Texas notary surety bond

A Texas notary surety bond is a promise, backed by a surety company, that helps pay a person who is harmed by a mistake or by misconduct of a notary. The bond is for the public. It is not for the notary. If the surety pays a claim, the notary usually has to pay the surety back.

Texas notary bond at a glance

Bond amount

$10,000

Commission term

Four years

Commissioned by

Texas Secretary of State

Bond payable to

The governor

Where the bond goes

Uploaded at the Bond step of the SOS Portal Notary System

What Texas requires

1. Apply online through the Texas Secretary of State SOS Portal Notary System.
2. Get a $10,000 surety bond from a company licensed in Texas to issue surety bonds.
3. Have the bond company complete and sign Form 2301-B, the Texas Notary Public Surety Bond.
4. Upload the completed form at the Bond step of your online application.
5. The name on the bond must match the name on your application exactly.

The Texas Secretary of State is clear that an errors and omissions policy is not the same thing as a notary surety bond. The bond pays people harmed by your actions. E&O is the policy that protects you.

If you also commission as an online notary in Texas, you do not need a second bond. The state accepts the bond you already hold as a traditional notary.

A notary bond does not replace notary errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. The bond pays the public. E&O protects you.

State rules change. Always check with the Texas commissioning authority for the current requirements before you apply. Details on this page were last checked on 2026-08-11.

Apply online in minutes. Same day issue is available in most cases.

A notary bond protects the public. E&O insurance is intended to protect you, the notary, against a claim that comes from an error, a mistake or alleged misconduct in your notarial work. Many Texas notaries add an E&O policy next to the bond.