Notary Near Me Celina • SHAZON Business Services LLC
Apostille & Document Authentication
Guidance for birth, marriage, divorce, school, business and other documents needed abroad. Start with the destination country and issuing authority.
What Is an Apostille?
An apostille authenticates the origin of an eligible public document for use in another country participating in the Hague Apostille Convention. It does not certify that every statement inside the document is true. For non-Hague destinations, authentication and consular legalization may be required instead.
Common Documents & What to Prepare
Birth / DOB certificates
Obtain an eligible certified birth record from the issuing state; an ordinary photocopy generally will not work.
Marriage certificates
Request an eligible certified record from the county or state that maintains the marriage record.
Divorce decrees
Obtain a properly certified decree from the court clerk that issued the divorce judgment.
School transcripts & diplomas
Check the destination institution’s requirements. School official certification and notarization may be required before state authentication.
Death certificates
Obtain an eligible certified death record from the issuing state.
Powers of attorney
Confirm whether the recipient needs notarization, apostille, translation or additional legalization.
FBI background checks
These are federal documents and normally follow the U.S. Department of State authentication route.
Business documents
The appropriate authority depends on whether the record was issued by a state agency, federal agency or private entity.
Where Does Your Document Go?
- Texas public record or eligible Texas-notarized document: Texas Secretary of State.
- Another state’s record: appropriate authority in the issuing state.
- Federal record, including FBI background check: applicable federal authentication route, typically U.S. Department of State.
- Non-Hague destination: confirm further authentication and consular legalization requirements.
What May Be Rejected or Need Correction?
Ordinary photocopies of vital records, improperly certified court records, unverifiable signatures, incorrectly notarized private documents, and documents submitted to the wrong state or federal authority may need replacement or correction. The issuing authority and destination determine the correct process.
Translation & Timing
Translation is not universally required. Ask the foreign recipient whether it needs a certified translation, a translator’s notarized declaration, and whether translation must occur before or after authentication.
Allow time to obtain certified records, process the apostille, ship documents and arrange any legalization or translation. Government processing windows change; no completion date is guaranteed. Request an estimate for your specific documents.
Official References
Texas Secretary of State: Apostilles · U.S. Department of State: Authentication
Our Process
Start by telling us the document type, issuing state or agency, destination country, number of documents, and deadline. We review the basic routing requirements, explain which governmental authority is relevant, coordinate any appropriate notarization or courier step, and provide the service quote before work begins.
Pricing
Standard Texas apostille coordination is planned to start around $125 for the first qualifying document, plus the Texas Secretary of State filing fee, shipping or courier costs, and any separate notarization required. Texas SOS currently states a $15 fee per document for a universal apostille request, with separate adoption rules.
Questions About This Service?
Find detailed answers about identification, appointments, pricing and document requirements in our complete FAQ resource center.