My Employer Wants Me to Become a Texas Notary

Becoming a Texas notary is a noteworthy undertaking. There are many reasons why a person may apply to become a Texas notary. Some become Texas notaries to broaden their professional credentials and skills for employment. Others become Texas notaries at the request of an employer or as a service to their business clients. Law firms, shipping centers, banks, and post offices are a few of the many types of businesses that have notaries on staff.

Who pays for the notary application fee?

When an employer asks an employee to become a Texas notary, the employer may decide to pay for the employee's notary application, notary seal, supplies, and notarial record book.

Regardless of who pays for the notary commission—the notary, or the employer—the Texas notary commission, notary stamp, and notary records belong solely to the Texas notary, even if the employer paid for them.

The notary commission belongs to the Texas notary

If an employee Texas notary leaves his or her position of employment, does the employer retain the notary's commission, record book, or notary seal? Does an employer have the right to request that the Texas notary employee resign his or her Texas notary commission? "No" is the answer to both of these questions.

An employer may be under the impression that an illegal notarization performed in the future by a departing notary employee will cause liability for him or her (or the company) since the employer paid for the notary bond and commission. Therefore, employers may erroneously request that notaries resign their notary commissions; employers may also attempt to keep notary seals and records.

What to do if the employer keeps your notary commission and supplies

When the employment of a Texas notary is terminated, the notary must insist that he or she remain in possession of his or her Texas notary commission, notary seal, and notary record book . If an employer refuses to give possession of a notary's commission, records, or seal to the notary, the notary may be able to resolve the problem by following these steps:

1. Send a letter via certified mail to the employer outlining that a notary's commission, seal, and records are the sole property of the notary public to whom they were assigned.
2. Provide his or her former employer with a copy of this article.
3. Include the contact information for the state notary public administrator's office with a suggestion that the employer contact the office to verify to whom the notary's seal, records, and commission belong.
4. Send a copy of the letter via certified mail to the notary public administrator's office.

Once the notary public administrator's office has been notified that an employer kept the notarial possessions of the notary, a Texas notary should be able to replace them and continue serving as a Texas notary.

The American Association of Notaries has been helping Texas notaries since 1994. We have helped hundreds of thousands become Texas notaries. To become a Texas notary or to renew your Texas notary commission please click here to learn how to become a notary in Texas.