Texas Apostille Services

Before you start

1. 1Identify the document type and the office that issued or signed it.
2. 2Confirm the destination country's treaty relationship and the receiving authority's exact requirements.
3. 3Send us a scan for preparation review before committing originals.

Separate government records from private documents

• Texas distinguishes recordable government documents from non-recordable documents.
• A notary cannot replace an issuing office's certification of a birth certificate, marriage license or court record.
• Private documents instead need an appropriate statement and properly notarized signature.
• A stamp by itself is not a complete notarial act; keep all listed attachments with the document.

Check when the certified copy was issued

• The Secretary of State requires certified records issued within the past five years.
• This concerns the certified copy's issuance date, not the date of the birth, marriage or other event.
• If your certified copy is older, request a fresh one from the responsible office before submitting it.
• A photocopy of a certified copy is not the original certification.

Birth and death certificates

• When ordering a certified birth or death record, Texas DSHS instructs applicants to identify Apostille as the purpose.
• After obtaining the record, submit it separately to the Secretary of State for authentication.
• DSHS does not process apostille fees.
• Ask the overseas recipient about the required record format and supporting details before ordering.

Marriage licenses and divorce decrees come from local clerks

• Request a certified marriage license from the county clerk where it was originally filed.
• Request a certified divorce decree from the district clerk where the divorce was filed.
• Texas Vital Statistics issues verification letters, but those are not legal substitutes for the license or decree.
• Confirm which document the receiving authority requires before paying for a verification.

UT Austin transcripts require the notarized-order process

• UT Austin tells students needing a notarized transcript not to use its ordinary online ordering process.
• Follow its Notarized Transcript Order Form instructions, including the available UT Box, fax, mail, in-person or proxy options.
• The university can assist with notarization; the Secretary of State handles the apostille.
• Standard transcript mailing is untracked, so review expedited delivery options if tracking matters.
• Texas One Stop lists 512-232-6988 and [email protected] for assistance.

Use the current Texas request form

• Form 2102, revised June 2026, asks for the destination country and document count.
• Adoption requests use Form 2103 instead.
• Include an eligible original notarized document or government-certified copy and prepaid return arrangements.
• The form does not accept credit-card payment through the mail, handwritten airbills or labels that bill the state as sender.
• Keep your tracking information.

Mailing and in-person delivery are different

Check the current instructions for your delivery method before dispatch.

Plan an Austin visit before traveling

• Current instructions require appointments Tuesday through Thursday and allow walk-ins Monday and Friday.
• In-person requests are limited to ten documents per person, transaction or company.
• Larger requests use a separate drop-off process.
• A mailed request cannot be pulled out of the queue for walk-in service.
• Recheck office availability before traveling and allow time for corrections and delivery; an urgent deadline does not guarantee completion.

What the universal certificate means

• Texas uses one universal certificate as an apostille for Convention destinations and as an authentication for other destinations.
• That does not eliminate further federal authentication or consular legalization where required.
• Confirm the applicable route and the recipient's document and translation requirements.
• The certificate establishes origin; it is not a guarantee of acceptance for every purpose.

Translations and online notarization

• For authentication of a translation, Texas requires the translated document to accompany the notarized translation.
• For Texas online notarizations, the state lists a notarization ledger and specific online-notarial wording among its requirements.
• Confirm recipient acceptance before choosing this method.
• Texas authorization to authenticate a remote notarization does not ensure that an overseas office will accept it.

Federal and business records need the appropriate office

• FBI background checks and other federal records follow the U.S. Department of State process.
• Original business records issued by the Texas Secretary of State use its Corporation Certifying Team, rather than the ordinary Authentications Unit.
• The state lists [email protected] for that service.
• Documents issued by other states follow their own issuing-state process.

Texas document routing

Coordinate Texas documents with Miami Dade Apostille

• We assist with document review, state and federal processing coordination, and certified translations through qualified translators.
• We handle the required steps from start to finish, so you do not have to navigate each office on your own.
• Eligible private documents may qualify for remote online notarization, subject to identity, witness, document and recipient requirements. A Florida notarial act follows the Florida route and cannot replace Texas public-record certification.
• We are a private service, not a government agency or law firm, and do not provide legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Texas locations served

Miami Dade Apostille serves clients throughout Texas by mail. Documents can be sent from anywhere in the state — no in-person visit to our office is required.

• Houston
• San Antonio
• Dallas
• Austin
• Fort Worth
• El Paso
• Arlington
• Corpus Christi
• Plano
• Laredo

Sources

• Texas SOS: authentication information ↗
• Texas SOS: document request instructions ↗
• Texas SOS: authentication FAQs ↗
• Texas SOS Form 2102 (PDF, June 2026) ↗
• Texas DSHS: records for foreign governments / apostille ↗
• Texas DSHS: marriage and divorce records ↗
• UT Austin: notarized transcript instructions ↗
• U.S. Department of State: apostille certificate ↗