What a Texas Notary Can and Cannot Do
The boundaries of a notary's role—and where legal advice is required.
Updated 2026
What a Notary Can Do
A Texas notary public verifies a signer's identity, witnesses the signing of a document, administers oaths and affirmations, and completes the appropriate notarial certificate.
Notaries may perform acknowledgments, jurats, oaths, and—when commissioned as an online notary—remote online notarizations.
What a Notary Cannot Do
A notary cannot provide legal advice, choose a notarial certificate, prepare or select legal documents, explain the legal effect of a document, or guarantee that a document will accomplish a particular legal purpose.
A notary also cannot guarantee that a document will be accepted by its recipient or that notarization makes a document legal.
Commissioned, Not Licensed
Texas notaries are commissioned by the state, not licensed. For guidance on which document or certificate you need, contact the document recipient or a licensed attorney.
Key Takeaways
- A notary verifies identity and witnesses signatures.
- A notary cannot provide legal advice or choose a certificate.
- Notarization does not make a document legal or valid.
- Texas notaries are commissioned, not licensed.
Related Reading
Morney Signing Services is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. A notary public cannot select documents, choose a notarial certificate, explain legal consequences, or determine whether a document will accomplish a particular legal purpose.