TX SB2359

Adds mandatory education requirements for notary public qualification, with the secretary of state to establish rules requiring up to 2 hours of initial education for new appointments and 2 hours of continuing education for reappointments

Creates a criminal offense for notaries who knowingly perform notarizations when the signer did not personally appear before them, classified as a Class A misdemeanor or elevated to a state jail felony if the document involves real property transfer

Requires notaries public to retain notarization records for 10 years from the date of notarization

Adds failure to maintain required records as grounds for rejection of an application or revocation of a notary commission

Applies to applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026, with the secretary of state required to adopt implementing rules by that date; persons appointed before September 1, 2025, are exempt from initial education requirements