Texas Notary Acknowledgment: Wording & Free Fillable Certificate
This content is educational and informational, not legal advice. The wording below is the statutory Texas ordinary certificate of acknowledgment from Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 121.007; laws change, so confirm the current form with the Texas Secretary of State. A notary cannot choose which certificate a signer needs, so this tool fills in the standard statutory wording only.
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Fillable Texas acknowledgment certificate
Type the details and the statutory wording updates live. This fills the standard section 121.007 ordinary certificate for an individual signing on their own behalf; it does not choose the notarial act for you. Use Copy to paste it onto a loose certificate, or Print for a clean sheet.
What is the exact Texas acknowledgment wording?
The Texas ordinary certificate of acknowledgment follows the form in Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 121.007. The statutory form reads:
The State of Texas
County of ______________
Before me ____________ (here insert the name and character of the officer) on this day personally appeared ____________, known to me (or proved to me on the oath of ____________, or through ____________, description of identity card or other document) to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument and acknowledged to me that he/she executed the same for the purposes and consideration therein expressed.
Given under my hand and seal of office this ______ day of __________, A.D., ______.
____________________________________ (Seal)
Name and Character of Notarizing Officer
The statute writes "he executed," and because Texas allows substantial compliance you adapt the pronoun to the signer.
What must a Texas acknowledgment include?
A Texas ordinary acknowledgment carries these elements, and leaving one out is what usually causes a rejection:
| Element | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Venue (The State of Texas, County) | The county where the signer personally appeared |
| Name and character of the officer | Identifies the notary, e.g. "Jane Doe, Notary Public" |
| "Personally appeared" language | Confirms the signer appeared before the notary |
| Basis of identity | Known to me, on the oath of a credible witness, or through an ID document |
| "For the purposes and consideration therein expressed" | The acknowledgment language unique to the Texas form |
| "Given under my hand and seal of office" | Signature, date with A.D., and the official seal |
Does Texas require the exact wording?
No. Section 121.007 says the form must be "substantially as follows," and section 121.006 allows the authorized forms to be altered to fit the circumstances, so Texas follows a substantial-compliance standard rather than the rigid, word-for-word approach of states like California. You still include every required element; you simply have room to adapt the pronoun or fit the form to a corporate signer using the separate corporate acknowledgment under section 121.002.
When do you use an acknowledgment instead of a jurat in Texas?
You use an acknowledgment when the signer is confirming they signed the document for the purposes stated, not swearing the contents are true. The signer must personally appear, but they do not have to sign in front of the notary for an acknowledgment. A jurat is different: the signer swears or affirms the contents are true and signs in the notary's presence, and the jurat carries an oath. The document or the receiving agency decides which one applies, never the notary.
Can a Texas notary choose the certificate?
No. A Texas notary public cannot decide which notarial act a document needs or advise on the legal effect of choosing one, because that would be the unauthorized practice of law. If a document has no notarial wording, the signer chooses based on what the receiving party requires, and the notary then completes or attaches the matching certificate with the statutory language.
Texas acknowledgment: frequently asked questions
- Where does the Texas acknowledgment wording come from?
- From Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 121.007, the ordinary certificate of acknowledgment for an individual signing on their own behalf. Corporate signers use the separate form in section 121.002.
- Does the Texas form have to match word for word?
- No. The statute requires the form to be "substantially as follows," and section 121.006 allows authorized forms to be altered, so Texas uses a substantial-compliance standard while keeping every required element.
- How can a Texas notary verify identity?
- By personal knowledge, the oath of a credible witness personally known to the notary, or a current identification card or other document, as set out in section 121.005.
- What if the document has no notarial wording?
- The notary cannot pick the certificate for you. The signer chooses based on what the receiving agency requires, and the notary then completes the correct certificate with the statutory wording.
Published June 13, 2026 by the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code sections 121.005, 121.006, and 121.007 (Texas Legislature, statutes.capitol.texas.gov) and the Texas Secretary of State notary information. Confirm the current form on the Texas Secretary of State website.