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APOSTILLES & AUTHENTICATIONS SERVICES

WHAT IS AN APOSTILLE?

The Office of the Texas Secretary of State in Austin, Texas, is the only agency (not a

Notary Public) in the state authorized to issue certificates and apostilles, authenticating

Texas public records for use outside the United States.

Apostilles play a crucial role in preventing document fraud. Their verification process

ensures that documents are legitimate and haven’t been tampered with. Apostille is a

fancy word meaning “next level of authentication.”

Further, an apostille is a form of authentication issued for public documents used in

countries that participate in the Hague Convention of 1961. Each state in the USA has

its own Secretary of State office responsible for issuing Apostilles.

An apostille certifies the authenticity of the signature, the official capacity in which the

person signing the document has acted, and identifies the seal/stamp on the document.

This allows the document to be recognized as VALID in any other country that is party

to the Hague Convention, without further legalization. (Click on the button below for

current countries that are members of the Hague Convention and recognize apostilles on

public documents in other member countries.)

In summary, having a document apostilled allows it to be recognized as valid in any

other country participating in the Hague Convention, without further authentication

being needed. This speeds up the process and reduces bureaucracy when using public

documents abroad for purposes such as:

 Birth, marriage, or death certificates for legal procedures.

 Education documents for academic or employment purposes.

 Commercial documents for business transactions.

 Affidavits, powers of attorney, and other legal documents.

AUTHENTICATION CERTIFICATE OF FEDERAL DOCUMENTS

The Office of Authentications issues both apostilles and authentication certificates. For

documents intended for use in countries that are NOT members of the Hague

Convention, the US Department of State can issue an Apostille. This is often

necessary for federal documents, such as FBI background checks. A federal document is

classified as any document that was or will be issued by any United States government

department or agency, such as the EPA, FDA, FBI, DOJ, USDA, DOE, DOD, DOA, DOT,

DOL, VA, DHS, SSA, or USPTO.

HAGUE CONVENTION MEMBERS / NON-MEMBERS

Participating & Non-Participating Countries

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?

LONE STAR MOBILE NOTARY EXPRESS & APOSTILLE & I-9 USCIS — YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER FOR INTERNATIONAL DOC

When documents need to travel across borders, we make sure they’re recognized and respected. At Lone Star Mobile Notary Express & Apostille & I-9 USCIS, we offer expert assistance in obtaining apostilles and authentications—two essential certifications for documents used abroad. (** See our FAQ section on "What is an Apostille and do you handle requests for a Universal Apostille?" for more information).

🧭 What’s the Difference?

Apostille: Issued under the Hague Convention of 1961, an apostille certifies the authenticity of a document for use in participating countries. It’s a streamlined process—no embassy involvement required.

Authentication: For countries not part of the Hague Convention (listed in italics), your document must be authenticated by the Secretary of State (of your document's origin), then forwarded to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, to be issued a Certificate of Authentication, and then legalized by the foreign embassy or consulate. It’s a multi-step process, and we guide you through every stage.

🗂️ Which Documents Qualify for Texas Secretary of State Apostille?

We help you prepare and submit documents such as:

Certified Copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates from the state of origin.

Divorce decrees.

Power of attorney.

School transcripts and diplomas.

Business documents (e.g., articles of incorporation, notarized affidavits).

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U.S. Department of State Apostille - Certificate of Authentication

Required for federal documents, including:

FBI background checks

Naturalization certificates

Federal court documents

Documents issued by federal agencies (e.g., FDA, IRS)

Whether you're handling international adoptions, overseas employment, or global business transactions, we ensure your paperwork is properly certified and accepted abroad.

OUR PRICES

TEXAS APOSTILLES

PREPARING YOUR DOCUMENT FOR AN AUTHENTICATION CERTIFICATE

AUTHENTICATION CERTIFICATES ARE FOR DOCUMENTS YOU USE IN COUNTRIES NOT HAGUE CONVENTION

We can assist you with getting your documents prepared to be submitted to theU.S. Department of State for authentication. Since this is a lengthier process, I thought I would give it more detailed information than the Apostille section. These would be for federal documents and for documents to be used in countries that are NOT MEMBERS of the Hague Convention.

You can self-help by following the copied instructions below as found on their website:

PREPARE YOUR FEDERAL DOCUMENT(S):

Get an authentication certificate if your document is signed by the following officials:

U.S. federal official

U.S. consular officer

Foreign consul registered with the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Protocol

Military notary or judge advocate

Follow these steps to get an authentication certificate from their office:

1. Make sure your document is an original or certified copy.

o A certified copy is a copy of a primary document with a certificate on it that it is the true copy. Make sure seals and signatures are originals. The document must include a date of issuance.

2. If the country where you are using the document requires it to be translated from English, get a professional translator and have it notarized.

o Do not get the original document notarized.

3. Submit your request for authentication services (includes your Form DS-4194, fees, and documents)

Do not notarize your document. Your document will no longer be valid if it is notarized.

Do:

Include a legible signature of the official's name, printed name and title, and seal of the agency.

Use agency letterhead.

