Texas Legislature Increases Notary Fees

In 2023 the Texas legislature authorized an increase in notary fees that Texas Notaries may charge for certain services.  The standard fee was increased from $6.00 to $10.00.  The new law also gives the Texas Secretary of State some authority over increasing or decreasing fees in the future.

Sec. 406.024. FEES CHARGED BY NOTARY PUBLIC.
(a) A notary public or its employer may charge the following fees:
(1) for protesting a bill or note for nonacceptance or nonpayment, register and seal, a fee of $4;(2) for each notice of protest, a fee of $1;
(3) for protesting in all other cases, a fee of $4;
(4) for certificate and seal to a protest, a fee of $4;
(5) for taking the acknowledgment or proof of a deed or other instrument in writing, for registration, including certificate and seal, a fee of $10 for the first signature and $1 for each additional signature;
(6) for administering an oath or affirmation with certificate and seal, a fee of $10; (7) for a certificate under seal not otherwise provided for, a fee of $10;
(8) for a copy of a record or paper in the notary public’s office, a fee of $1 for each page;
(9) for taking the deposition of a witness, $1 for each 100 words;
(10) for swearing a witness to a deposition, certificate, seal, and other business connected with taking the deposition, a fee of $10; and
(11) for a notarial act not provided for, a fee of $10.

(b) A notary public may charge a fee only for an acknowledgment or official act under Subsection(a). The fee charged may not exceed the fee authorized by Subsection (a), as adjusted under Subsection (c).
​(c) Once every five years, the secretary of state shall adjust the fees provided under Subsection (a) by the amount that results from applying the inflation rate, as determined by the comptroller on the basis of the increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor, to the current fee amounts.

​Sec. 406.111. FEES FOR ONLINE NOTARIZATION.
An online notary public or the online notary public’s employer may charge a fee in an amount not to exceed $25 for performing an online notarization in addition to any other fees authorized under Section 406.024.