What to bring
Three things, and one of them is “don’t sign it yet”
Nearly every appointment that cannot be completed comes down to the same two things: an ID that has expired, or a document that was already signed. Two minutes here saves a wasted trip.
1. A valid photo ID
Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §121.005 is specific about this. The ID must be current, issued by the federal government or any state government, and must contain both your photograph and your signature. Those are the only documents a notary is permitted to accept.
- Texas driver’s license
- Texas ID card
- U.S. passport or passport card
- Military ID
- Permanent resident card
- Driver’s license from another U.S. state
What Texas can’t accept:
- Anything expired, even by one day
- A paper temporary license with no photo
- Work badges, student IDs, gym cards, club memberships
- A photo of your ID on your phone
A foreign passport is acceptable in one narrow situation only: a deed or other instrument relating to a residential real estate transaction. It cannot be used to identify you for anything else.
No qualifying ID? §121.005 also permits identification by the oath of a credible witness, someone who knows you well enough to swear to your identity, and who is either personally known to me or produces their own current government photo-and-signature ID. Guidance differs on whether one or two credible witnesses are needed, so tell me in advance and I will confirm the requirement before either of us wastes a trip.
2. Your document, unsigned
Do not sign it before I arrive. This is the single most common reason an appointment fails.
For a jurat, Texas requires you to sign in the notary’s presence. If it’s already signed, the page has to be reprinted or the signature struck through and redone. And if the document came from a court or agency, that may not be acceptable at all.
Also make sure:
- Every blank is filled in before I arrive. Texas doesn’t spell this out in statute, but a notarised document with empty spaces can be altered afterwards, which is the exact thing the seal exists to prevent, so I decline them as a matter of policy.
- The notary certificate page is included. That’s the block with lines for my signature and seal.
- You’ve brought the complete document, not just the signature page.
3. Everyone who needs to sign
Every person signing must be physically present with their own valid ID. I can’t notarize a signature for someone who isn’t in the room, no matter how well you know them.
If your document calls for witnesses, you’ll need to bring them. Texas doesn’t expressly forbid a notary from also signing as a witness, but doing both undercuts the neutrality the seal depends on and can invite a later challenge, so as a matter of policy I act as notary only. Plan on arranging witnesses yourself.
Where a notary’s role begins and ends
A notary is a neutral witness, and that neutrality is the entire source of the seal’s value. The moment a notary starts weighing in on the contents of a document, they stop being neutral, and the signature stops meaning what it is supposed to mean. Texas draws that line clearly and every notary in the state works inside it.
So the role stays deliberately narrow. I verify identity, willingness, and awareness. Decisions about what a document should say, which certificate it needs, or how it should be completed carry legal consequences, and they belong to you and, where it matters, your attorney.
A few practical consequences worth knowing before we book:
- Every signer has to be physically present with me. A signature cannot be witnessed remotely.
- The signer needs to be able to communicate with me and understand what they are signing.
- I can act as your notary or as your witness, but not both on the same document.
- I cannot notarize anything I have a personal or financial interest in.
- Birth, death, and marriage certificates are public records, so certified copies come from the issuing agency rather than from any notary.
One rule I will never bend, for your protection as much as mine. Every signer must personally appear in front of me. Since Senate Bill 693 took effect, knowingly notarising a document for someone who did not personally appear is a criminal offence in Texas under Government Code §406.0091, and a state jail felony where the document transfers real property. If anyone ever offers to “just drop it off,” that is the moment to find a different notary.
If any of this is unclear for your particular situation, text me a photo of the last page before you book. I can read whatever certificate is already printed there and tell you which act it calls for. It costs you nothing and it’s the whole reason my appointments run smoothly.
Ready when you are
Text me and let’s get it handled
Tell me what you’re signing and where you are. I’ll confirm what you need to have ready and give you an exact total before I drive out.
Texting is fastest and it is how I prefer to work. If you would rather talk, call the same number and leave a message. I return calls as soon as I can.