§ 121.006.Alteration of Authorized Forms; Definition

Three provisions, and the third brought this chapter into remote practice.

An acknowledgment form provided by this chapter may be altered as circumstances require, the authorization of a form does not prevent the use of other forms, and the marital or other status of the acknowledging person may be shown after the person’s name.

So the statutory forms are safe harbours rather than requirements.

Subsection (b) then defines what "acknowledged" means for six categories — a natural person, a principal acting by attorney-in-fact, a partnership, a corporation, a public officer, trustee, executor, administrator, guardian or other representative, and a limited liability company.

Each definition repeats the same two elements: the person personally appeared, and they acknowledged executing the instrument — in the representative cases, in the capacity stated, as the act of the entity.

The capacity language is what carries the legal effect. An officer signing for a corporation acknowledges the corporation’s act, not their own.

Subsection (c) redefines "personally appear" for the modern practice. A person may appear by physically appearing or by an interactive two-way audio and video communication meeting the online notarization requirements of the Government Code.

That is remote online notarization, and Texas was early to it. The requirement is two-way and live — a recorded video or a telephone call does not qualify.

Subsection (d) requires the form to include a space indicating which method was used, so the certificate itself shows whether the appearance was in person or online.