Apostille Service in Odessa, Texas
Apostille Request Form
Odessa’s economy has been tied to Permian Basin oil and gas for generations, and that work does not stop at the U.S. border. When an Odessa resident accepts a job abroad, marries a foreign national, or helps a company register overseas, the receiving country often wants an apostille on Texas documents. Apostille Authentications prepares those documents and submits them to the Texas Secretary of State for clients in Odessa and the rest of Ector County.
Everything is handled through the mail or courier. We have no Odessa office; you ship us your paperwork, we check it, and we deal with the state’s Authentications Unit so you are spared the long drive east across the state to the capital.
Energy-Sector Work and Overseas Paperwork
Many of Odessa’s largest employers are oilfield service and petrochemical companies. Major employers in the city include Halliburton, NexTier, Saulsbury Companies, Medical Center Hospital, Odessa Regional Medical Center, Ector County ISD and the University of Texas Permian Basin.
Workers and companies in this field may be asked for documents like these before an international assignment or contract:
- Birth and marriage certificates for a work visa or family residency permit
- College diplomas and trade or technical certificates for credential checks
- Corporate records, such as certificates of formation, for setting up a branch or bidding on work abroad
- Notarized powers of attorney so a relative can manage affairs in Texas while you are away
Each document must be an original certified copy or properly notarized before the state will attach an apostille.
Ector County Courthouse Offices on North Grant Avenue
Two offices in the Ector County Courthouse supply most of the public records Odessa residents need. Both list weekday hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
| Office | Location | Phone | What it provides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ector County Clerk | 300 N. Grant Ave., Room 111 (mail: P.O. Box 707, Odessa, TX 79760) | (432) 498-4130 | Birth certificates ($23), death certificates ($21 first copy), marriage records back to 1891 ($21) |
| Ector County District Clerk | 300 N. Grant Ave., Room 301 | (432) 498-4290 | Divorce decrees, civil and family court orders, other district court records |
The County Clerk can also issue abstract certificates for births in other Texas counties from 1926 on. Death certificates are often requested by families settling an estate or pension that involves another country. Birth records are restricted for 75 years and death records for 25 years, so only qualified applicants with photo ID can order them. Details are posted on the Ector County birth and death records page and the District Clerk’s page. You can also order birth or death records from Texas Vital Statistics (DSHS); choose “Apostille” as the reason when you do.
Living on the Midland County Side of Town
Odessa is the Ector County seat, but parts of the city extend into Midland County, and that portion is zoned to Midland ISD. If a marriage license or court case was filed in Midland County, request the certified copy from the Midland County offices rather than the Ector County Courthouse. The apostille step is identical either way, since every Texas county record is certified by the same state office.
Families who have moved between Odessa and Midland over the years sometimes hold records from both counties, such as a birth recorded in one and a marriage licensed in the other. That is fine. We can submit documents from different Texas counties in a single packet, as long as each one is a certified copy from the office that filed it. Just label each document with its county when you ship them so nothing gets mixed up when we check them.
UTPB, Odessa College and Local Diplomas
The University of Texas Permian Basin and Odessa College both award degrees and certificates that graduates take abroad for jobs or further study. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center also has a Permian Basin campus in Odessa, which matters for medical professionals seeking recognition of their training overseas.
School records are private documents, so they need a Texas notarization before Austin will touch them. Ask your registrar whether it can provide a notarized copy. For destinations that require the documents in another language, see our translation services.
Apostille or Embassy Legalization? It Depends on the Destination
Before you send anything, check whether the destination country belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention. Member countries accept the Texas apostille directly. Non-members, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, require embassy legalization, a longer chain of certifications. Our country guide lists which route applies.
Federal records are another exception. An FBI background check is apostilled by the U.S. Department of State, so it is handled separately through our FBI apostille service.
Austin's Fees and Timelines at a Glance
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Where Texas apostilles are issued | Authentications Unit, Texas Secretary of State, 400 West 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701 |
| State charge | $15 for each document |
| Our charge | $195 for each document, on top of the state charge |
| Request form | Form 2102, which we complete for you |
| By mail | The state may take up to two weeks once it receives the request |
| At the counter | Same-day handling; walk-ins on Mondays and Fridays, appointments Tuesday to Thursday |
Before shipping, run through this short list:
- Is every vital record a certified copy with a raised or printed seal, not a photocopy?
- Does each notarized document show a complete Texas notary certificate, with the commission details filled in?
- Have you confirmed the destination country and whether it wants an apostille or legalization?
- Did you include a note with your return address and a phone number we can reach you at?
Catching a problem at this stage saves a rejected submission later. Timing is set by the state, so we do not quote our own turnaround. See our pricing page for a breakdown.
Questions Odessa Clients Ask
Can I get my Odessa-born child's birth certificate apostilled for an overseas posting?
Yes. The Ector County Clerk issues certified birth certificates for Ector County births from 1903 forward, at $23 per copy, and the office requires valid photo ID from a qualified applicant. Once you have the certified copy, we send it to the Texas Secretary of State for the apostille.
Part of Odessa is in Midland County. Does that change anything?
Only the office you order from. A record is requested from the county where the event was filed. The apostille itself still comes from the Texas Secretary of State in Austin, no matter which county issued the document.
My new job is in Kuwait. Will an apostille work there?
Kuwait is not a Hague Convention member, so an apostille alone is not accepted. Your documents need embassy legalization. The same is true for the UAE and Qatar. Tell us the destination up front and we will map out the correct route.
Where are Ector County divorce records kept?
The Ector County District Clerk, Room 301 of the courthouse at 300 N. Grant Avenue, holds civil and family court records. The phone number is (432) 498-4290, and the office is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Do I need an FBI check for an international oilfield job, and who apostilles it?
Requirements depend on the employer and country, but when an FBI Identity History Summary is required, the U.S. Department of State apostilles it, not Texas. We offer a separate service for those federal documents.
Send Us Your Odessa Documents
Have a certified Ector County record, a UTPB diploma or a company document that needs to be recognized abroad? Call (971) 514-3743 or email info@apostilleauthentications.com. You can also submit details through the request form on our contact page, and we will tell you what to send and where.
State specific information
Need statewide details? See our Texas apostille service page for the Texas Secretary of State process, fees and timelines.