Mail requests are processed by Austin only. In-person same-day service available Mon & Fri (walk-in) or Tue & Fri (by appointment).
Compare services below to find your fastest safe route →
Mail processing follows the official TX SOS queue — can exceed 25 days during peak periods.
Walk-in Mon & Fri only. Limit: 10 docs/person. Wait times: 15 min to 1+ hour.
Book online. 1 appointment per day per person. Limit: 10 docs per appointment.
Looking for DIY instructions? Texas DIY Guide
Standard mail processing in Texas currently takes 10-25 business days. An "Expedited" service bypasses this wait by physically hand-carrying your document to the Secretary of State's office in Austin. Walk-in service is available Mondays and Fridays, or by appointment on Tuesdays and Fridays. This is the only legal way to achieve same-day turnaround for urgent international deadlines.
Balance speed, cost, and convenience based on your deadline.
Best for: 3+ weeks / flexible timeline
Best for: 1–7 days / tight deadlines
Best for: under a week / 3–10 days
Note: Texas does not have a mail-in 'rush lane' that skips the queue. Rush = in-person submission (Mon/Fri walk-in or Tue/Fri by appointment).
Understanding your options is the first step.
Austin SOS office
1019 Brazos St • Limit 10 docs
Book online in advance
1 appt/day • Limit 10 docs
Standard mail processing
Most affordable • Use DIY guide
US Dept. of State apostille
Cannot be done at state level
Unlike standard mail processing, expedited couriers handle your document physically at every step to ensure speed.
Critical first step. We verify your document is acceptable for a Texas Apostille (correct signature, not federal) to ensure it can be processed.
Your document is physically hand-carried to the Texas Secretary of State's office in Austin. Walk-in Mon/Fri or by appointment Tue/Fri.
Once processed, your apostille is picked up from the office. We verify the seal is present and correct, then arrange return shipping.
Recommended for urgent deadlines where a 10-25 day mail wait is not an option.
Moving or traveling within 2 weeks? The mail queue is too risky for such tight apostille deadlines.
For mergers, court dates, or POA filings requiring strict same-day authentication.
Student visas and foreign job offers often have tight windows for diploma apostilles.
Marriage certificates often need last-minute apostille legalization before the ceremony.
Top-rated providers servicing Texas. Verified for quality and responsive support.
Premier expedited service provider specializing in same-day authentication for birth certificates, marriage licenses, and corporate filings. Direct submission to maximizing speed.
"We've verified TX Apostille Express's licensing and track record. They are our #1 recommendation for speed and reliability in Austin."
If your deadline is flexible (4+ weeks), the DIY mail-in option is significantly cheaper. Our free guide helps you avoid mistakes.
Yes, but only if submitted in person at the Austin Secretary of State office. Mail-in requests to Austin typically take 10-25 business days.
Yes. All Texas apostille requests (mail or walk-in) are processed by the Secretary of State's office in Austin.
Courier fees range from $125 to $250 per document, plus the $15 Texas state fee.
Speed and Certainty: The DIY mail-in process to Austin currently takes 2-4 weeks and carries a risk of rejection or delay. Expedited services physically walk your document into the Secretary of State's office in Austin for much faster processing (usually same-day or next-day).
Yes. You do not need to be physically present in Texas. You can mail your documents to one of the expedited providers. They will physically present your document to the Secretary of State in Austin on your behalf and ship it back to you.
Most Texas vital records (birth, marriage, death) and TX notarized documents (Power of Attorney) can be expedited. Note: Vital records must be certified copies.
Yes, but walk-in times and availability may vary. Using a registered service provider is highly recommended as they have established daily submission routines.
This is the main benefit of using a pro service. They review your document before submission. If you mail it yourself (DIY) to Austin and it gets rejected, you lose the weeks of waiting period.
In-person submissions are usually processed same-day or next business day, depending on the volume and time of submission.
Document eligibility. Incorrect notarization is the most common reason for rejection.
Yes—couriers hand-carry and submit in person on your behalf.
Overnight ship your documents to a courier in Austin for in-person submission.
No. Federal documents must be processed by the US Department of State in Washington DC, not the Texas Secretary of State.
Use rigid protection (cardboard), keep originals flat, avoid stapling through seals, include a cover sheet, and use trackable overnight shipping both directions.
"Speed is important, but accuracy is critical. A same-day apostille is useless if it gets rejected for a missing county clerk authentication. We verify every single document before submission."
Last checked: January 26, 2026