Examples of federal documents that may need an authentication certificate include:

Animal and plant certifications, or animal health certifications (issued by U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Federal court documents, and FBI background checks (issued by U.S. Department of Justice)

Certificate of naturalization (issued by U.S. Department of Homeland Security)

Certificate of foreign governments (issued by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS)

Certificate of pharmaceutical product or export (issued by HHS)

Patent and trademark applications (issued by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office)

Certification of U.S. tax residency (issued by Internal Revenue Service)

Other documents issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, Social Security Administration, or Office of Personnel Management

PREPARE YOUR STATE DOCUMENT(S):

To get an authentication certificate from our office, follow these steps:

1. Get your state document authenticated by the state that issued the document.

Ask the office that issued the document for the name of the authenticating authority if you do not know whom to contact. This individual could be the state’s secretary of state, a lieutenant governor, or other authority.

2. Submit your request for authentication services (includes your Form DS-4194, fees, and documents).

Examples of state documents that may need an authenticated certificate include:

Birth certificates

Marriage certificates

Death certificates

Divorce decrees

Probate wills

Judgments

Affidavits

Agreements

Articles of incorporation

Bylaws

Commercial Invoices

Copy of a U.S. passport (bio data page)

Diplomas and transcripts

Deeds of assignment

Home studies (adoptions)

Income verification

Powers-of-Attorney

Single Status (Never married or divorced)

Authorization of agent

Declarations

Proof of employment

Incumbency

Medical report

Police record

Fingerprints

Financial documents

Cost Breakdown

TEXAS APOSTILLES & AUTHENTICATION CERTIFICATES

· $180 - STANDARD (MAIL-IN) TEXAS APOSTILLE ~ up to (25) BUSINESS DAYS

We will handle the mail-in and return process on your behalf once we receive your document(s) to be apostilled.

This price includes our fee ($95) + Office of the Secretary of State filing fee ($15) + FedEx Standard Overnight charge (our preferred method for the shipping & return of your documents from the State)* ($70).

*The Secretary of State's office requires a self-addressed, stamped envelope or pre-paid overnight airbill/envelope for all mail-in requests. They will be mailing back your document(s) along with your Apostille. They offer no expedited service for mail-in requests.

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· $250 - FAST TEXAS APOSTILLE ~ (2-3 Days) HAND DELIVERY

We will drive your document(s) to the Texas Office of the Secretary of State in Austin for your Apostille(s) and return it/them to you via hand delivery within 2-3 days.

This price includes our fee ($85) + Office of the Secretary of State filing fee ($15) + ($150) courier fee.

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· $315 - EXPEDITED TEXAS APOSTILLE (SAME-DAY)*

We will drive your document(s) to the Texas Office of the Secretary of State in Austin for your Apostille(s) and return it/them to you via hand delivery same-day*.

This price includes our fee ($150) + Office of the Secretary of State filing fee ($15) + ($150) courier fee.

* Same Day Service: Upon receipt of your documents for apostille, we will travel to Austin, TX, the following business morning to process them at the Secretary of State Office.

(Walk-In customers are limited to a maximum of ten (10) documents per person/company/transaction. Walk-In service requests are processed the same day. If you have more than ten (10) documents, it would need to be dropped in their Bulk Request Drop-Box for a 24-48 hour turnaround).

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· ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS

$70 - This price includes ($50) per document filed at the same time + Office of the Secretary of State ($15) filing fee per document.

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· NOTARY FEE

$10 ~ Notarizing any non-recordable document(s) to be submitted for Apostille.

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US DEPT. OF STATE APOSTILLES & AUTHENTICATIONS

Requesting authentication services for FEDERALLY issued United States document(s) from the Department of State in Washington DC. See Here for turnaround timeframes.

*For your STATE-ISSUED documents to be authenticated by the US Department of State, obtaining an Apostille from the Texas Secretary of State is required for destination countries that are NOT MEMBERS of the 1961 Hague Convention.

· $395 - FEDERAL APOSTILLE / AUTHENTICATION

This price includes our fee ($200) + Texas Secretary of State government filing fee ($15) US Dept. of State filing fee ($20) + UPS Ground Return Pre-Paid Shipping Envelope/Label (preferred method by the US Dept. of State for return shipping of your documents) ($60) (This price includes our fee ($95) + Texas Secretary of State government filing fee ($15) + ($85) courier fee. Our courier service will deliver your Apostille request to the Texas Secretary of State Office in Austin, TX for same-day processing.)

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ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS (limited to a maximum of ten (10) documents.)

$70 - This price includes ($50) per STATE-ISSUED documents

document filed at the same time + Office of the Secretary of State ($15) filing fee per document.

$80 - This price includes ($60) per FEDERAL document filed at the same time + U.S. Dept. of State ($20) filing fee per document.

* REFUNDS

No refunds are given once your request for an Apostille has been submitted to the State. No refunds are given if the State denies your request for an Apostille. A discount will be applied if you wish to reapply.

-- ADDITIONAL CHARGES MAY APPLY

In addition to the above-noted prices, additional fees may be incurred based on the complexity of your documents.