Austin Apostille Services in Texas
Apostille Request Form
Apostille Service for Austin and Central Texas
If you live or work in Austin or nearby cities such as Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown and Pflugerville and need a U.S. document accepted abroad, we manage the whole process: document review, notarization where it is required, filing with the correct authority and return shipping to you or your recipient overseas.
We serve Austin by mail and courier through our Texas office at 6124 Hwy 6 N, Houston, TX 77084. Phone: (971) 514-3743 (answered 24/7). You can also start your order online.
How Apostilles Work for Austin Documents
Austin is where Texas apostilles are issued: the Texas Secretary of State, which apostilles every Texas document, is based here, and so is Texas Vital Statistics. Vital records need a certified copy first, from Texas Vital Statistics or the county clerk where the record was filed; for most Austin births, marriages and deaths that is the Travis County Clerk. Documents you sign yourself, such as a power of attorney or single status affidavit, are notarized before they are filed. FBI background checks are federal and go to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.
Austin Apostille Pricing and Turnaround
| Service | Our fee | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Texas state apostille | From $195; additional documents $65 each, plus the state fee | 10 business days, depending on state delays |
| FBI apostille | $195 | 5+ weeks (regular U.S. Department of State processing) |
| Expedited FBI apostille | $390 | 10 business days |
Notary and translation fees are separate. See full apostille pricing.
Austin Apostille FAQ
Do you have an office in Austin?
We serve Austin by mail and courier. Our Texas office is at 6124 Hwy 6 N, Houston, TX 77084, and we answer the phone 24/7.
Who issues an apostille for a Texas document?
The Texas Secretary of State in Austin issues apostilles for Texas documents. Federal documents, such as FBI background checks, are apostilled by the U.S. Department of State.
Where do I get a certified copy of a Austin birth or marriage record?
Certified copies come from Texas Vital Statistics or the county clerk where the record was filed. For most Austin records that is the Travis County Clerk.
How long does a Texas apostille take?
A state apostille takes about 10 business days, depending on state delays. A regular FBI apostille takes 5+ weeks, and our expedited FBI apostille takes 10 business days.
How much does an apostille cost in Austin?
Our fee for a state apostille starts at $195, with additional documents at $65 each plus the state fee. An FBI apostille is $195, or $390 expedited.
Filing in Person at 400 West 15th Street
Austin residents have something no other Texas city has: the Secretary of State’s Authentications Unit is downtown at 400 West 15th Street, and it offers same-day service at the counter. Before you go, know how the lobby works:
- Walk-ins are taken on Mondays and Fridays only. The office warns that waits can run past an hour, and no more than two people may come up together.
- Appointments are required Tuesday through Thursday, limited to one per person or company per day.
- Volume cap: 10 documents per person, transaction or company. Larger batches go into a registered bulk drop-off with a three-day turnaround.
- Fee: $15 per document, payable by check, money order, card or exact cash.
A trip downtown only pays off if the paperwork is right. The unit turns away photocopies of certified records, certified copies more than five years old and private documents that were never notarized. Many Austin clients use us simply because they are unsure which version of a record they need, or because the document must also be legalized at an embassy afterwards.
City of Austin Birth Certificates vs. Travis County Records
Austin issues its own vital records. The Office of Vital Records is at 7201 Levander Loop, Building C, on the Betty Dunkerley Campus (512-972-4784), open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Walk-in orders are usually printed within about 30 minutes.
| Event | Office | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Birth or death inside Austin city limits | City Office of Vital Records | Long form for 1940–1956 and 1961 to present; $23 per birth copy |
| Any Texas birth since 1926 | City Office of Vital Records | Abstract only; may not satisfy foreign offices |
| Travis County birth or death, 1903–1956 | Travis County Clerk, Recording Division | (512) 854-9188; $22 birth, $20 death |
| Event outside Austin city limits | Justice of the Peace court for that precinct, or Texas Vital Statistics | The city does not register suburban events |
Parts of Austin also lie in Williamson and Hays counties. If the hospital or courthouse was in one of those counties, the record belongs to that county or to Texas Vital Statistics, which is also headquartered in Austin. When ordering from the state, give “Apostille” as the reason for the request.
Marriage and Divorce Papers at 1700 Guadalupe
Both Travis County offices that hold family records share the Civil and Family Courthouse at 1700 Guadalupe Street.
- Marriage records: the County Clerk’s marriage license office is on the 4th floor, Suite 4.300, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., (512) 854-9188. Request a certified copy of the recorded license.
- Divorce decrees and custody orders: the District Clerk’s Family Division is on the 3rd floor, (512) 854-9457, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Certified copies are ordered through the county’s online records request form.
Foreign registries usually want the full decree with the judge’s signature page. A certified copy issued within the last five years, signed and sealed by the clerk, is what the Secretary of State will authenticate.
UT Austin and Other Campus Records
The University of Texas at Austin enrolled roughly 53,850 students in fall 2024, and a steady share of graduates head abroad for research posts, teaching jobs and graduate school. UT’s registrar issues notarized transcripts by signed order form (by mail, fax, UT Box upload, in person or through a proxy) and specifically tells students not to order them through the regular online system. Its guidance confirms that the notarization comes first and the apostille second.
Allow time for UT’s mailing: the registrar suggests at least two weeks for domestic delivery. If you want us to receive the transcript directly, put our address on the order form.
Other Austin schools with graduates who request apostilles include St. Edward’s University, Huston-Tillotson University, Concordia University Texas and Austin Community College. Each handles notarized diploma copies through its own registrar, so ask for a notarized copy signed by a school official before sending it to us.
Tech, State Government and Manufacturing Paperwork
A HUD market analysis for the Austin-Round Rock area, citing Opportunity Austin, lists the State of Texas, UT Austin and Tesla as the three largest employers, and notes that Google, Apple, Oracle, Amazon, Meta and NVIDIA run primary or secondary offices in the metro. Samsung’s semiconductor investment in nearby Taylor adds Korean business ties.
Austin’s commercial requests reflect that profile:
- Startup and subsidiary records: certificates of formation and certificates of fact for overseas bank accounts or foreign branches. The Secretary of State takes these apostille requests by email through its Certifying team.
- Signed corporate instruments: board resolutions, powers of attorney and distributor agreements notarized in Texas.
- Employee relocation documents: degrees, marriage certificates and children’s birth certificates for staff moving to offices abroad.
- State agency documents: records signed by Texas officials that a foreign authority must be able to verify.
Destinations outside the Hague Convention need consular legalization instead; our Texas apostille service page covers both paths. The Consulate General of Mexico at 5202 E. Ben White Blvd. serves Mexican nationals in Austin, but Texas records headed to Mexico still receive their apostille from the Secretary of State.
When Austin Clients Send Documents to Us
We work with Austin clients by mail and courier from our Houston office. We review each record, arrange Texas notarization where needed, complete Form 2102 and submit it with the state fee. Federal records such as FBI background checks are routed to the U.S. Department of State instead, as explained on our FBI apostille page.
Ask About Your Austin Documents
Call (971) 514-3743 or email info@apostilleauthentications.com and tell us what you have and where it is going. You can also submit the request form and we will confirm the right version of each record before anything is filed.
State specific information
Texas Cities We Serve
Elsewhere in Texas? We accept documents by mail from every city. See our Texas apostille service guide.