Apostille & Notary

Apostille of Federal and Domestic State documents

TLG is the go to location in the Houston area when you need an Apostille for a document either local or Federal. We take the time to explain exactly what you need and why, we properly notarize your state documents free of charge when we submit your Apostille with us. Most regular Notary’s don’t notarize your document with the proper paperwork to advance through the somewhat illusive Apostille process. BTW, we’re also the most competitive when it comes to pricing and customer care.

What is an Apostille?
An Apostille is an internationally recognized certification used to authenticate the legitimacy of documents for use in foreign countries. Originating from the French word for "certification," the Apostille was established under the 1961 Hague Convention to simplify the process of legalizing documents across international borders. In the United States, the Apostille certifies the signature and position of the official who has issued the document. This certification can be applied by the U.S. Department of State or by state Secretaries of State, depending on whether the document is federal or state-issued.

The Apostille process varies in duration; federal documents can take 4-6 weeks due to processing by the U.S. State Department, with no current method to expedite. However, for documents issued within states, such as Texas, the processing time can be shorter, with an option for expedited service through us, resulting in a turnaround as quick as 3 business days (expedited fee applies).

Documents eligible for an Apostille include, but are not limited to, non-recordable documents notarized by a Texas Notary Public, recordable documents like birth and death certificates, marriage certificates, powers of attorney, letters of authorization, bank documents for use abroad, and educational diplomas or degrees certified as true copies of the original.

For anyone needing to use U.S. documents in a foreign country—whether for work, study, legal matters, or residency—an Apostille is essential to ensure these documents are recognized as legitimate and authentic by your country of use.

To streamline the Apostille process and ensure your documents are properly certified for international use, consider leveraging the expertise of professional services that specialize in navigating these requirements efficiently.

State of Texas Apostille takes place at the Secretary of State level in Austin. The following documents are able to be affixed with an Apostille: 

• Non Recordable documents in their original form which are notarized by a Texas Notary Public.
• Recordable documents – Birth/Death Certificate, Marriage Certificate
• Powers of Attorney
• Letters authorizing someone to conduct business on your behalf in another country
• Documents produced by your bank for use abroad
• Diplomas or degrees that are stated to be a true and correct copy of the original
• Just about any document needing to be notarized for use in another country