Apostille Service in Lubbock, Texas
Apostille Request Form
Lubbock sits at the center of the South Plains, roughly a full day’s round trip from the Texas Secretary of State’s office in Austin. That distance matters when a foreign university, employer or consulate asks for an apostille on a Lubbock document. Our team at Apostille Authentications handles the process by mail for people in Lubbock and across Lubbock County, so you can skip the drive and still get a properly certified document.
We do not run a storefront in Lubbock. Instead, you send your documents to us, we review them, and we submit them to the Authentications Unit in Austin on your behalf. The sections below explain where local records come from, what the state charges, and how Texas Tech graduates, healthcare workers and families usually get their paperwork ready.
Texas Tech, LCU and Other Lubbock Campuses: Getting School Records Accepted Abroad
Education documents are a large share of what Lubbock residents send overseas. Texas Tech University, founded in 1923 as Texas Technological College, draws students who later apply to graduate programs, teaching posts or licensing boards in other countries. The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock Christian University, and the local campuses of South Plains College and Wayland Baptist University add to that pool.
Common requests include:
- Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral diplomas
- Official transcripts and enrollment verification letters
- Medical, nursing and pharmacy school records for foreign credential reviews
- Lubbock ISD and other area high school diplomas for students starting university abroad
Because a diploma or transcript is a private document, Texas will only apostille it after a Texas notary has properly notarized it. A registrar’s office will often arrange a notarized copy. If the receiving country also wants a translation, our document translation service can help.
Vital Records in Lubbock: Who Issues What
Lubbock is a little unusual: birth and death certificates are issued by the City of Lubbock’s Vital Statistics office, while marriage records sit with the Lubbock County Clerk. You can also order birth and death records from Texas Vital Statistics (part of DSHS). If you order from the state, select “Apostille” as the reason for your request so the copy you receive is suitable.
| Record | Local office | Contact details |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate (long form for Lubbock County births; abstract for other Texas births) | City of Lubbock Vital Statistics | 1209 13th Street, Lubbock |
| Death certificate (Lubbock County deaths only) | City of Lubbock Vital Statistics | 1209 13th Street, Lubbock |
| Marriage license and record | Lubbock County Clerk | 904 Broadway, Room 207; marriage line (806) 775-1054 |
| Probate and other county court records | Lubbock County Clerk | Main line (806) 775-1076; lobby open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
The city office says it cannot process births that happened outside Texas, and it charges a search fee if a record is not found. Confirm current fees with the office or on the City of Lubbock birth and death page before ordering.
Court Papers from the Lubbock County District Clerk
Divorce decrees, name-change orders, custody orders and other district court records are held by the Lubbock County District Clerk, also at 904 Broadway. These are frequently needed when someone remarries abroad, registers a name change with a foreign government, or travels internationally with a child.
- Main counter: (806) 775-1320
- Family records: (806) 775-1581
- Archives: (806) 775-1322
Order a certified copy bearing the clerk’s seal and signature. The state verifies that official’s signature, so an uncertified printout will be rejected. Contact numbers come from the Lubbock County department directory.
Parents traveling internationally with a child sometimes need more than the court order itself. A notarized consent letter from the other parent, signed before a Texas notary, can also be apostilled and paired with the certified decree. If you are unsure which pieces a foreign school, airline or immigration office expects, ask the receiving authority for its written checklist first, then send us everything on it at once so the full set goes to Austin together.
Health Care, Cotton and Business Documents Leaving the South Plains
Lubbock is the medical and economic hub for a wide stretch of West Texas. Major employers include Texas Tech University, Covenant Health System, University Medical Center, Lubbock ISD, United Supermarkets and AT&T. The surrounding area is known as one of the world’s largest contiguous cotton-growing regions.
That mix produces a steady flow of business and professional paperwork, for example:
- Certificates of formation or good standing for companies dealing with foreign buyers or partners
- Powers of attorney signed before a Texas notary for property or banking matters abroad
- Professional licenses and employment verification letters for clinicians relocating overseas
Notarized business documents go to the Texas Secretary of State. Federal records, such as FBI background checks, follow a different path; see our FBI apostille service for details.
From Lubbock to Austin by Mail: Steps and Costs
Driving to the Capitol for a single stamp rarely makes sense from Lubbock. Here is how the mail route works with us:
- Order certified copies from the city, county or state office that holds your record.
- Notarize private documents such as diplomas or affidavits with a Texas notary.
- Contact us to confirm the destination country and whether it accepts apostilles.
- Ship the originals to us; we check them and prepare Form 2102 for the Secretary of State.
- We submit and return the apostilled documents to you.
| Item | Amount or detail |
|---|---|
| Texas Secretary of State fee | $15 per document |
| Apostille Authentications service fee | $195 per document |
| State office | Authentications Unit, 400 West 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701 |
| State mail processing | Up to two weeks after the state receives it |
| State in-person service | Same day; walk-ins Monday and Friday, appointments Tuesday through Thursday |
We cannot promise a specific turnaround of our own, because state timing varies. More background is on our Texas apostille page and the pricing page.
Lubbock Apostille FAQ
Can the City of Lubbock Vital Statistics office give me a birth certificate that works for an apostille?
Yes, as long as it is a certified copy. The office at 1209 13th Street issues long-form certificates for births in Lubbock County and abstract certificates for births elsewhere in Texas. Many foreign authorities prefer the long form, so check what the receiving country asks for before you order.
My Texas Tech diploma is a private document. How does it get apostilled?
The Secretary of State does not apostille a diploma on its own. It is usually notarized first, often through the registrar's office, so the state has a Texas notary signature to verify. We can walk you through that step before your packet goes to Austin.
Where do I get a certified copy of a Lubbock County divorce decree?
Divorce decrees are kept by the Lubbock County District Clerk at 904 Broadway. The family records line is (806) 775-1581 and the main counter is (806) 775-1320. Ask for a certified copy, not a plain photocopy.
I need an FBI background check apostilled for a teaching job overseas. Does that go through Austin too?
No. An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal record, so the U.S. Department of State in Washington issues its apostille. Texas documents and federal documents travel separate routes, and we can coordinate both if your file needs them.
What if the country I am moving to is not part of the Hague Convention?
Countries outside the convention, such as the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, do not accept apostilles. Their documents go through embassy legalization instead, which involves extra steps after the state certification.
Start Your Lubbock Apostille Request
Whether it is a Red Raider diploma, a Lubbock County marriage record or a company document for an overseas partner, we can review it before it goes to Austin. Call us at (971) 514-3743, email info@apostilleauthentications.com, or fill out the request form on our contact page and tell us which country the document is for.
State specific information
Need statewide details? See our Texas apostille service page for the Texas Secretary of State process, fees and timelines.