Do Texas Banks Still Offer Notary Services?

As banks and credit unions continue to restructure their service options in Texas and beyond, you may be wondering if these institutions still have licensed notaries on site. The answer is somewhat complicated. The format and availability of notary services in Texas banks has changed dramatically over the past few years. In short, banks in Texas and beyond are increasingly abandoning traditional forms of notarization in favor of a digital approach.

Notary Services – Essential for Secure Legal and Financial Transactions

If your important document isn’t authenticated and verified, it might not be worth the paper it is printed on. Notarization increases the validity of documents and protects them from legal challenges. A notary stamp confirms that all signatures on a document are real and that all involved parties understand what they are signing.

For centuries, local banks have been a reliable source of notarization services to cement countless legal and financial agreements. Documents traditionally notarized by banks include contracts, affidavits, loan documents, real estate documents, loan documents, promissory notes, powers of attorney, wills and trusts.

The Recent Shift Toward Digital Notarization

While the core protections and functions of notarization have remained essentially unchanged for centuries, digital technology has forever transformed its underlying methods and processes. In recent years, banks, credit unions and other organizations have been rapidly turning to remote online notarization.

Traditionally, people gathered in the same room to sign and authenticate legal and financial documents. Remote online notarization (or “RON”) is a relatively new, more efficient notarization option that benefits a wide range of organizations and individuals.

Despite initial worries over filing obstacles and private data breaches, RON has proven quite effective and secure since its initial implementation in 2011. Compared with traditional notarization (which requires some amount of physical travel on the part of the notary and/or the signing parties), RON offers instant online connectivity that allows participants to gather and conduct business in the digital environment.

RON allows notaries and signing parties to log on from any location as long as they have a functional device with internet access and audio/video capability. This not only eliminates the need for travel, but it supports scheduling flexibility. RON signings can occur at any time because RON networks and platforms operate day and night.

Factors Driving Change in Notary Services

The march of technological advancement has led to the development of essential RON tools such as electronic signatures (e-signatures) and electronic notary seals (e-notary seals). Reliable and secure video chatting and document filing platforms have also contributed to the dramatic rise of RON.

Beyond the march of technology, legislative changes have supported and furthered the adoption of RON in Texas, across the United States and around the world. Texas laws that support RON include 2018’s House Bill 121 (which legalized remote notarizations), 2019’s Senate Bill 2128 (which established a system for filing RON documents), and 2024’s Senate Bill 1780 (which legalized remote ink-signed notarizations). These laws include many important public safeguards including identity proofing, credential evolution and security encryption.

Current Availability of Notary Services in Texas Banks

Although many banks still offer in-person notarization services, many more are gravitating toward an exclusively RON approach. Major providers such as Chase Bank, Capital One, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, and Citibank continue to employ on-site notaries. However, the availability of in-person notarization services at any of these institutions varies from branch to branch.

Bank and credit union offices that do not staff on-site notaries might offer RON services by appointment. The fees for these services might be quite different depending on your bank of choice and the type of document you seek to notarize. As banks continue their shift toward digital-first and remote online notarization services, Texans must remain informed regarding their various notarization options.

Alternatives to Bank Notary Services

Fortunately, your bank isn’t the only place that you can go to meet your current and future notarization needs. For example, First Class Signing Service (FCSS) supports an extensive network of RON notaries that serves customers throughout Texas and across the United States. FCSS RON services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

For clients who prefer in-person notarization services, FCSS also supports an extensive network of mobile notaries. Unlike RON notaries (who solely meet with clients online in the digital environment), mobile notaries will travel to your home, business or any other convenient location to notarize documents on site.

Things to Consider When Looking for Notary Services in Texas

Texas banks and credit unions are far from alone in their pivot to embrace RON. Organizations of all kinds are adopting RON to both simplify and enhance their notarization offerings. The shift toward highly convenient RON operations has particularly improved notarization access for people who are unable to visit a local bank branch for various reasons.

Whether you opt for traditional, mobile or remote online notarization, you must provide the document at the time of signing. You must also ensure that all signing parties can present the notary with a driver’s license, a passport or another valid form of identification. FCSS can help you choose the right services and then handle all the technical details.

Outlook for Notary Services in Texas Banks

Texas banks and credit unions are expected to continue shifting away from in-person notarization and toward RON. Beyond increasing notarization access for their customers, this shift promises to eliminate many common document errors through routine procedural checks.

First Class Signing Service Can Assist You Today

Remote online notarization is a convenient way to verify signatures and authenticate documents. As Texas banks and other organizations continue to gravitate toward RON, you should remain informed about these highly popular services. First Class Signing Service can answer all your questions today.