Texas Document Translation Services
Apostille Authentications translates documents for Texas customers from $65 per page, and most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days. Each one comes with a signed certificate of accuracy, and the translator’s statement can be notarized on request. We work remotely from Lake Oswego, in the Portland, Oregon area, so there is no Texas office: you upload your document through the quote form and receive the translation electronically or by mail. We cover 100 languages.
Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.
Upload Your Documents For Translation
What Texas offices ask for when a document is not in English
Texas has no single statewide standard for translations. Each office sets its own requirement, so check the rule for the place where you will file before you order.
- Immigration filings. Federal rule 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) says any foreign language document sent to USCIS must come with a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and accurate, plus the translator’s certification of competence to translate into English.
- Texas courts. Texas Rule of Evidence 1009 makes a translation admissible if, at least 45 days before trial, the proponent serves the translation, the underlying document and a qualified translator’s affidavit or unsworn declaration stating the translator’s qualifications and certifying accuracy. An objection must be served at least 15 days before trial.
- Driver licenses. The Texas Department of Public Safety says foreign licenses not in English or Spanish must be translated by a translation service or your consulate. For a name change, DPS says a marriage license or divorce decree that is not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation.
- Secretary of State. For an apostille, a notary must witness the translator sign the translation.
Texas Rule of Evidence 1009 in plain terms
If no party objects on time and the foreign language document is otherwise admissible, the court must admit the translation and may not let a party attack its accuracy. A party who disputes it should point to the specific inaccuracies and offer its own translation. The court can change the deadlines for good cause and can appoint a qualified translator, with the cost taxed as court costs.
Court interpreting is a separate matter. The Judicial Branch Certification Commission licenses court interpreters, with a master license for all Texas courts and a basic license for justice courts and municipal courts that are not courts of record. Its guidance describes that license as covering spoken interpretation in court proceedings, and it is required in counties with more than 50,000 people. A written translation for Rule 1009 rests on the translator’s affidavit or declaration instead.
How to order a translation from anywhere in Texas
Ordering works the same from El Paso, Dallas, San Antonio or a small town.
| Price | From $65 per page |
|---|---|
| Typical turnaround | 1 to 2 business days for most translations |
| Languages | 100, including Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech |
| Phone | (971) 514-3743, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
- 1. Upload. Send a scan or clear photo through the quote form as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file.
- 2. Tell us the destination. Name the office that will receive the translation, and say whether you need the translator’s statement notarized or an apostille.
- 3. Receive it. The certified translation is returned electronically or by mail.
Where Texas vital records come from
A translation is only as useful as the record behind it, and many foreign authorities want a recently issued certified copy. The Vital Statistics Section of the Texas Department of State Health Services keeps birth and death certificates and marriage and divorce records. Local registrars and county clerks issue certified copies too.
| Birth certificate, certified copy | $22.00 |
|---|---|
| Death certificate | $20.00 for the first, $3.00 for each additional in the same order |
| Marriage or divorce verification letter | $20.00 per record |
| Expedited processing | $25.00 extra |
| Regular mail address | Texas Vital Statistics, Department of State Health Services, P.O. Box 12040, Austin, TX 78711-2040 |
| Expedited address (overnight delivery) | Texas Vital Statistics, MC 2096, Department of State Health Services, 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756 |
The route to a Texas apostille for a translated document
The Texas Secretary of State issues apostilles through its Authentications Unit in Austin. The office only handles documents issued in Texas or notarized by a Texas notary public, and it does not apostille federal documents such as FBI background checks or Certificates of Naturalization.
For a translation, the Secretary of State requires a typed or written statement from the translator, signed in front of a notary, and the notarized translation must include a copy of the source document or the original. Ask us to notarize the translator’s statement if your translation is headed for an apostille. We can also help with the apostille step itself.
| Fee | $15 per document, not per page |
|---|---|
| Adoption documents | $10 per document, capped at $100 per adoption, with Form 2103 |
| Request form | Form 2102, Request for a Universal Apostille |
| Mail to | Authentications Unit, P.O. Box 13550, Austin, TX 78711-3550 |
| In person | 400 West 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701 |
| Mail processing | Up to two weeks from the day of receipt |
| In-person limit | 10 documents per person, company or transaction; larger drop-offs within 72 hours |
| Age of certified records | Issued within the past five years |
| Payment by mail | Check, money order or cashier’s check; credit cards are not accepted by mail |
Texas notaries and the 'notario publico' rule
A Texas notary public verifies the signer’s identity and witnesses the signature. The notary does not vouch for the content of a translation. The Secretary of State contrasts this with a Mexican notario publico, who must be a lawyer and is responsible for the legal content of documents.
Texas Government Code section 406.017 makes it an offense for a notary who is not a licensed Texas attorney to use the words ‘notario’ or ‘notario publico’ to advertise notary services, to imply that he or she is an attorney, or to solicit pay for preparing documents or representing someone in a proceeding, including an immigration matter. A notary who advertises in a language other than English must post a notice, in English and in that language, that the notary is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice. The offense is a Class A misdemeanor, and a third degree felony on a repeat conviction.
This matters for apostilles: the Secretary of State rejects documents that contain the term ‘Notario Publico’ or statements by a notary acting beyond his or her authority.
Languages spoken in Texas
Census Bureau American Community Survey figures for 2024, as published by Census Reporter, put the Texas population at 31,290,832. About 35.7 percent of residents speak a language other than English at home, and 18.4 percent were born outside the United States.
Translation pages for Texas cities
We have a page for each of these Texas cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:
Houston · Austin · Dallas · Fort Worth · Arlington · San Antonio · El Paso · Plano
- Texas apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
- All document translation services
Texas document translation questions
Apostille Authentications charges from $65 per page for certified translation ordered from Texas. The translation includes a signed certificate of accuracy.
The federal rule, 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), asks for a full English translation with the translator’s certification that it is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent. The rule text does not mention notarization and applies the same way in Texas as elsewhere.
The Texas Secretary of State charges $15 per document, not per page. Documents for an adoption are $10 each, with a maximum of $100 per adoption.
Yes, if the translator signs a statement in front of a Texas notary and the notarized translation includes a copy of the source document or the original. The Secretary of State then apostilles the notary’s signature.
A Texas notary’s role is to verify identity and witness a signature, not to confirm what a document says. Under Government Code 406.017, a notary who is not an attorney may not advertise as a ‘notario publico’ or prepare immigration paperwork for pay.
The Texas Department of Public Safety says foreign licenses not in English or Spanish must be translated by a translation service or your consulate. Contact DPS to confirm what your local driver license office will accept.
Sources
The local details on this page come from these official sources.
- Texas Secretary of State: Request a Universal Apostille
- Texas Secretary of State: Apostille/Authentication of Documents
- Texas Secretary of State: Authentication FAQs
- Form 2102
- Texas Secretary of State: Notario Publico article
- Texas Government Code Chapter 406
- 8 CFR 103.2
- Texas Judicial Branch: Licensed Court Interpreter FAQs
- Texas DSHS Vital Statistics: Costs and Fees
- Texas DSHS Vital Statistics: Mailing Addresses
- Texas DPS: Moving to Texas
- Texas DPS: Identification Requirements
- Census Reporter: Texas profile (ACS 2024)
Get your Texas translation started
Upload your document for a quote, or call (971) 514-3743 and tell us where the translation is going. We confirm the level of certification you need before any work begins.