What must a notary do with respect to all the notary's official acts, attestations, certificates, and instruments?

• A. Authenticate all the notary's official acts and include the expiration date on the signature
• B. Authenticate only some acts and omit the expiration date
• C. Authenticate acts and ignore the commission expiration
• D. Authenticate acts and attach a separate certificate

Answer: (A)

In Texas, a notary’s authority comes from the commission, so every official act, attestation, certificate, or instrument they handle must be authenticated. The certificate used for each act should clearly show the expiration date of the notary’s commission because this proves the notary had valid authority at the time the act was performed. Including the expiration date helps protect the document’s integrity and prevents questions about whether the notary was empowered to certify it. It’s not about attaching a separate certificate or omitting the expiration; the act itself must be authenticated and the certificate must carry the commission’s expiration.