Texas Certified Copies and Apostilles
A certified copy is a copy of a business filing that carries state certification. An apostille is a separate certificate used to authenticate a public document for acceptance in a country that participates in the Hague Apostille Convention.
Texas business owners commonly need these records when a bank, lender, foreign authority, licensing agency, or another state asks for proof tied to an entity filing.
Texas Certified Copies
Certified copies are used when the requester needs more than an ordinary copy. The certification confirms that the copy is tied to the state filing record.
For a Texas business entity, certified copies can be relevant for filings such as a Certificate of Formation, Certificate of Amendment, assumed name certificate, Certificate of Termination, foreign registration, or other business records on file with the Texas Secretary of State.
Texas uses Certificate of Formation terminology for LLC formation filings. Do not treat a certified copy as a Certificate of Fact - Status. A certified copy reproduces a filing. A Certificate of Fact - Status confirms the entity's existence or authority to transact business in Texas.
What Documents Can Be Certified?
Certified copies usually attach to entity records. For a Texas business, examples include:
- Certificate of Formation for an LLC;
- Certificate of Amendment;
- Assumed name certificate;
- Certificate of Termination;
- Foreign LLC registration; and
- Other business entity filings on file with the Texas Secretary of State.
If the requester names a specific filing, use that filing name rather than asking for a generic "good standing" document. In Texas, the Secretary of State document for entity status is a Certificate of Fact - Status, while the Comptroller issues a separate Certificate of Account Status for franchise tax account status.
Texas Apostilles
An apostille authenticates the origin of a public document for use in another Hague Apostille Convention country. It does not certify whether the document's contents are correct. It certifies the public authority, signature, seal, or stamp attached to the document.
Business-entity apostilles often start with a certified public record. If the foreign recipient asks for an apostilled copy of a Texas entity filing, make sure the underlying certified copy is the correct document before ordering the apostille.
Common apostille use cases include entity records, agreements, trade names, and other business documents. For Texas entity filings, the safest starting point is the exact state record the foreign recipient requested.
How Apostille Certification Works
The apostille is attached to the document so a foreign recipient can verify that the public document came from the proper authority. An apostille typically identifies the country of origin, signer, signer capacity, place of certification, date, issuing authority, unique certificate number, and authority seal or stamp.
That means the apostille is not a substitute for choosing the right business record. If the recipient asks for formation evidence, start with the Certificate of Formation record. If the recipient asks for entity status, use the Texas status document rather than a formation filing.
Texas Fees
The Texas Secretary of State fee for certified copies is $1 per page plus $15 per certificate.
For an apostille related to a business entity filing, the Texas Secretary of State fee is $15.
Texas also lists a $15 standard fee for a Certificate of Fact - Status and a $25 long-form Certificate of Existence that includes a list of filings.
Expedited processing of a certified copy or certificate of status is listed at $10.
Ordering and Timing
The fees are listed above, but ordering methods and processing times should be confirmed before placing a certified-copy or apostille request.
[FACT-PENDING: Texas certified-copy ordering methods, apostille ordering methods, payment requirements, return-delivery options, and processing times.]
Do not assume that a certified-copy request and an apostille request follow the same queue. If a foreign recipient needs an apostilled certified copy, confirm the exact record first, then confirm the apostille handling for that record.