Privacy Policy

01Overview

Notarized By Kristy LLC ("the Company," "we," "us," "our") operates the website texasnotarykristy.com and provides professional notarial, mobile notary, Remote Online Notarization, apostille coordination, and related document services. This Privacy Policy explains how the Company handles personal information collected from clients and website visitors.

The Company is a Texas-registered limited liability company conducting professional notarial services under the supervision of a Texas-commissioned notary public. The Company holds Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), and Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) federal certifications, is registered in SAM.gov, and maintains active Errors & Omissions insurance coverage.

By using this website or engaging the Company's services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the practices described in this policy, please do not use this website or our services.

02Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

When you contact us, request a quote, schedule an appointment, or engage our services, we collect information you voluntarily provide, which may include:

• Full legal name as it appears on government-issued identification
• Mailing address, service address, or document destination address
• Telephone number and email address
• Description of the document or service requested
• Document content provided to us for notarial or apostille processing
• Government-issued photo identification, when required for notarial verification
• Payment information processed through third-party payment processors
• Communications you exchange with us (email, text message, telephone notes)

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit this website, certain technical information is collected automatically, including:

• Internet Protocol (IP) address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type, version, and device characteristics
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
• Date and time of access

Information Required by Law for Notarial Services

Texas notarial law requires the maintenance of a notarial journal containing specific information about each notarial act performed. This may include the date and time of the notarial act, the name and signature of the signer, the type of document notarized, the type of identification verified, and any fees charged. For Remote Online Notarization, audio-visual recordings of the notarial session are retained as required by Texas law.

03How We Use Information

We use the information collected for the following purposes:

• Service delivery — to perform notarial acts, coordinate apostille submissions with the Texas Secretary of State, arrange document shipping, and complete the services you request
• Communication — to respond to inquiries, confirm appointments, provide status updates, and follow up regarding completed services
• Compliance — to fulfill legal obligations under Texas notarial law, federal recordkeeping requirements applicable to government contracting, and any applicable tax reporting requirements
• Identity verification — to confirm signer identity as required for notarial acts
• Service improvement — to analyze website performance, identify technical issues, and improve user experience
• Fraud prevention and security — to detect, prevent, and respond to fraudulent activity, security incidents, and potential violations of law
• Business records — to maintain accurate accounting, billing, and engagement records

04Legal Basis for Processing

We process personal information based on the following legal grounds:

• Performance of a contract — to deliver the notarial or document services you have requested
• Compliance with legal obligations — to satisfy Texas notarial law, federal recordkeeping requirements, and applicable tax law
• Legitimate interests — to operate, maintain, and improve our business and prevent fraud, where such interests are not overridden by your rights
• Consent — where required, we will request your explicit consent before collecting or using information beyond what is necessary for the purposes described above

05Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We share information only in the following limited circumstances:

Government Agencies

For apostille services, documents and supporting information are submitted to the Texas Secretary of State as required for apostille certification. Additional government agencies may be involved depending on the service requested (for example, county clerk certification when required for the document type).

Service Providers

We share information with vetted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, including:

• Payment processors for invoicing and payment collection
• Remote Online Notarization platform providers, where RON sessions are conducted
• Shipping carriers (USPS, FedEx, DHL) for document delivery
• Cloud storage and email service providers for business operations
• Web form processors for contact form submissions
• Website analytics providers (Google Analytics) for aggregated, anonymized usage statistics

Service providers are contractually limited to using information only as needed to perform services on our behalf.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by valid legal process, including subpoena, court order, government investigation, or other lawful request. We may also disclose information when necessary to protect our legal rights, the safety of any person, or to prevent fraud or other illegal activity.

Business Transfers

If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or similar corporate transaction, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to standard confidentiality protections.

06Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy or as required by law:

• Notarial journal records — retained for the period required by Texas notarial law (currently the longer of the notary's term of commission or any applicable statute of limitations)
• RON session recordings — retained as required by Texas Remote Online Notarization regulations
• Engagement and accounting records — retained for a minimum of seven (7) years for tax and legal documentation purposes
• Email and contact form correspondence — retained for up to three (3) years following the last contact, unless ongoing engagement requires longer retention
• Technical website data and analytics — retained for up to fourteen (14) months in Google Analytics (the default retention period) and up to two (2) years for any other technical data

Following the applicable retention period, information is securely destroyed or anonymized.

