed before September 1, 2025 are exempt from the initial training but must follow every other new rule.
What to Bring to Your Notary Appointment
- Your document, unsigned. You sign in front of the notary.
- A current government photo ID with your signature: Texas driver’s license, Texas ID card or U.S. passport.
- No valid ID? A credible witness who knows you, with their own current government photo ID. Call ahead so we can confirm.
- Every person who has to sign, in person. Each signer needs their own ID.
- Any witnesses your document requires. Some documents, such as certain medical powers of attorney and wills, need witnesses in addition to, or instead of, a notary.
Common Situations We See in Houston
“My mom’s license expired and she’s in the hospital.”
Book a mobile notary for the hospital room. If her ID is expired, a family member with a valid ID who knows her may be able to act as a credible witness. Call us first to confirm.
“My brother signed the power of attorney at home. Can you notarize it?”
No. Under SB 693 he must sign in front of the notary, in person or online. We can come to him.
“Can you notarize over FaceTime?”
Not by a regular video call. Online notarization must use approved audio-video technology and an online notary commissioned for it.
“Why does the notary need my ID details?”
Texas law requires notaries to record how each signer was identified and keep that record for 10 years.
Cost
Office notarization is $10 and a mobile notary visit is $50. See our full pricing page. Texas law caps the notary fee at $10 for the first signature and $1 for each additional signature on the same document.
Get It Notarized the Right Way
Houston Fingerprint follows the new Texas rules on every notarization, in our office and on mobile visits across the Houston area. Book online, request a mobile notary, or call 832-530-3652.
This article is general information about Texas notary law, not legal advice. We are notaries, not attorneys. For questions about what your document should say, talk to a licensed Texas attorney.
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