Houston Apostille Services in Texas
Apostille Request Form
Your Local Apostille Office in Houston
Apostille Authentications has an office at 6124 Hwy 6 N, Houston, TX 77084, serving Houston and nearby communities including Sugar Land, Katy, Cypress, Pearland, Pasadena and The Woodlands. We review your documents, arrange notarization where it is required, file with the correct authority and ship the finished apostille to you or your recipient overseas.
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Phone: (971) 514-3743 (answered 24/7). Please contact us before visiting so we can confirm what to bring.
How Apostilles Work for Houston Documents
Texas documents are apostilled by the Texas Secretary of State in Austin, not in Houston. Vital records need a certified copy first, from Texas Vital Statistics or the county clerk where the record was filed; for most Houston births, marriages and deaths that is the Harris County Clerk. Documents signed by you, such as a power of attorney or single status affidavit, are notarized before they go to Austin. FBI background checks are federal and go to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.
Houston 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 or start your order online.
Houston Apostille FAQ
Where is your Houston apostille office?
Our Houston office is at 6124 Hwy 6 N, Houston, TX 77084. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, 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 Houston birth or marriage record?
Certified copies come from Texas Vital Statistics or the county clerk where the record was filed. For most Houston records that is the Harris 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 Houston?
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.
Same-day or next-day apostille service is available for Texas documents at the same $195 service fee, depending on when we receive your documents. Standard service is about 10 business days.
Trade, Energy and Port Houston Paperwork
Houston’s economy runs on international business, and that shows up in the documents people bring us. The Texas Comptroller reports that the Houston Ship Channel is the largest U.S. port by waterborne tonnage and that Port Houston handled 52 percent of Texas seaport trade in 2024, about $223.5 billion. Its top export partners that year included the Netherlands, Mexico, China, Brazil and Japan. The Greater Houston Partnership counts more than 1,700 foreign-owned firms in the region and lists energy and the energy transition among its core industries.
That activity produces a steady stream of corporate and commercial requests:
- Powers of attorney authorizing a foreign agent or branch manager to act for a Houston company.
- Board resolutions, distribution agreements and commercial invoices signed before a Texas notary.
- Company formation and good standing documents issued by the State of Texas.
- Employment letters and affidavits for engineers and staff relocating to overseas projects.
Signed business documents usually need a proper Texas notarial certificate before the Secretary of State will add an apostille. We review the wording first so a filing is not rejected in Austin.
Where a foreign partner also wants the paperwork in its own language, plan the translation step early. Some destinations ask for the translation to be notarized and apostilled alongside the English original, while others translate after the apostille is attached. Our document translation team can tell you which order fits your destination.
Harris County Clerk: Downtown Office and Annexes
The Harris County Clerk issues certified birth and death certificates and marriage records from its downtown office and ten annexes, all open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Birth and death records are restricted to qualified family members with valid identification. The Vital Statistics desk is (713) 274-8690.
| Office | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown (main) | 201 Caroline St., 3rd Floor, Houston, TX 77002 | (713) 274-8600 |
| Clay Road Annex | 16715 Clay Rd., Houston, TX 77084 | (832) 927-7230 |
| Chimney Rock Annex | 6000 Chimney Rock Rd., Houston, TX 77081 | (713) 274-2929 |
| North Shepherd Annex | 7300 N. Shepherd Dr., Houston, TX 77091 | (832) 927-2050 |
| Clear Lake Annex | 16603 Buccaneer Ln., Houston, TX 77062 | (832) 927-2910 |
| South Belt Annex | 10851 Scarsdale Blvd., Houston, TX 77089 | (713) 274-6918 |
| Wallisville Annex | 14350 Wallisville Road, Suite 111, Houston, TX 77049 | (713) 274-6925 |
The county also runs annexes in Baytown, Pasadena, Humble and Spring (Cypresswood). For west Houston clients, the Clay Road Annex shares the 77084 ZIP code with our office on Highway 6 North, which makes it convenient to pick up a fresh certificate and drop it off with us the same trip.
City of Houston Birth Certificates
Babies born inside Houston city limits are also registered with the City. The Houston Health Department’s Bureau of Vital Statistics, at 8000 North Stadium Drive, issues birth certificates for Houston births, and the department also orders online through its vital records portal. Either the City or the Harris County Clerk can supply a certified copy that is acceptable for an apostille.
Two rules trip people up. The Secretary of State only accepts certified records issued within the past five years, and it does not apostille photocopies of certified records. If the birth was in another Texas county, order from Texas Vital Statistics (DSHS) and give “Apostille” as the reason.
Divorce and Family Court Records at 201 Caroline
Divorce decrees, adoption orders and name changes from Harris County’s district courts belong to the Harris County District Clerk, not the County Clerk. Family Intake sits on the 2nd floor, Suite 210, of the civil courthouse at 201 Caroline (832-927-5700). To purchase certified copies, the District Clerk’s customer service line is 832-927-5800, and mail goes to P.O. Box 4651, Houston, TX 77210-4651.
Order a certified copy of the full decree. Courts and registries overseas commonly want every page, and a decree certified by the District Clerk is the version Texas will authenticate.
Texas Medical Center Professionals and Academic Records
The Texas Medical Center describes itself as the largest medical complex in the world, with 21 hospitals, five medical schools and members such as MD Anderson Cancer Center and UTHealth Houston. Physicians, nurses and researchers trained there often take positions or fellowships abroad and need apostilled diplomas, transcripts or verification letters.
Houston is also home to many universities, and the same applies to graduates of those schools moving overseas for work or further study. Academic documents generally need a notarized statement from the registrar, or a correctly notarized copy, before Austin will apostille them. Our authentication service page explains what qualifies.
Houston's Consulates and When Legalization Is Still Required
The Greater Houston Partnership reports 86 consulates in the city, one of the larger consular communities in the country. An apostille replaces consular legalization only for Hague Convention members. Mexico is one of them, so papers bound there need just the Texas apostille, even though the Consulate General of Mexico at 10555 Richmond Avenue serves the local Mexican community.
Countries outside the convention, including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Canada, still require embassy or consulate legalization after state authentication. Check our country requirements list before ordering, and see FBI apostilles for federal background checks, which the U.S. Department of State authenticates.
| Cost item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Texas Secretary of State fee | $15 per document |
| Our service fee | From $195 per document (full pricing) |
| Clerk or registrar copy fees | Paid to the issuing office |
Drop Off or Mail Your Houston Documents
Call (971) 514-3743, email info@apostilleauthentications.com, or submit the request form with your destination country. We can confirm which Harris County office to order from before you make the trip. Clients who prefer to hand documents over in person can bring them to 6124 Hwy 6 N in west Houston during business hours.
State specific information
Texas Cities We Serve
Elsewhere in Texas? We accept documents by mail from every city. See our Texas apostille service guide.