07Your Rights

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion — request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements (notarial journal records cannot be deleted before the legally mandated retention period expires)
• Restriction — request that we limit our processing of your information
• Portability — request a portable copy of information you have provided to us
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw consent — withdraw any consent you have previously given, including cookie and analytics consent (see Section 10)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 15. We will respond to verifiable requests within 30 days, or longer where required by applicable law. Requests may require identity verification before processing.

08International Clients

The Company serves clients located outside the United States, particularly for apostille coordination involving international document destinations. If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that information you provide to us will be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States.

The privacy laws of the United States may differ from the privacy laws of your country of residence. By providing information to us, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and to the processing of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Clients in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and equivalent national laws, including the rights described in Section 7. The Company acts as a data controller for personal information collected through this website and through our service engagements.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority in your country of residence if you believe our processing of your personal information violates applicable law.

09California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including:

• The right to know what categories of personal information we have collected about you
• The right to know whether we have sold or shared personal information about you (we do not sell or share personal information)
• The right to request deletion of personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
• The right to correct inaccurate personal information
• The right not to receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your CCPA rights

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 15. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.

10Cookies & Analytics

This website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to support website functionality and to analyze website usage. Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your browser.

Google Analytics 4

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors use our website. Google Analytics collects information such as the pages you visit, time spent on each page, browser type, device characteristics, approximate geographic location (based on IP address), and how you arrived at our website. This information is collected in aggregated and anonymized form. We use it solely to improve our website and content — not for advertising or marketing purposes.

We have configured Google Analytics with the following privacy enhancements:

• IP anonymization enabled — your full IP address is never stored by Google Analytics
• Consent Mode v2 enabled — Google Analytics does not load tracking cookies or send data until you explicitly accept
• No advertising features enabled — we do not use Google Analytics for remarketing, audience building, or any advertising purpose
• Data retention set to 14 months (the default GA4 retention period)

Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit this website, a cookie consent banner appears at the bottom of the page asking whether you accept or decline analytics cookies. Your choice is remembered for future visits via your browser's local storage.

• If you Accept — Google Analytics begins collecting anonymized usage data as described above
• If you Decline — Google Analytics is disabled. No analytics cookies are set. No usage data is sent
• Strictly necessary cookies are always active, as they are required for the website to function

How to Withdraw Consent

You may withdraw your cookie consent at any time by clearing your browser's local storage and cookies for this website, after which the consent banner will appear again on your next visit. You may also use the button below to reset your cookie preferences immediately:

Browser-Level Cookie Control

You can also manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

• View cookies stored on your device
• Delete cookies for specific websites or all websites
• Block third-party cookies entirely
• Block all cookies (this may affect website functionality)

For more information on managing cookies in popular browsers, visit the browser's help documentation directly.

11Security Measures

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure transmission of website data via HTTPS encryption
• Access controls limiting personal information to authorized personnel
• Secure document handling and chain-of-custody procedures for physical documents
• Encrypted RON platforms certified for compliance with Texas notarial regulations
• Active Errors & Omissions insurance coverage
• Routine security review of vendor and platform partners

While we take reasonable steps to protect personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security. If you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

12Minors

This website and our services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided personal information, we will take steps to delete such information.

Notarial services involving minors are conducted only with appropriate parental or legal guardian involvement, and only when the notarial act is permissible under Texas law and the type of document being executed.

13Third-Party Services

This website may contain links to third-party websites or use third-party services not operated by the Company. These third parties have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their content or practices. Examples of third-party services that may be involved include:

• Google Calendar for appointment scheduling
• Google Analytics for website usage statistics
• Web3Forms for contact form processing
• Pactima, Proof, and similar platforms for Remote Online Notarization
• Snapdocs, SigningOrder, and similar platforms for loan signing engagements
• USPS, FedEx, and DHL for document shipping
• Payment processors and accounting platforms used for invoicing and billing

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you interact with through our website or engagements.

14Policy Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service offerings. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy indicates when the policy was most recently revised.

Material changes to this policy will be communicated through prominent notice on this website or by direct communication to active clients where feasible. Your continued use of this website or our services following the posting of changes constitutes acceptance of those changes.

15Contact

For questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us using the information below:

This Privacy Policy is provided for informational purposes and reflects current business practices. It does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal questions regarding the handling of your personal information, please consult an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.