Texas Apostille

Texas Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Texas, for $15 per document (not per page). Pick the document and the country to see what it needs first and how to send it. This runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Texas office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

This runs in your browser. Nothing you pick is sent, saved or added to the page address.

Pick the state where the document was issued, recorded or notarized, not the state you live in.

Choose who issued the document, the kind of document and the country to see the steps.

Who issues apostilles in Texas

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Texas come from Texas Secretary of State (Authentications Unit). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $15 per document (not per page). (source)
  • Texas issues one certificate for every country, in or outside the Apostille Convention.
  • Adoption proceedings rate, instead of $15 (Form 2103; total capped at $100 per adoption): $10 (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Austin): mail the original Texas document or certified copy, Form 2102 naming the destination country, a check or money order on a U.S. bank (no cards by mail) and a prepaid return envelope to the Authentications Unit's P.O. box (source)
  • In person (Austin): same-day service, up to 10 documents: walk-in Monday and Friday, appointment required Tuesday to Thursday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.); more than 10 documents go in the drop box (source)
  • Request form: Form 2102, Request for Universal Apostille (Rev. 06/2026); adoption requests use Form 2103
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • Mailed requests can take up to two weeks from receipt. (source)
  • In person: same-day service, up to 10 documents per person or company; waits on walk-in days can exceed an hour. (source)
  • Drop box (more than 10 documents): three-day processing turnaround. (source)
  • Some countries do not accept online (RON) notarized documents even when apostilled; check with the receiving agency first. (source)
  • A mailed request will not be pulled for walk-in service once it arrives. (source)

What Texas needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Send an original certified copy of the birth or death certificate issued by the city, county or state. (source)
  • A notary cannot notarize a birth, death or marriage record or turn it into a certified copy. (source)
  • The certified copy must have been issued within the past five years; older copies cannot be apostilled. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Divorce decrees, judgments and probated wills go in as certified copies issued by the court or county clerk, less than five years old; a notary cannot certify them. (source)

Notarized document (power of attorney, affidavit, consent letter, translation)

  • Include a typed or written statement from the issuer or signer summarizing the document's contents and intent, signed and properly notarized by a Texas notary; no county step is named. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • An original school record must carry a signed statement of issuance from a school official, notarized by a Texas notary with a proper notarial certificate, seal and date. (source)
  • For a copy of a school record, the student or a parent or guardian signs a statement of ownership, notarized by a Texas notary with a proper notarial certificate, seal and date. (source)

Other state-issued document (business certificate, state background check)

  • State-issued background checks are recordable documents: send the certified original, less than five years old. (source)
  • Business documents on file with the Secretary of State are apostilled by the Corporation Certifying Team, not the Authentications Unit; email that team. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

Texas issues one certificate for every country, in or outside the Apostille Convention.

  • For a country outside the Apostille Convention, the universal Apostille then needs authentication by the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications. (source)
  • For a country outside the Convention, send the state-certified document to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, with Form DS-4194 and the $20 fee per document. (source)

Last, the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the United States legalizes it; ask it about its own steps, fees and timing before you send anything.

What the office will not accept or handle

  • Copies of certified or notarized records. (source)
  • Documents with the term "Notario Publico" or statements by a notary acting beyond their authority. (source)
  • Documents issued by other states or countries. (source)
  • Credit card payments by mail. (source)
  • Texas does not apostille federal documents such as FBI background checks or naturalization certificates; contact the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

  • It does not file anything. Requests go to Texas Secretary of State.
  • It does not cover documents from another state or a federal agency; those go to their own office.
  • It does not list embassy legalization rules for countries outside the Convention.
  • It does not promise processing times; fees and forms change, so check the office's page before you send originals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I get an apostille in Texas?

Texas Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Texas. The fee is $15 per document (not per page). Requests can be mailed to the office in Austin. The office also serves people in person; check its page for hours and any appointment rule before going.

How do I apostille a birth certificate from Texas?

Send an original certified copy of the birth or death certificate issued by the city, county or state. A notary cannot notarize a birth, death or marriage record or turn it into a certified copy. The certified copy must have been issued within the past five years; older copies cannot be apostilled. Then send it to Texas Secretary of State with the $15 fee, naming the destination country.

Does a document notarized in Texas need a county clerk certification first?

Include a typed or written statement from the issuer or signer summarizing the document's contents and intent, signed and properly notarized by a Texas notary; no county step is named.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Texas issues one certificate for every destination, in or outside the Convention. For a country outside the Convention, send that certificate to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (Form DS-4194, $20 per document), and then to the country's embassy or consulate for legalization.

How do I get an apostille for an FBI background check?

An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document, so a state office cannot apostille it. The U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications handles it: send Form DS-4194, the document and the $20 fee per document. The form asks for the country where the document will be used.

Do I need a paid apostille service?

No. Every office on this page accepts requests directly from the public by mail, and some take them online. A service can only file the same request with the same office for you.

Sources

Texas office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

Know someone who could use this? Share this free tool:

Share: