Apostille Service in Bedford, Texas
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Bedford is a compact Mid-Cities suburb in northeastern Tarrant County, with State Highways 121 and 183 running through it. Highway 183 still carries the name Airport Freeway from the years when it was the main road to DFW. Today, Bedford’s documents go abroad for reasons that reflect its workforce: nurses and clinicians taking positions overseas, insurance professionals working with foreign clients, and families settling affairs in other countries.
Apostille Authentications offers apostille service for Bedford, Texas by mail and courier. We are not located in Bedford and do not keep a local office. You send us your documents, we check them against Texas requirements, and we deliver them to the Texas Secretary of State for the apostille. The sections below explain what that looks like for the records Bedford residents most often bring us.
Healthcare, Insurance and Media Employers in Bedford
According to Bedford’s 2023 employer figures, as reported on Wikipedia, major employers include Texas Health Resources, Carter BloodCare, Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD, State National Companies, Walmart, the City of Bedford and Daystar Television Network. Texas Health Resources tops that list, which means a large share of local workers hold medical degrees, nursing diplomas and professional licenses.
When healthcare and insurance professionals accept roles abroad, foreign regulators and employers commonly ask for:
- University diplomas and official transcripts.
- Copies of professional licenses, notarized with a statement from the licensee or issuer.
- Letters of employment or good standing from a current employer.
- A criminal background check, often from the FBI.
The first three items go through the Texas Secretary of State. The FBI check is a federal record and is apostilled by the U.S. Department of State; our FBI apostille service explains that process.
How Texas Sorts Your Documents
The Secretary of State divides documents into two categories, and the category controls how you prepare them.
| Recordable documents | Non-recordable documents | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Birth and death certificates, marriage records, divorce decrees, court judgments | Diplomas, transcripts, license copies, powers of attorney, employment letters, contracts |
| Who signs | A state or county official | The issuer or signer, before a notary |
| Key rule | Must be a certified copy less than five years old | Needs a signed summary statement with a properly notarized signature |
| Can a notary copy it? | No | Only if the original is not filed with a government office |
Most delays we see come from mixing these up, such as sending a notarized photocopy of a birth certificate, which the state will not accept.
Tarrant County Records Offices Near Bedford
Bedford sits entirely in Tarrant County. The nearest County Clerk vital records location is the Gary Fickes Northeast Subcourthouse, 645 Grapevine Hwy, Suite 120, Hurst, TX 76054, just west of the city line. Every county vital records counter uses 817-884-1550 and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, per the county’s location list. Because that list does not specify services by site, call ahead.
Texas Vital Statistics can also issue birth and death certificates. Choose Apostille as the reason when ordering, as the DSHS apostille page directs.
For divorce decrees and family court orders, contact the Tarrant County District Clerk at the Family Law Center, 200 E. Weatherford, 3rd Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76196, phone 817-884-1265. Other civil records are at 100 N. Calhoun Street, 2nd Floor, phone 817-884-1574. Both are listed on the District Clerk locations page.
School and College Records for Bedford Residents
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD serves Bedford. The district’s facilities in the city include the Gene A. Buinger Career and Technical Education Academy, while high school students attend L.D. Bell High School in Hurst or Trinity High School or KEYS High School in Euless. Nearby, Tarrant County College operates its Northeast Campus in Hurst.
Diplomas, transcripts and certificates from any of these schools need the same preparation: a school official signs the record or a statement about it in front of a notary. We then submit the notarized document to Austin. If the receiving institution also needs a certified translation, ask about it when you contact us so both pieces can be planned together.
Business Paperwork From Bedford Companies
Bedford’s employer base is not only clinical. Insurance carriers, a regional blood center, a television network and logistics firms all operate here, and companies like these sometimes need documents accepted by a foreign partner, regulator or court.
Typical corporate requests include:
- Board resolutions authorizing an officer to sign abroad.
- Powers of attorney for a foreign representative or local counsel.
- Commercial contracts, distribution agreements or letters of authorization.
- Employment verification letters for staff applying for foreign work visas.
All of these are non-recordable, so an authorized company officer signs before a notary. We review the notarial certificate before submission, because an incomplete certificate is one of the most common reasons the state returns a business document. For multi-document corporate packets, our apostille and authentication service page outlines how we handle larger orders.
Costs, State Timing and Non-Hague Destinations
The Texas Secretary of State’s Authentications Unit, at 400 West 15th Street in Austin, charges $15 for each document. Requests sent by mail may take up to two weeks once received. The counter handles in-person requests the same day, taking walk-ins on Mondays and Fridays and appointments from Tuesday through Thursday. Each submission includes Form 2102.
Apostille Authentications charges $195 per document, and the $15 state fee is added to that. We do not guarantee completion dates, since the state sets its own pace. Full pricing is on our pricing page.
If your country does not accept apostilles
An apostille only works in countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention. Some common destinations for Texas professionals, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, require embassy legalization instead. That process involves additional authentication steps and the embassy’s own fees and rules.
Check our country requirements page first so you prepare the correct version from the start. Finding out about a legalization requirement after the apostille is already attached costs time, so this check is worth a few minutes.
Bedford Apostille Questions Answered
I am a nurse in Bedford moving abroad. Can my license be apostilled?
A copy of a professional license is a non-recordable document under Texas rules. It can be apostilled once it carries a signed statement from you or the issuer with a properly notarized signature. Check the destination’s exact requirements first.
Which Tarrant County office near Bedford issues birth certificates?
The Gary Fickes Northeast Subcourthouse in Hurst, at 645 Grapevine Hwy, Suite 120, is a Tarrant County Clerk vital records location. Call 817-884-1550 to confirm the service. Texas DSHS can also issue the certificate.
Where do I get my Tarrant County divorce decree for an apostille?
Order a certified copy from the Tarrant County District Clerk at the Family Law Center, 200 E. Weatherford, 3rd Floor, Fort Worth, phone 817-884-1265.
Can a Bedford notary certify a copy of my birth certificate for an apostille?
No. Birth certificates are recordable documents, and a notary cannot certify copies of them. You need a certified copy from the county clerk or Texas DSHS that is less than five years old.
Is there an Apostille Authentications office in Bedford?
No. We work with Bedford clients by mail and courier and submit documents to the Texas Secretary of State for them.
Request Help for Your Bedford Documents
Ready to begin, or not sure which category your document falls into? Call (971) 514-3743, email info@apostilleauthentications.com, or send your details through our request form. We will tell you what to obtain and how to ship it.
State specific information
Need statewide details? See our Texas apostille service page for the Texas Secretary of State process, fees and timelines.
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