A notary forfeits the commission if knowingly fails to submit a renewal application, pay the renewal fee, or complete processing and filing for renewal by the date of expiration of the Notary Public's commission. By what date must these actions be completed to avoid forfeiture?

• A. Expiration
• B. Anniversary
• C. 30 days after expiration
• D. Renewal date

Answer: (A)

The obligation to renew must be fulfilled by the commission’s expiration date. In Texas, a Notary Public’s authority ends on that fixed expiration, and the renewal process—including submitting the renewal application, paying the renewal fee, and completing any processing—must be completed on or before that date to keep the commission in force. If these steps aren’t finished by expiration, the commission is forfeited, and the notary would need to reapply and be reappointed to regain authority.

Other dates don’t fit because the expiration date is the actual cutoff for maintaining authority; a mere anniversary or a grace period after expiration isn’t the controlling deadline, and “renewal date” doesn’t denote the end of the current term.