Texas Notary Seal Requirements: Required Elements & Renewal

Texas Notary Seal Requirements

Every Texas notary public must authenticate official acts with a seal of office. The elements, size limits, and ink rules come from statute and Secretary of State rules — not from stamp vendors. This guide cites those sources only. No supplier recommendations or prices.

Also see: record book requirements, become a notary in Texas, and the resources hub.

Required seal elements (§406.013)

A notary public shall provide a seal of office that clearly shows, when embossed, stamped, or printed on a document:

• The words “Notary Public, State of Texas” around a star of five points
• The notary public’s name
• The notary public’s identifying number
• The date the notary public’s commission expires

The notary shall authenticate all official acts with the seal of office (Tex. Gov't Code §406.013(a)).

The Texas SOS educational information page restates these elements and notes that notaries commissioned for the first time on or after January 1, 2016, and notaries renewing on or after that date, must have their notary ID number on the seal (SOS educational information — Notary Seal; see also the SOS statutory seal references).

Secretary of State rules add:

• The name on the seal must match the name under which the notary is commissioned (1 TAC §87.44(a)).
• For applicants commissioned or recommissioned on or after January 1, 2016, the seal must contain the identifying number issued by the secretary of state (1 TAC §87.44(b)).
• Notaries commissioned or recommissioned before January 1, 2016, were not required to include the ID number until recommissioned; after recommissioning under current procedures, the ID number is required (1 TAC §87.44(c)).

Size, border, and how you affix the seal

Control and prohibited uses

A notary public may not:

1. Provide a copy of the notary public’s seal to another person, or
2. Affix or attach the seal to any document except to authenticate the notary public’s official act

(§406.013(e))

SOS rules also require that the notary seal remain within the exclusive control of the notary public at all times (1 TAC §87.44(d)).

Do not share stamp images for others to “use for you,” and do not pre-stamp blank documents.

What to do when you renew your commission

Your seal must show the date your commission expires (§406.013(a)). When the Secretary of State recommissions you, that expiration date changes. A seal that still shows the old expiration date no longer matches statute.

Practical steps after renewal (sourced constraints, not vendor advice):

1. Confirm your new commission expiration date on your official commission materials from the SOS.
2. Obtain a seal that includes the updated expiration date, your commissioned name, the five-point star wording, and your SOS identifying number as required by §406.013 and 1 TAC §87.44.
3. Keep the old seal under your exclusive control until you dispose of it securely; do not let others use it.
4. Continue using a compliant record book for every act.

Commission term length and renewal filing steps are set by Chapter 406 and SOS procedures (see §406.011 and the SOS notary public pages). Always verify current SOS instructions before you renew.

Online (RON) seals are separate

Traditional ink or embosser seals under §406.013 are not the same as the electronic seal and digital certificate requirements for Texas online notaries. If you pursue RON, follow the SOS online-notary process after you hold a traditional commission. Overview: remote online notary Texas guide and SOS getting started.

Checklist before your first notarization

1. Seal shows “Notary Public, State of Texas” around a five-point star, your name, identifying number, and commission expiration (§406.013(a)).
2. Size and serrated/milled border match §406.013(b).
3. Stamp uses indelible ink; impression is photographically legible (§406.013(c)).
4. Seal stays in your exclusive control (1 TAC §87.44(d)).
5. Journal ready per §406.014.

If you are still applying, start with Become a Texas notary.

Claim your free NotaryHub profile

Once your seal and commission are in place, make sure customers can find you. Claim your free NotaryHub profile and list the Texas areas you actually serve.

More guides for commissioned notaries: Texas notary resources.