Texas Secretary of State Authentication & Apostille 518-956-5673

Self-Service Guide for Notarization and Authentication by the Secretary of State of Texas

There are two types of authentication by the Secretary of State: Apostille and Certificate of Authentication. Apostille, also known as "Hague Authentication," can only be used within member countries of the Hague Convention. Since Chinese consulates are currently not part of the "Hague Convention member states," only the "Certificate of Authentication" can be submitted to various Chinese consulates in the United States.

If you don't have time to handle it yourself, you can contact CHV for agency services. Call our customer service at: 1-518-956-5673 (US). We provide notarization and authentication services for personal or corporate documents from all 50 states in the U.S., including consular three-level authentication or Hague Authentication. Expedited services are available, with completion in as fast as 3 business days.

In-office or mail-in processing:

Texas Secretary of State
Authentications Unit
James Earl Rudder Office Building
1019 Brazos, B-13 (Room 105)
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 463-5705

Fee: $15 per document for Hague Authentication, payable to the "Texas Secretary of State."
Processing time: Same-day for counter service or 10 days for mail-in requests.
Website: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/authinfo.shtml

Reminders for Notarization and Authentication in Texas

To obtain Hague Authentication or Authentication from the Texas Secretary of State Nadita Berry's Austin Authentications Unit office, please review the following guidelines to ensure your documents are suitable for Hague Authentication or Authentication:

Demographic Documents Note: Certified copies of documents such as birth and death certificates must be issued by the State Registrar of Vital Statistics, Debra F. Owens or Geraldine R. Harris.
Note for documents from local registrars: Ensure certificates obtained from local registrars were issued within the last 3 years.

Marriage Certificate Note: Should be issued by the county clerk of the county where the marriage took place.

Divorce Decree Note: Documents must be issued by the district clerk.

Notarized Documents Note: Must be notarized by a Texas notary public within their valid term.

Business Documents Note: Documents issued by the Secretary of State, such as trademarks, certificates, and articles of incorporation, are acceptable for Hague Authentication or Authentication.

School Records Note: Issued by institutions such as the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Rice University, University of Houston, University of North Texas, Texas Tech University, University of Texas at Dallas, Southern Methodist University, Baylor University, and others. If you need Hague Authentication or Authentication for high school documents and require a notarized copy, contact your university registrar or principal. Once notarized, the documents can undergo Hague Authentication or Authentication.

Documents commonly authenticated or apostilled in Texas include: birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates; articles of incorporation; business charters; powers of attorney; diplomas; and transcripts.