How to become a loan signing agent in Texas
Texas changed its rules for 2026: new applicants now take a short course from the Secretary of State and pass its assessment before applying. For loan signings, the rule that catches newcomers is in the state constitution — a Texas home equity loan cannot be signed at the borrower's home.
Sources checked September 28, 2026
Texas at a glance
- Commission term
- Four years, with statewide jurisdiction.Tex. Gov't Code ch. 406
- Course and assessment
- Required for applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026: the Secretary of State's own course, two hours at most, $20 per attempt, with 70% needed to pass. Private courses do not count.Texas Register, Dec. 26, 2025 — notary education rules (1 TAC ch. 87)
- Bond
- $10,000, from a surety company authorized in Texas.Tex. Gov't Code ch. 406
- State filing fees
- $10 to approve and file the bond, $1 for notary materials and $10 for the commission, set by statute. The course fee is separate.Tex. Gov't Code ch. 406
- Fee per notarial act
- $10 for the first signature on an acknowledgment and $1 for each additional one; $10 for an oath with certificate and seal.Tex. Gov't Code ch. 406
- Record book
- Required. It may be kept electronically, and each entry is kept until the 10th anniversary of the notarization.Tex. Gov't Code ch. 406
- Online notarization
- A separate online commission: an active traditional commission, a separate course, a $50 application and an X.509 digital certificate. No second bond.Texas Secretary of State — Notary Public
Getting commissioned
- 1
Check that you qualify
You must be at least 18, a Texas resident, and have no conviction for a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude. The Secretary of State runs a background check on every applicant.
- 2
Complete the Secretary of State's course
Through the SOS Notary Portal. The assessment is timed at 30 minutes; you can attempt it at most three times in three months, and proof of completion is good for one year.
Texas Secretary of State — Traditional Notary Application guide
- 3
Get your bond
Proof of a $10,000 notary bond from a Texas-licensed bonding company. An errors and omissions policy is a different thing — it protects you, not the public.
- 4
Apply in SOSPortal
Submit the application online, or let your bonding company submit it for you.
- 5
Sign your commission under oath
Once approved, download your commission and sign it under oath in front of another notary.
Loan signings in Texas
Home equity loans are signed at an office, not at home
A Texas home equity loan under article XVI, § 50(a)(6) may be closed only at the office of the lender, an attorney or a title company — at its permanent physical address, not the homestead. A power of attorney used for that closing must be signed at such an office too. Check the loan type before you accept a mobile appointment.
The twelve-day wait on home equity
A home equity loan may not close before the 12th day after the application or the required notice, whichever is later.
What the record book holds for a real-estate document
Among the entries: the signer's mailing address, how you identified them, the grantee's name and mailing address, and — when land is conveyed — the original grantee and the county where the land is. Do not record the ID number.
Who closes Texas transactions
Escrow officers who close title transactions are licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance; attorneys are exempt. The Secretary of State does not commission or register signing agents — you work under your notary commission.
You notarize; you do not advise
A Texas notary may not prepare, draft, select or give advice about legal documents.
Texas Secretary of State — Notary Public Educational Information
From commission to your first closing
The commission is what the state asks for. Title and escrow companies usually ask for more before they send a loan package: errors and omissions insurance, a background screening, and the equipment to print a full package and return scanned pages the same day. On Dr. Signing, a company can require a dual-tray printer or a scanner on an order, and only profiles that list them receive it — so list what you have.
Once you are commissioned
List your profile for free. Companies find you in the Texas directory, and the closings they post inside your travel radius come to you by email.
This page summarizes the law; it is not legal advice. The statute and the commissioning office decide, and they change — follow the source links before you rely on a number.