Privacy Policy for A Texas Notary

Effective Date: 01 April 2025

1. Who we are

Our website address is: https://atexasnotary.com. This website and the associated services are operated by A Texas Notary (“we,” “us,” or “our”) 

We provide mobile notary, loan signing, remote online notarization (RON), and Texas apostille services. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our visitors and clients.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information about you directly from you, automatically through your use of our website, and sometimes from third parties.

• Information You Provide:

  • Contact Information: When you fill out contact forms, request quotes, schedule appointments (directly or via third-party tools like Google Calendar), or communicate with us via email, phone, or WhatsApp, we collect information such as your name, email address, phone number, and the nature of your inquiry.

  • Service Provision Data: To provide notary, apostille, RON, or loan signing services, we may collect additional information necessary for the service, such as:

    • Information contained within documents requiring notarization or apostille.

    • Government-issued identification details required for identity verification during notarizations (including RON).

    • Location details for mobile notary appointments.

    • Payment information (processed securely via third-party processors).

    • Information required by RON platforms for identity proofing and session completion.

  • Comments: When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and potentially the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture (if using Gravatar) might be visible to the public in the context of your comment.

  • User Accounts: If we offer user registration, we store the personal information provided in user profiles.

• Information Collected Automatically:

  • Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about your browsing activities, device type, IP address, browser user agent string, referral URLs, and interaction with our site and advertisements. (See Section 5 for more details).

  • Analytics: We use analytics services (like Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use our site.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

• To provide, maintain, and improve our website and services.

• To respond to your inquiries, quote requests, and schedule appointments.

• To perform notarial acts and apostille processing as requested.

• To comply with legal obligations, including Texas notary laws and record-keeping requirements.

• To process payments for services rendered.

• To communicate with you about your service requests or important updates.

• For marketing and advertising purposes (where permitted by law and with your consent where required).

• To prevent spam and ensure the security of our website.

• To analyze website usage and improve user experience.

4. Media

If you upload images to the website (e.g., as part of a document submission), you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can potentially download and extract any location data from images on the website. We generally recommend sending documents via secure methods discussed during service consultation rather than direct website uploads unless specifically requested via a secure portal.

5. Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use them for functionality, analytics, and potentially advertising.

• Comments: If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

• Login: If you visit our login page (primarily for administrators), we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser. When administrators log in, we set cookies to save login information and screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, screen options cookies last for a year. Selecting “Remember Me” persists the login for two weeks. Logging out removes login cookies.

• Article Editing: If you edit or publish an article (administrators/editors only), an additional cookie indicating the post ID is saved for 1 day.

• Analytics Cookies: Used by services like Google Analytics to track site usage and performance.

• Advertising Cookies: Used by platforms like Google Ads or Meta (Facebook) to deliver targeted advertising and measure campaign effectiveness (if we run such campaigns).

• Third-Party Cookies: Services embedded on our site (like Calendly for booking, payment processors, or RON platforms) may set their own cookies. Please refer to their respective privacy policies.

You can usually manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

6. Embedded content from other websites

Articles or pages on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, booking widgets like Calendly, maps). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

7. Who we share your data with

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with third parties only in the ways described below or with your consent:

• Service Providers: Companies that perform services on our behalf, such as payment processors, scheduling tools (e.g., WhatsApp), email service providers, web hosting providers, analytics providers, and RON platform providers.

• Government Authorities: The Texas Secretary of State for apostille processing, and other authorities as required by law or legal process (e.g., responding to subpoenas or court orders, fulfilling notary record requirements).

• Spam Detection: Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

• Password Resets: If you request a password reset (typically for registered users/admins), your IP address will be included in the reset email.

• Shipping Carriers: Companies like FedEx, DHL, or USPS if shipping documents on your behalf.

• Legal Compliance & Security: To protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others, or as otherwise required by law.

8. How long we retain your data

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

• Comments: If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata may be retained indefinitely to recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically.

• User Accounts: For users that register on our website (if any), we store the personal information they provide in their user profile for as long as the account is active or as needed to provide services.

• Service & Communication Data: Information related to service inquiries and general communications may be kept for a reasonable period for customer service and business record purposes.

• Notary Records: Crucially, Texas law mandates specific retention periods for notary public records, including traditional journals and records related to Remote Online Notarizations (including video recordings). We retain all legally required notary records for the duration mandated by Texas law (currently, State the current Texas requirement, Five (5) years from the date of notarization.). This data cannot be erased before the legally mandated period expires.
  

• Other Legal Requirements: We retain data as necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

9. What rights you have over your data

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: You can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us (subject to identity verification).

• Correction: You can request correction of inaccurate personal data we hold about you.

• Erasure: You can request that we erase personal data we hold about you. However, this right is not absolute and does not apply to data we are legally obliged to keep for administrative, legal, security, or regulatory purposes (such as mandated notary records).

• Objection/Restriction: You may have the right to object to or request restriction of certain processing activities.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information below. We will respond to requests in accordance with applicable laws.

10. Where your data is sent

Your information may be processed and stored in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. Data may be sent to:

• Automated spam detection services.

• Third-party service providers as outlined in Section 7 (some of whom may be located outside your jurisdiction).

• The Texas Secretary of State’s office for apostille processing.

We take steps to ensure that data transfers comply with applicable legal requirements.

11. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure.

12. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

13. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

14. Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

A Texas Notary

[email protected]