Can a Texas Notary Notarize for Family Members?

By American Association of Notaries

A Texas notary public is responsible for serving as an unbiased and disinterested witness to the signing of important legal documents. This means a Texas notary is tasked with the important role of ensuring that a signer’s identity has been verified and that he or she signed a particular document willingly and without coercion. Given a notary’s responsibility to play an unbiased and disinterested role, can a Texas notary perform notarizations for members of his or her family? This article will explore that pertinent question.

What, then, should you do if a family member asks you to notarize a document? You should refuse to perform the service, but you can soften the refusal by providing him or her with a list of reliable Texas notaries who can assist. Preparing a list of a few nearby notaries will help you to maintain your relationship while also declining to perform a notarization that may contain the appearance of irregularity or conflict of interest.