Last verified: Oct 26, 2026

Texas apostille: fees, mail vs. walk-in, timing

The Office of the Texas Secretary of State "is the only agency in the state that can issue certificates and apostilles to authenticate Texas public records for use outside the United States." Texas issues a universal Apostille, which "acts as both an authentication and an apostille and is accepted in every country." [1] The apostille "attests to the validity of the Texas public official, not to the contents of the underlying document." [4]

Which office	Texas Secretary of State, Authentications Unit, 400 West 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701 (in person). Mail: P.O. Box 13550, Austin, TX 78711-3550. [2][3]
What it costs	$15 per document (not per page). Adoption: $10 per document, total capped at $100 per child. [2][5]
How long it takes	In person: same-day service, up to 10 documents per person/transaction/company; walk-in waits "may exceed an hour." Bulk drop box (more than 10 documents): processed within 72 hours. Mail: "can take up to two weeks from the day of receipt to process; actual processing times may vary depending on volume." [2]

Driving to Austin beats mailing if you're short on time. The office says it "will not pull a mailed request(s) for a walk-in service." Once your papers are in the mail queue, showing up in person won't speed them up. [2]

Before you send anything: is your document eligible?

It must be from Texas. Documents must be "issued from the state of Texas or properly notarized by a Texas notary public." Texas will not apostille documents "for use within the United States or its territories." [2]
Originals or certified copies only. Send "the original Texas issued document, a Texas issued certified copy, or an original Texas notarized document." Texas does "not apostille copies of certified or notarized records." [2]
The 5-year rule. "Certified records must have been issued within the past five (5) years to be eligible for apostille. Documents older than five years may not be verifiable and cannot be apostilled." [2] That covers birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, and other recorded documents. [1] If your certified copy is older, order a new one from the issuing office first.
Federal documents go elsewhere. Texas "cannot apostille federal documents, such as Certificates of Naturalization, or FBI background checks." Those go to the U.S. Department of State. [4] See the federal route.
Business filings on file with the Secretary of State (like certificates of formation) are handled by the Certifying team: corpcert@sos.texas.gov. [5]

Recorded vs. notarized documents (the most common mistake)

Texas splits documents into two groups. [1]

Recordable (send a certified copy; a notary can't fix these)	Non-recordable (must be properly notarized by a Texas notary)
Marriage licenses or applications, divorce decrees, probated wills, judgments, birth or death certificates, state-issued background checks, county background checks signed by the sheriff, vehicle record requests, car title search letters [1]	City background checks, original notarized wills, notarized letters and affidavits, powers of attorney, copies of a driver's license, passport, diploma or transcript, business documents, translations [1]

Recorded documents "cannot be notarized by a notary public." [4] A non-recordable document needs "a typed, or written statement from the issuer or signer that summarizes its contents and intent," signed and notarized "with a true and accurate notarial certificate, notary signature, seal, and date of notarization." [1] The Texas guide gives sample statements, for example: "I, (document owner's name) certify this is a true and accurate copy of my (name of document)." [4]

What gets a notarized document rejected

Documents containing the term "Notario Publico," or statements by a notary acting beyond their authority. [1]
A missing or incomplete notarial certificate. Every Texas notarization "must contain a notarial certificate that is completed by the notary at the time of notarization which describes the type of notarization performed." [4]
Online (RON) notarizations without a notarization ledger and a certificate stating it was done via "electronic or online notarization by two-way audio and visual communication." Some countries don't accept RON documents even when apostilled, so check with the receiving agency. [1]
Translations: the translator's signed statement must be notarized and submitted together with the original or a copy of the document that was translated. [1][5]

Diplomas and transcripts need a school official's (or the student's/parent's) signed statement plus a proper notarization. [4] See diploma and transcript apostilles and power of attorney apostilles.

By mail

Form 2102, Request for Universal Apostille, listing the country where the documents will be used (adoptions: Form 2103 for each official or document). [2][3]
The original Texas document, certified copy, or original notarized document. [2]
Payment of $15 per document by check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank, or by funding an SOS client account. Checks or money orders without the payment amount, your complete address, or the payee's signature will not be accepted. "Payment via Credit Card is not accepted through the mail." [2][3]
A return envelope: self-addressed stamped (no tracking) or a self-addressed prepaid FedEx, UPS, or USPS label. No handwritten air bills, and no labels marked "Bill Sender." Tracking is "highly suggested." [3]

Mail to: Office of the Texas Secretary of State, Authentications Unit, P.O. Box 13550, Austin, TX 78711-3550. [3]

Checking status: confirm delivery with your own tracking first; the office says it does not keep tracking numbers. If your documents have been there more than two weeks, contact (512) 463-5705 or authentications@sos.texas.gov with your check or money order number, your tracking number, and the submitter name on Form 2102. [2]

In person in Austin

Day	How
Monday and Friday	Walk-in, no appointment, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Be prepared for waits that may exceed an hour. Limit your group to two people. [2]
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday	Appointment required; one appointment per person or company per day. Book through the SOS request page; you'll get a confirmation email and must check in, or the appointment is cancelled. [2][6]
Any weekday, more than 10 documents	Register in the QR drop box system with the Bulk Request Drop-Off form; processed in about 72 hours. Pick up within 72 hours of processing or include a prepaid return label. [2]

In-person payment: check, money order, credit/debit card, or cash (exact change only). [2] Bring a completed Form 2102. [3] The office has held one-day pop-up events (for example, Houston on August 26, 2026, by appointment only), so check the request page for any upcoming dates. [2]

Non-Hague countries

Texas's universal Apostille works for countries outside the Apostille Convention too, but "you will need additional authentication from the Office of Authentications at the U.S. State Department." [1][5] See apostille vs. authentication and check the HCCH status table for your country. [7]

Quick FAQ

Can I get my Texas birth certificate apostilled?
Yes, if it's an original certified copy issued by the city, county, or state, and issued within the past five years. [2][4] See birth certificate apostilles.

I live out of state. Can I still use Texas?
Yes, by mail, but only for Texas documents: they must be "issued from the state of Texas or properly notarized by a Texas notary public." [2] A document notarized by an out-of-state notary isn't eligible in Texas; see which state apostilles a notarized document.

Who are checks payable to?
The request page says "the Office of the Texas Secretary of State" and Form 2102 says "the Texas Secretary of State." [2][3]