A Texas notary must keep a seal of office and use it on every official act. The die carries a five-pointed star ringed by the words Notary Public, State of Texas, plus the commission expiration date, your identifying number and your name, with a serrated or milled edge around it. Size is capped in both formats. This page covers the design rules and the filings.
Engineer Seal Stamps compliance desk. Checked against Tex. Gov't Code § 406.013(a), (b) and The Texas Secretary of State. Sources read September 2026.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seal mandate | Yes. Every official act is authenticated with the seal of office. | Tex. Gov't Code § 406.013(a), (b) |
| Wording on the die | A serrated or milled edge border; a star of five points ringed by the words Notary Public, State of Texas; the expiration date of the commission; the identifying number; and your name as commissioned. | Tex. Gov't Code § 406.013(a), (b) |
| Round die size | A circular die is capped at 2 inches in diameter. | The Texas Secretary of State |
| Rectangular die size | A rectangular die is capped at 1 inch wide by 2.5 inches long. | The Texas Secretary of State |
| Ink | Not specified as to color. | The Texas Secretary of State |
| Copy test | The impression has to carry each required element legibly under photographic methods. | The Texas Secretary of State |
| Embosser | A seal press that embosses is permitted, yet a blind emboss cannot satisfy the photographic reproduction condition set in the same subsection. | The Texas Secretary of State |
| Commission term and reappointment | A commission runs four years from the date you qualify. Reappointment uses the Secretary of State application described in our Texas commission guide. | Tex. Gov't Code § 406.002 |
| Lost or stolen die | Describe the circumstances through the Secretary of State notary portal, file a police report and submit a copy where the seal was taken, and replace the seal before you act again. | The Texas Secretary of State |
| Name change filing | The Secretary of State is notified and receives your current commission certificate, a name-change application, a surety rider and a $20 fee. | The Texas Secretary of State |
Not commissioned yet? Our guide to how to become a notary in Texas covers who can apply, the fees, the bond and each application step.
Moving your commission to another state? Compare its rule in notary seal requirements by state.
Is the seal required on every act a Texas notary performs?
Yes. The seal of office authenticates official acts, which makes it part of the act rather than an ornament on the page. A notary without a compliant die cannot properly complete the work in front of them.
That is why the design rules below matter more in Texas than in states that only ask for name and title. A closer read of the same requirements sits in our walk through Texas notary stamp requirements.
Which elements does Texas put on the die?
Five, and all five are mandatory. Texas prescribes the artwork itself, so the star and the border are listed elements rather than decoration a supplier may drop to save space.
- A star of five points, with the words Notary Public, State of Texas set around it.
- A serrated or milled edge border enclosing the impression.
- Your name exactly as commissioned.
- Your identifying number.
- The expiration date of the commission.
An out-of-state template that shows a plain circle with no star, or a smooth rim in place of the milled border, does not match the statute even when every text line is correct. Check the proof for the identifying number in particular, since artwork drawn for another state has no place reserved for it.
How large may a Texas notary seal be?
A circular die is capped at 2 inches in diameter. A rectangular die is capped at 1 inch wide and 2.5 inches long. Both are ceilings rather than fixed sizes, so a smaller die is fine if the five elements still read.
The border is mandatory in either format, which eats into the usable area. That is the practical reason to avoid shrinking a Texas die too far. Our note on Texas notary seal dimensions takes the measurements further.
Does Texas name an ink color?
No. Color is not specified. What the rules do police is reproduction: the impression has to carry each required element legibly under photographic methods, so any ink too faint to copy fails that test regardless of its shade.
Treat the copier as the real judge. Run your test sheet through one and read the identifying number off the copy rather than the original.
Can an embosser be your only Texas seal?
A seal press that embosses is permitted. The same subsection also requires the impression to reproduce the required elements legibly under photographic methods, and a raised impression carrying no ink does not copy, which puts an emboss-only device at odds with the condition.
The workable arrangement is an inked die for the record and an embosser as a supplement where you want a raised mark. For day-to-day use in a notary practice, see how a Texas notary seal is used in practice.
Do you need a new seal when you are reappointed?
Not addressed. Nothing read for this page directs a Texas notary to replace the die at reappointment, so the sources are silent rather than permissive or strict.
What the sources do state is that the commission expiration date and the identifying number are required elements. A die showing figures that no longer match your current commission stops matching the statute on those lines, which is the practical constraint the silence leaves behind. Our piece on how expiration dates work on a Texas seal follows that thread.
What do you file when your name or address changes?
The Secretary of State is notified and receives a package: your current commission certificate, a name-change application, a surety rider and a $20 fee. The filing is what updates the record behind your commission.
A new name reaches the artwork as well, since the name is a listed element on the die. Order the replacement once the paperwork is in, so the impression and the record agree.
What happens if the seal is lost or stolen?
Report what happened through the Secretary of State notary portal, describing the circumstances. Where the seal was taken rather than misplaced, file a police report and submit a copy with the report.
Get a replacement seal before you resume notarizing. An act completed without the seal of office is not authenticated the way the statute expects, so the replacement is the gate on returning to work.
What should you have ready when you order?
Your commission certificate, because it carries the name spelling, the identifying number and the expiration date. Those three lines are unique to you and are the ones a supplier cannot fill in from a template.
Decide round or rectangular at the same time. If you are comparing suppliers and formats, our guide to buying Texas notary supplies online lays out the options.
How do you test the impression before using it?
Press once on plain paper and read the five elements back: star, wording ring, name, identifying number and expiration date, inside a serrated or milled border. Any one missing means the die goes back.
Then photocopy the sheet. The statute cares about the copy, not the original, so a number that blurs on the second read is a problem to solve before a client sees it. The wider requirements sit in our overview of Texas seal requirements and the supplies that go with them.
Who commissions notaries in Texas?
The Texas Secretary of State. Notaries are commissioned rather than licensed, and that office holds the record your seal has to agree with, including the identifying number printed on your die.
Frequently asked questions
Does the star really have to have five points?
Yes. The statute describes a star of five points with the wording set around it. A four-pointed or decorative star is not the element the statute lists.
Is the serrated or milled border optional?
No. It is one of the listed elements, so a smooth rim leaves the die short of the statute even when every text line is present.
Does Texas require black ink?
Color is not specified, so black is a convention rather than a rule. The requirement that bites is that each element reproduce legibly under photographic methods.
Can a round Texas die be smaller than 2 inches?
Yes. Two inches is the ceiling, not a set size. The limit on going smaller is practical: the five elements and the border all have to stay readable.
Is there a stated deadline for reporting a lost seal?
The sources read here set out the steps rather than a number of days. Since you need the replacement before you resume, delay costs you working time either way.
Does the identifying number have to be on the die?
Yes. It is one of the five required elements, so the artwork needs a line reserved for it before the die is cut.
Pull your commission certificate up, check the name, number and expiration date against it, then order from our Texas seals and stamps collection.
