How To Apostille
Adoption Documents
We only need three things from you to complete the expedited apostille adoption services process.
First, mail us or drop off at our office your original adoption documents (it cannot be a photocopy) that have been properly notarized by a Texas notary public. You cannot use a notary public from any other state or country.
Apostille Texas can also provide you with a traveling notary public that can be sent out to your home, business, office, or hotel to notarize any type of legal documents if you live, work, or visiting the Austin, TX metro area.
Please call or email us to let us know in what zip code you need a mobile notary public to travel to and how many documents you need notarized to obtain a quote from us.
The Texas Secretary of State office will reject any non-recordable document (all adoption paperwork that has been notarized are considered a non-recordable document whereas recordable documents such as birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses,and divorce decrees are never notarized) if the notarization was not completed by a Texas notary public.
The affiant’s signature (the person or people who signed said document in front of a Texas notary public) on the document must be the original. Meaning the signature on the document that the Texas notary witnessed cannot be a copied, electronic, or automated autopen type signature.
The Secretary of State in Texas will reject your adoption documents if an original wet ink signature was not used on your adoption paperwork.
A Texas authentications unit staffer will use a magnifying glass and/or a smudge test to verify that all non-recordable documents presented to them used original signatures. So don’t think you can sneak this past them.
Either you, an attorney, or a Texas notary public must copy/paste the below notary jurat or notary acknowledgment verbiage (choose and only use one set of notary verbiage not both) onto your adoption documents, or use a blank Microsoft Word document (DO NOT print this whole webpage out as-is and get it notarized) to attach it to your adoption documents or simply handwrite (print NOT cursive) this state-required notary jurat (first one) or notary acknowledgment (second one) verbiage onto your adoption documents.
Click on the big PDF icons below that say, “CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD” to instantly download a copy of the notary jurat or notary acknowledgment verbiage that you can print out, sign, and put on or attach to your adoption document to receive an apostille.
State of Texas
County of
Sworn to and subscribed before me on the day of ____________ (month) (year), by (print document signers name).
______________________________________________
Texas notary public signature
Or…
State of Texas
County of
Before me, (print notary name), on this day personally appeared (print document signers name), known to me or proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person whose name is subscribed to the foregoing instrument and acknowledged
to me that he executed the same of the purposes and consideration therein expressed.
Given under my hand and seal of office this day of (month), and (year).
______________________________________________
Texas notary public signature
The above notary jurat and notary acknowledgment verbiage must be written in all English on your documents. The actual adoption content can be in any non-English language (say you got it translated) but the entire notary acknowledgment or notary jurat text cannot be in a different or translated language other than English.
If the notary jurat or notary acknowledgment verbiage that is used or attached onto your adoption paperwork is not 100% in English your document will be rejected by the State of Texas.
A Texas notary public can also attach a separate piece of paper to your adoption document so they can add the proper notary acknowledgment or notary jurat text, date of the notarization, notary stamp, and notary signature.
This last option is in case your adoption document doesn’t have enough room on the front side of it or if you don’t want to add this notary information on the backside of your documents for some reason.
Second email, mail, or drop off at our office a prepaid FedEx or UPS return shipping label (we do not accept air waybills) that you can create and purchase online at FedEx.com or UPS.com without needing to have an existing account set up with them. You can also visit any UPS Store or FedEx Office location to purchase a prepaid shipping label as well.
Do not use the United States Postal Service (USPS) because they lose things constantly
(potentially your adoption documents) and are completely unreliable and slow.
The reason we require a prepaid return shipping label is so we can mail your documents back to you or to wherever and whomever in the world that you want your documents shipped to.
On the prepaid return FedEx or UPS shipping label that you must provide us please list the senders (from) mailing address as your name/address or any U.S address because you cannot list our company name or address as the from/sender for liability reasons. Then for the receiver’s address (to) just list the name/address of where and who you want your documents mailed back to.
Click on the below links for easy step-by-step screenshot directions on how to create a prepaid FedEx or UPS shipping label online in only a few minutes.
If it’s an international shipment (USA to another foreign country) please also provide us with a customs invoice (see the two links below to download custom prefilled out for you templates) that shipping companies (FedEx, UPS) will normally require you to include whenever you ship documents internationally to certain countries. If you or someone on your behalf will be returning to our office the following business day to pick up your apostilled or authenticated documents you of course won’t need to provide us with a shipping label.
For the fastest possible turnaround time, we can hand deliver your documents right to your home, office, business or hotel the very same day that we apostilled or authenticated them for an additional courier fee. The courier cost will depend on what city and zip code in Texas you need us to travel to. This is for situations where you don’t have the time to travel back to our office to pick your documents up or you don’t want your documents mailed anywhere.
Third, you will need to download, sign, and email, mail, or drop off at our office our rush Texas apostille service order form that can be instantly downloaded by clicking on the Texas apostille order form button below.
We cannot accept or process your documents by mail, email, or drop off until we receive a properly completed apostille order form from you.
If you will be dropping your documents off at our Austin, Texas office location in person you must bring this completed Texas apostille order form in with you along with any documents that you want us to rush apostille or authenticate for you or for your company.
When you arrive at our office walk up to our front lobby receptionist desk area and tell them that you have some documents to dropoff for Apostille Texas. Detailed directions and pictures of our office and office building are on our contact us page as well for you to view.
Please also understand your documents will not and cannot be apostilled or authenticated onsite at our office so this isn’t walk-in service.
The only legal and government entity in Texas that can issue apostille and authentication certificates is the Texas Secretary of State office which is where we will rush file your adoptions documents at on your behalf.
We must receive your Texas adoption documents by mail or dropped off at our office by noon CST Monday-Friday (excluding all bank and government holidays) to be able to provide you with same day Texas apostille services. If we receive your Texas adoption documents after that cutoff time don’t worry we’ll simply attempt to file it on the next business day.
Lastly, we do not have these Texas apostille order forms available at our front desk receptionist area.
So if you choose to drop your documents off at our office please make sure to print out and bring this Texas apostille order form in with you or alternatively you can email us the completed Texas apostille order form ahead of time.
Texas Apostille &
Authentication
Services Pricing
All Texas Secretary of State government filing fees are included in the $95 price.
Money back guarantee if we don’t attempt to file your documents in the stated time.
Your documents couriered to any shipping center (return shipping costs not included).
Document filing status updates by email or text.
We’re based in Austin, TX, so no middleman for you to go through.
Phone and email support seven days a week.
Additional documents filed at the same time only $75 each.
Same Business Day
Apostille Service
All Texas Secretary of State government filing fees are included in the $95 price.
Money back guarantee if we don’t attempt to file your documents in the stated time.
Your documents couriered to any shipping center (return shipping costs not included).
Document filing status updates by email or text.
We’re based in Austin, TX, so no middleman for you to go through.
Phone and email support seven days a week.
Additional documents filed at the same time only $75 each.
