How to Apostille a Document in Texas: Steps, Fees, and Timeline

To apostille a document in Texas, you send a qualifying Texas-issued document to the Secretary of State’s Authentications Unit in Austin with Form 2102 and $15 per apostille. You can mail it in or bring it to the office on a Monday or Friday. Mail requests take up to 25 business days; walk-in service is usually same day, capped at ten documents per person or company per visit.¹

Does Your Document Qualify

The Texas Secretary of State can apostille a document only if it was issued in Texas and meets one of two conditions: it is an original or certified copy bearing the seal and signature of a Texas state or local official, or it carries the original wet-ink signature of a Texas notary public whose commission the Secretary of State can verify.² A document notarized in another state cannot be apostilled in Texas. Each state apostilles only its own.

Documents that commonly qualify:

Vital records: birth, marriage, and death certificates, and divorce decrees
Academic records: transcripts, diplomas, and enrollment verifications
Corporate documents: Certificates of Formation, Certificates of Good Standing, and Certificates of Fact
Notarized personal documents: powers of attorney, affidavits, and consent letters

A photocopy of a birth certificate will not qualify. Neither will a document notarized by someone whose commission has expired. The office checks every notary signature against its records, and a mismatch means the document comes back.

Preparing the Document

Vital Records

Order a certified copy from the Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Section, or from the county clerk’s office that holds the record.³ The copy must carry the issuing office’s raised or stamped seal and an authorized signature. Uncertified printouts and informational copies are not accepted.

Notarized Personal Documents

Powers of attorney, affidavits, and similar documents must be notarized by a currently commissioned Texas notary public. The notarial certificate must include the notary’s signature, seal, and date, and every field on the certificate must be completed. Incomplete notarizations are one of the most common reasons requests come back unprocessed.

Academic Documents

Most schools do not issue records with a seal the Secretary of State can verify. The workaround is to have the registrar sign the document in front of a Texas notary public, who then notarizes the registrar’s signature. The apostille authenticates the notary rather than the registrar directly.

Corporate Documents

Some corporate records, like a Certificate of Fact or Certificate of Good Standing, come directly from the Secretary of State and can be apostilled as issued. For other corporate documents, a corporate officer signs and a Texas notary notarizes the signature.

Submitting Your Request

Every submission needs three things: the prepared document, a completed request form, and payment. For general requests, use Form 2102, Request for a Universal Apostille. For international adoption, use Form 2103 instead. Both forms are on the Authentications Unit’s website.⁴ The form asks for the destination country, so have that ready. Using Form 2103 for a non-adoption request will delay processing.

By Mail

Send the document, form, and payment to:

Authentications Unit
Secretary of State
P.O. Box 13550
Austin, Texas 78711-3550⁵

Include a self-addressed stamped envelope or a prepaid shipping label for the return. Without one, expect delays while the office contacts you about return shipping. Payment by mail is by check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank and made payable to the Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Personal checks are not accepted. A funded SOS Client Account also works.¹

In Person

The Authentications Unit is at 400 W. 15th Street, Austin.⁶ Walk-in service is available on Mondays and Fridays only.² Any other weekday means dropping documents off for later processing or coming back.

In-person payment options are broader: check, money order, credit or debit card, or cash with exact change. Card payments carry a 2.7% convenience fee. American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa are accepted.¹

Fees

The standard fee is $15 per apostille. Five documents costs $75. For international adoption, the fee drops to $10 per document and is capped at $100 total per child being adopted.¹

How Long It Takes

Mailed requests can take up to 25 business days from the date the office receives them, and processing may run longer during periods of high demand.¹ That is roughly five to six calendar weeks. If a deadline is close, build in a buffer or go in person.

Walk-in customers can typically get same-day processing, capped at ten documents per person or company per visit.⁶ For more than ten, use the bulk request drop box, which has a 24 to 48 hour turnaround. Documents return by the envelope or label you provided for mail, or by pickup for the drop box.

Why Requests Get Sent Back

The Authentications Unit will not process a submission that does not meet its requirements, and you usually find out weeks after mailing it. The recurring problems are avoidable:

Expired notary commission. If the notary’s commission was expired on the date they signed, the notarization is invalid and cannot be apostilled. The document has to be re-notarized by a current notary.
Missing or illegible seal. The notary’s stamp or the issuing office’s seal must be clearly visible. Faded seals and missing embossments cause rejection.
Wrong jurisdiction. Only Texas-notarized or Texas-issued documents can be apostilled by the Texas Secretary of State.
Incomplete notarial certificate. Every field must be filled in, including the county, the date, and the type of notarization performed.
Errors on the request form, including the wrong destination country, missing contact information, or using Form 2103 for a non-adoption request.

If the Destination Country Is Not a Hague Member

An apostille only works between countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention.⁷ If the receiving country is not a member, you need a longer authentication and legalization chain: Texas Secretary of State authentication (not an apostille), then the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications,⁸ then legalization at the destination country’s embassy or consulate. Contact that embassy first to confirm what they require.

Translation and Validity

The apostille itself is printed in English and French per the Hague format and does not need translating. The underlying document usually will, if the destination operates in a different language. A certified translation includes the translator’s signed statement of accuracy. Some countries want the translation itself notarized and apostilled separately, which means running the process twice.

An apostille has no expiration date. It stays valid as long as the underlying document is still legally current. The receiving institution abroad may still impose its own freshness rule: embassies handling visas commonly ask for documents apostilled within the previous three to six months, universities may want recent transcripts, and business registrations often need to be current within a year. Check with the specific office that will receive the document before paying for the apostille.

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Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Request a Universal Apostille
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Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Apostille/Authentication of Documents
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Texas Department of State Health Services. Records for Foreign Governments (Apostille)
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Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Apostille and Authentication Forms
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Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Contact Us
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Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Notary and Authentication Services
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HCCH. Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents
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U.S. Department of State. Office of Authentications