What does Texas call proof of service?
Verified return or perjury declaration
Document Guides
Texas Rule 107 return of service
Texas is not a yes-or-no notary state. Verification is one path. The penalty-of-perjury declaration is the other. Use the declaration printed on the return.
iRemoteNotary Editorial Team
Published and reviewed by iRemoteNotary
Last reviewed October 7, 2026
Quick Answer
What proof does Texas use, and does it explicitly require a notary?
Verified return or perjury declaration. Texas is not a yes-or-no notary state. Verification is one path. The penalty-of-perjury declaration is the other. Use the declaration printed on the return.
Do not assume a notary is required from the document title. Send the unsigned page if the signature block is unclear.
Proof at a glance
| Question | This jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Proof name | Verified return or perjury declaration |
| Private server | Verified return or perjury declaration |
| Officer | Sheriff, constable, and clerk exempt |
| Traditional notary explicit? | Only if the return is verified |
| Perjury alternative? | Yes |
| Recipient acceptance of remote notarization | No express recipient-acceptance source was identified in the official materials reviewed. |
Current controlling rule
Texas proof is controlled, for this guide, by Tex. R. Civ. P. 107. Texas is not a yes-or-no notary state. Verification is one path. The penalty-of-perjury declaration is the other. Use the declaration printed on the return.
The date stored for the current text is 2024-12-01. A later amendment is not described as current.
What this jurisdiction calls the proof
The opened materials call it: Verified return or perjury declaration. Classification used in the authority record: verified return.
Private process server
Anyone else must verify the return or sign under penalty of perjury using the operative declaration, which includes age and address. A struck date-of-birth line in an amending order is not the operative text.
Sheriff, officer, or other listed server
A sheriff, constable, or clerk does not verify the return and does not use the perjury declaration.
Is an oath or notary explicitly required?
The answer depends on the form or the server. Read the signature block on the page that will be filed.
A penalty-of-perjury or unsworn-declaration alternative is part of the official path.
Fields the server has to complete
- Age and address on the declaration path
- Date, manner, and place
- JBCC identification number and expiration when the server is certified
Filing or service timing
No default until proof has been on file 10 days, excluding the filing day and the judgment day.
When a different kind of process uses different proof
substituted service: Rule 107(f): alternative service under Rule 106 is proved in the manner the court ordered.
Remote online notarization and court acceptance
No express recipient-acceptance source was identified in the official materials reviewed.
Remote online notarization is performed under the law of the online notary's commissioning state. When the commission is a Florida commission, Florida's remote online notarization statute governs the notarial act. The court or other recipient still decides whether to accept the return.
If the page is only a declaration, certificate, or signed return, do not add a notary certificate.
Send the unsigned proof
Not sure whether your exact proof or return requires a notarial act? Send the unsigned document for review before scheduling.
What to send iRemoteNotary
- The unsigned proof, return, or affidavit
- The court, and that the case is connected to Texas
- The form number and revision if one is printed
- Whether the signature block is a jurat or a perjury declaration
Send the unsigned proof
Not sure whether your exact proof or return requires a notarial act? Send the unsigned document for review before scheduling.
Process-serving companies and law firms
A coordinator can submit the request. The signer is the person named on the certificate. There is no organization account, dashboard, volume price, or court-filing service.
One signer and one notarization is $25 domestically. Each additional notarization is $15. An additional signer is $10. A witness is $15. An international session coordination fee of $25 applies when a signer is outside the United States. An international session commonly starts at $50 for one signer and one notarization.
Send the unsigned proof
Not sure whether your exact proof or return requires a notarial act? Send the unsigned document for review before scheduling.
Frequently asked questions
Does a sheriff or officer use the same signature block?
A sheriff, constable, or clerk does not verify the return and does not use the perjury declaration.
Is a penalty-of-perjury declaration an alternative?
Yes, on the path described on this page.
Did the official materials expressly accept remote notarization of the proof?
No express recipient-acceptance source was identified in the official materials reviewed.
Related pages
Sources and Official References
The following primary sources support the legal and procedural information in this guide. Requirements can change, so confirm current rules with the receiving organization before relying on a notarized document.
Order amending Rules 103 and 107(opens in a new tab)
Texas
Accessed October 7, 2026
Send the unsigned page
Not sure whether your exact proof or return requires a notarial act? Send the unsigned document for review before scheduling.