Regular Session
Government Affairs & Regulatory Compliance Analysis
SB693 fundamentally alters the liability landscape for Texas businesses by elevating "convenience notarization"—notarizing without the signer present—from a procedural error to a criminal offense, punishable as a State Jail Felony for real estate documents. Effective September 1, 2025, the law also mandates a strict 10-year record retention period and establishes the Secretary of State (SOS) as the exclusive provider of mandatory notary education.
Sen. Royce West·Senate Bill·Regular Session
Local District and County Attorneys • Texas Secretary of State
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Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
JD Key Consulting specializes in Texas regulatory compliance strategy. Work directly with James Dickey—former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas—to understand this bill's impact on your operations and develop an actionable compliance plan.
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This bill's path through the Texas Legislature
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Common questions about SB693
SB693 fundamentally alters the liability landscape for Texas businesses by elevating "convenience notarization"—notarizing without the signer present—from a procedural error to a criminal offense, punishable as a State Jail Felony for real estate documents. Effective September 1, 2025, the law also mandates a strict 10-year record retention period and establishes the Secretary of State (SOS) as the exclusive provider of mandatory notary education.
SB693 was authored by Texas Senator Royce West during the Regular Session.
SB693 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 30, 2025.
SB693 is enforced by Local District and County Attorneys and Texas Secretary of State.
The regulatory priority for SB693 is rated as "critical". Businesses and organizations should review the legislation to understand potential impacts.
The cost impact of SB693 is estimated as "medium". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
SB693 addresses topics including crimes, crimes--miscellaneous, notaries, continuing education and secretary of state.
Key dates for SB693: Effective date is 2025-09-01. Rulemaking: Adopt rules establishing education requirements (max 2 hours) and course fees for new and renewing notaries. (2026-01-01). Consult with legal counsel regarding applicability.
SB693 establishes the following penalties: criminal penalty of Class A Misdemeanor for Performing a notarization with knowledge that the signer did not personally appear.; criminal penalty of State Jail Felony for Performing a notarization without personal appearance if the document involves a transfer of or interest in real property.; administrative penalty of Revocation/Denial of Commission for Failure to maintain notary records for the new 10-year retention period.. Consult with legal counsel for specific applicability to your situation.
JD Key Consulting is an Austin, Texas-based government affairs firm led by James Dickey, former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. We specialize in Texas regulatory compliance and legislative strategy for data centers, energy, banking, and manufacturing.
