Texas does not issue separate apostilles and authentications. The Secretary of State issues one universal apostille that does both jobs, and the Authentications Unit in Austin does the work. The fee is $15 per document.
The office says it is the only agency in Texas that can issue these certificates for Texas public records. Read the apostille guide for the idea, and the Texas office guide for the rest of the office.
When do you need a Texas apostille?
When a Texas document will be used outside the United States and the receiving country asks for authentication. The papers the office handles fall into two groups.
Recordable documents are recorded and issued by state or county officials. Examples are marriage licenses, divorce decrees, probated wills, judgments, and birth or death certificates. Non-recordable documents are not recorded with an official. A notary can notarize them. Examples are an original notarized will or affidavit, a power of attorney, and a notary's certified copy of a transcript or diploma.
| Who issues it | Texas Secretary of State, Authentications Unit, Austin (sos.state.tx.us, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Fee per document | $15 per document, not per page (sos.texas.gov, checked ) |
| How to submit | Appointment Tuesday to Thursday, walk-in Monday and Friday, or mail (sos.texas.gov, checked ) |
| Turnaround | Same day in person. About 2 weeks by mail. (sos.texas.gov, checked ) |
| Documents it covers | Texas public records and Texas notarized papers only. Original business filings go to the corporations certifying team. (sos.state.tx.us, checked ) |
| Hague and non-Hague countries | One universal apostille for every country. Non-Hague countries also need the US State Department. (sos.state.tx.us, checked ) |
| Request page | sos.texas.gov/statdoc/request.shtml (sos.texas.gov, checked ) |
| Where to send it | 400 West 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701 (sos.texas.gov, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | Requests of more than 10 documents go to a drop box, not the counter, with a three day turnaround. (sos.texas.gov, checked ) |
What does it cost?
The fee is $15 per document, not per page. If your document is for international adoption proceedings, the fee is $10 per document, you submit Form 2103, and total fees cannot exceed $100 for each child.
At the office you can pay by check, money order, credit or debit card, or cash if you have exact change. For mailed requests, read the payment rules on the office's request page before you send anything.
How to submit your request
Three routes exist.
- In person, with an appointment. Tuesday to Thursday only. You get a confirmation email, and the office gives same day service. Only one appointment per person or company is allowed per day.
- In person, walk-in. Monday and Friday only, no appointment. Bring payment. Be ready for a long wait, which can pass an hour.
- By mail. Send your documents and the required information to the office. The estimate is about 2 weeks.
Anyone with more than ten documents can use the drop-off option instead. Register the request through the QR drop box system, and the office processes it in about three days. A request that is not registered can be lost without recourse.
The walk-in address is the Authentications Unit, 400 West 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701. It is open 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Business documents and non-Hague countries
Original certified business documents issued by the Secretary of State, such as a certificate of formation, do not go through the Authentications Unit. Contact the Corporation Certifying Team. First get a certified copy or certificate of fact from the corporations side. Our Texas certificate of good standing page explains the options.
The universal apostille covers Hague and non-Hague countries alike. For a country that is not in the Apostille Convention, you then need additional authentication from the U.S. State Department.
Things the office will not do
It will not apostille federal documents, such as an FBI background check or a certificate of naturalization. It will not apostille papers from other states or countries. It rejects documents that use the term Notario Publico. Online notarizations can be apostilled if they come with a notarization ledger and a correct notarial certificate, but some countries do not accept them.
You can do all this at the state yourself, and state fees are separate from anything we do. If you want help, you can ask our private filing service.
Sources
- www.sos.state.tx.us/contact.shtml: office name, division, mailing address, street address, phone, contact page, hours. Checked .
- www.sos.state.tx.us/about/sosbio.shtml: officeholder. Checked .
- www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/index.shtml: business search, online filing. Checked .
- www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/namefilingsfaqs.shtml: name check, search disclaimer, name rule, name reservation term, assumed names (DBA). Checked .
- www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/instructions/304.shtml: LLC name endings. Checked .
- www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/formationfaqs.shtml: corporation name endings. Checked .
- www.sos.texas.gov/corp/instructions/205.shtml: restricted words, registered agent rule. Checked .
- www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/forms/806_boc.pdf: name reservation fee, LLC filing fee, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, foreign LLC fee, expedite fees, certificate fee. Checked .
- www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/forms_boc.shtml: name reservation form. Checked .
- comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/franchise/: report fee, report due date, late penalty, franchise tax. Checked .
- www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/copies.shtml: good standing certificate. Checked .
- comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/franchise/coas-instructions.php: certificate ordering. Checked .
- direct.sos.state.tx.us/help/help-corp.asp?pg=ov: status terms. Checked .
- www.sos.state.tx.us/authinfo.shtml: who issues it, documents it covers, hague and non-hague countries. Checked .
- www.sos.texas.gov/statdoc/request.shtml: fee per document, how to submit, turnaround, where to send it, request page, worth knowing. Checked .