Certified Translation Services in Texas
Certified translations for Texas DPS, Texas courts, USCIS and employers, prepared online by professional human translators. $22.99 per page, delivered within 24 hours for documents up to 3 pages.
We prepare certified translations for people and businesses across Texas, from Houston and Dallas to San Antonio, Austin and El Paso. We work online: you upload a scan or photo, a professional translator translates it, and you receive a signed PDF. There is no office to visit and no appointment to book.
- We offer birth certificate translation services in Texas families need for USCIS and DPS, and USCIS translation services in Texas at the same $22.99 per page
- Texas DPS says foreign licenses not in English or Spanish must be translated by a translation service or your consulate
- Rule 1009 lets Texas courts admit a translation served with a qualified translator's affidavit or unsworn declaration
- USCIS filings from Texas need a full English translation with the translator's signed certification
Where Texans Need a Certified Translation
These are the Texas offices and federal agencies that most often ask for translated documents, and what each one asks for.
| Who asks | Document | What they ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Texas DPS, new residents | Foreign driver's license not in English or Spanish | Translation by a translation service or your consulate |
| Texas DPS, identity documents | Foreign marriage certificate or divorce decree used to show a name change | Certified English translation |
| Texas civil courts | Any foreign-language document offered as evidence | Translation, original and a qualified translator's affidavit or unsworn declaration, served 45 days before trial |
| Texas Secretary of State | A translation that needs an apostille | Translator's statement with a notarized signature, plus a copy of the original |
| USCIS | Birth, marriage, divorce and other civil records | Full English translation with the translator's certification of competence and accuracy |
Sources: Texas DPS, the Texas Rules of Evidence and the Texas Secretary of State. Rules change, so check the current requirements with the office before you file.
Driving in Texas With a Foreign License
Texas DPS lets a visitor drive on a valid foreign license for up to one year, or until they become a Texas resident, whichever comes first. Under the international driving agreements Texas recognizes, DPS says the foreign license or permit must be translated into English.
New residents have 90 days after moving to get a Texas license. DPS says foreign licenses not in English or Spanish must be translated by a translation service or your consulate before you arrive in Texas. Our driver's license translation covers both sides of the card and is signed by the translator.
Texas has license reciprocity with France, Germany, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan, so DPS may waive the knowledge and skills tests for holders of a valid license from those places. The translation rule still applies to a French, German or Korean license, because it is not in English or Spanish.
DPS gives the knowledge test in English and Spanish only. Other states set different rules; our state-by-state comparison shows how eight states, including Texas, compare.
Translations for Texas Courts: Rule 1009
Texas Rule of Evidence 1009 sets out how a translated document is admitted. At least 45 days before trial, the party serves all other parties with the translation, the original document and a qualified translator's affidavit or unsworn declaration. That statement sets out the translator's qualifications and certifies that the translation is accurate.
An objection to a translation's accuracy must be served at least 15 days before trial. If no one objects or offers a conflicting translation, and the document is otherwise admissible, the court must admit it, and a party may not attack its accuracy later. The court can change these deadlines for good cause, and it can appoint a translator itself.
Foreign law has its own deadline. Under Rule 203, a party relying on foreign-law materials in another language gives all parties the foreign-language text and an English translation at least 30 days before trial.
Our signed certificate states that the translator is competent to translate and that the translation is accurate. Tell us the translation is for a Texas court, and ask us to include the translator's qualifications, which Rule 1009 requires.
If a sworn affidavit is needed, notarization is available on request; contact us before you order. See our legal translation page for court records, judgments and contracts.
Nursing and Teaching Licenses Start With an Evaluation
The Texas Board of Nursing asks international applicants for a report from a Board-approved credential evaluation service, and that service must be able to manage the translation of your documents. The Texas Education Agency wants a course-by-course evaluation sent directly by a recognized evaluation service and does not accept evaluations submitted by applicants.
Ask your evaluator what it needs before you order a translation. If your evaluator asks you for translations, see transcript translation and diploma translation.
Marriage, Divorce and Birth Records in Texas
Texas keeps its own records in different places. Birth records for people born in Texas are held by DSHS Vital Statistics. Certified copies of marriage licenses come only from the county clerk, and certified divorce decrees only from the district clerk. DSHS issues verification letters for marriages and divorces, and those letters are not legal substitutes.
Records from another country follow the receiving office's rules. If you use a foreign marriage certificate or divorce decree at DPS, for example to show a name change, DPS asks for a certified English translation. USCIS asks for a full translation of every foreign-language record you file, with the translator's certification.
We translate birth certificates, marriage certificates and divorce decrees in full, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes.
The Most Common Languages in Texas After English
About 5.76 million Texans, 18.4% of the state, were born outside the US. These are some of the languages most often spoken at home, from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
| Language | Texans who speak it at home (age 5+) | Our translation page |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | About 8.27 million | Spanish |
| Vietnamese | About 255,000 | Vietnamese |
| Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) | About 205,000 | Chinese |
| Arabic | About 126,000 | Arabic |
| Tagalog | About 107,000 | Tagalog |
| Hindi | About 104,000 | Hindi |
| French, Haitian Creole and Cajun | About 100,000 | French, Haitian Creole |
| Urdu | About 93,000 | Urdu |
| Korean | About 77,000 | Korean |
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year estimates (tables B05002 and C16001); Hindi and Urdu from the 2020–2024 5-year table B16001. New residents do not need to translate a Spanish license at DPS, but Spanish birth, marriage and court records still need translating for USCIS, and a Spanish marriage certificate needs one at DPS.
Do You Need a Translator Near You?
For a written translation, you do not need to meet the translator. None of the Texas rules above asks for a translator based in Texas. DPS, the courts and USCIS look at the translation and the translator's statement.
That is why we work online for the whole state. You upload a clear scan or phone photo, and the signed translation arrives as a PDF you can print or upload. If an office asks for a paper copy, print the PDF; we do not mail hard copies.
Upload
Send a scan or photo of every page, including the back of cards and any stamps.
Translate
A professional translator for your language translates the whole document, never a machine.
Check
Before signing, the translator compares every name, date and number with your original.
Receive
Your signed PDF arrives within 24 hours for documents up to 3 pages.
Translation Services in Texas Cities
Local offices, consulates and county clerks for the two largest Texas metro areas.
Certified Translation in Texas Pricing
One flat rate covers your document in full. The total is shown before you pay.
- Signed Certificate of Accuracy on every order
- Accepted formats: PDF, JPG or phone photo
- Same rate for every language
- 24 hour standard delivery for documents up to 3 pages
- Free revisions for 14 days after delivery, full refund if an authority rejects a certified translation
Optional add-ons
No hidden fees. Free revisions for 14 days after delivery. Compare all translation rates. Need it sooner? See rush translation.
100% Acceptance Guarantee
If the Texas office or federal agency your translation was prepared for rejects it because of the translation, send us the rejection notice and we will refund your order in full. Free revisions are included for 14 days after delivery; after that, a small revision fee applies.
Related Guides
- Driver's license translation: do you need it notarized?: what DMVs and insurers usually ask for
- Court document translation for immigration cases: judgments, police records and court orders
- Who can legally certify a translation?: the rules for USCIS and other authorities
Translation in Texas: Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
Need a Certified Translation in Texas?
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