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A federal apostille certifies a document issued by a U.S. federal agency for legal use in another country. This is different from a Texas apostille — the Texas Secretary of State only certifies documents issued or notarized within Texas. If your document comes from a federal agency or a federal court, it has to go through the U.S. Department of State's Office of Authentications

What qualifies as a federal document

• FBI Identity History Summary (background check / "rap sheet") — the most common federal apostille request, typically needed for work visas, residency applications, or international adoption

• Federal court records — federal civil judgments, federal criminal records, bankruptcy court documents

• IRS and U.S. Treasury documents

• USPTO documents — patents, trademarks

• USDA/FDA export certificates — common for businesses shipping products internationally

• Documents issued by any other U.S. federal agency

A note on FBI background checks specifically

The Department of State only accepts an original or certified copy of your FBI Identity History Summary with the official FBI seal — a photocopy, scan, or notarized copy will be rejected outright. If you don't have your FBI report yet, you'll need to request it directly from the FBI (12–14 weeks by mail) or through an FBI-approved channeler (as fast as 24 hours to a few business days) before we can apostille it. We apostille the report you already have — we don't process the FBI request itself.

How it works

1. Mail your original federal document to us using a trackable, insured shipping method

2. We submit it to the U.S. Department of State on your behalf

3. Your apostilled document is mailed back to you

An apostille certifies your Texas-issued document for legal use in another country. If you're relocating abroad, expanding a business internationally, enrolling in a foreign university, or handling a cross-border legal matter, most countries will require this certification before they'll accept a U.S. document as valid.

Avansa Solutions handles the full process for you — from courier pickup at the Texas Secretary of State's office to return delivery — so you don't have to navigate the state process yourself or lose time to the standard mail-in turnaround.

Not sure if your document needs to be notarized first?

Not every document goes straight to apostille. Texas splits into two paths:

• Already good to file “Recordable Documents— birth/death/marriage certificates, court records, background checks, and most corporate documents (Articles of Incorporation, Certificates of Good Standing, EIN letters) can be filed for apostille as-is.

• Needs notarization first “Non Recordable Documents — Powers of attorney, affidavits, contracts, and corporate resolutions must be notarized before the Secretary of State will apostille them. If your document falls in this category and isn't notarized yet, we can notarize it for you online before filing — no in-person appointment required.

How it works

1. Mail your original document(s) to us using a trackable, insured shipping method

2. We file with the Texas Secretary of State on your behalf

3. Your apostilled document is mailed back to you using the return envelope and method you provide

As a Texas-commissioned Remote Online Notary, I can notarize your document over live video — from anywhere, at your convenience — before it goes through the apostille process.

Notarization (first signature) $10

Online notarization surcharge Fee $25

Total First Signature $35

Each additional signature $1

These fees are set by Texas Government Code §406.024 and the state's online notarization statute — this is the maximum allowed by law, not a markup we've added.

How it works

1. Tell us which document you need to have notarized

2. If it needs notarization, complete a short online video session with me as your commissioned notary