THE OFFICE OF THE TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, MAY 29, IN OBSERVANCE OF MEMORIAL DAY. HOLIDAY CLOSURE DETAILS.
Maintenance Notice: The Trademark application will be unavailable on Sunday, May 28 from 6:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Maintenance Details.

About Notary Public and Apostille Services

Current Processing Times

Apostille/Authentications – We are currently processing mailed documents received May 15, 2023.
Notary - We are currently reviewing mailed applications received May 1, 2023. We are currently processing eNotary applications received May 1, 2023.

In addition to overseeing elections and registering business entities, the Secretary of State commissions Texas notary publics.

A Texas Notary Public is a public servant with statewide jurisdiction who is authorized to take acknowledgments, protest instruments permitted by law to be protested (primarily negotiable instruments and bills and notes), administer oaths, take depositions, and certify copies of documents not recordable in the public records.

The Secretary of State not only commissions notaries public, but also has the authority to discipline notaries, including suspension or revocation of commission, for good cause. For more information on notaries public, please use the quick links on this page.

The Secretary of State also authenticates documents for foreign use and issues apostilles. An apostille is a certificate issued by the Secretary of State in accordance with the 1961 Hague Convention for the purpose of authenticating a public document (e.g., a birth certificate, death certificate, or notarized document) for use in certain foreign countries. Authentication and apostille requests may be made in person or through the mail. For more information on our apostille and authentication services, please use the quick links on this page.

If you plan on visiting the agency to obtain an apostille or authentication, please refer to our agency's contact information for office hours and parking accommodations. It is also recommended that you check the State's holiday schedule (PDF) for state office closures.