SAN ANTONIO NOTARY FAQ
We get many questions, so here are some answers!
Q. What are your notary service fees?
A. You can find our notary service prices here.
Q. Can a Notary charge whatever they want?
A. Absolutely not! Texas state law determines what Notaries are allowed to charge for notarizing documents, including mortgage loan documents. However, Notaries are allowed to charge an additional fee for optional services such as mobile notary services. Please, if you know of any Notary who is charging fees in excess of Texas state law, report them to the Secretary of State so they can no longer take advantage of unsuspecting customers! Dishonest Notaries give us all a bad name.
Here is an example; if you meet the Notary at their location during normal business hours and they only notarize one signature on one document for you, they can only charge you a maximum of $6.00.
Q. What are your hours?
A. Our office hours are Monday – Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm, but we are available to do notarizations Monday thru Saturday from 5:00am to midnight – excluding federal holidays.
Q. Can I text your company?
A. No, our phone number is a business line. Sorry!
Q. What kind of ID do I need?
A. The law requires ALL clients to have a government issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or state ID card. We can accept a United States issued passport as well. We do not accept any foreign documents as proof of identity. We are required by law to document your identity in our notary journal.
Q. Can you notarize documents that are in a foreign language?
A. No. All documents must be in 100% English.
Q. May I make a certified copy of a birth certificate or a marriage license?
A. No. Birth certificates and marriage licenses are publicly recordable documents. Recordable documents are recorded with some specific governmental entity, such as the secretary of state’s office, a court of law, a county clerk, or the Bureau of Vital Statistics. A certified copy of a recordable document may be obtained by contacting the recording entity. A notary cannot make certified copies of recordable documents.
Q. Does a Texas notary public have jurisdiction on a U.S. military base or Indian reservation?
A. Maybe not. Texas notaries have statewide jurisdiction. Gov’t Code § 406.003. Accordingly, a Texas notary does not appear to be authorized to take an oath or acknowledgement, or perform any other notarial act, on a federal enclave or an Indian reservation. See Tex. Atty. Gen. Op. JC-0390 (2001) (finding that engineers practicing on a federal enclave are not required to be licensed in Texas). Some, but not all military bases are federal enclaves.
TEXAS STATE LAW SAYS:
A notary public is not a notario or notario público.
A notary public is not authorized to practice law.
A notary public may not give legal advice or prepare legal documents.
A notary public may not charge a fee for preparation of immigration documents or represent someone in immigration matters.
Please report any notaries public disobeying these rules to the Office of the Secretary of State.