A single status affidavit — also called an affidavit of eligibility to marry, certificate of no impediment, or in Spanish a constancia or carta de soltería — is a sworn statement that you are not currently married and are legally free to marry. Foreign civil registries require it from U.S. citizens because the United States does not issue a national certificate of single status. Couples from El Paso need it for a destination wedding in Cancún or Los Cabos, a church and civil ceremony in the bride's hometown in Chihuahua, or a marriage to a partner in Colombia, Spain, the Philippines or Nigeria. The document is simple; the process of making it acceptable abroad — a proper Texas notarization followed by a Texas apostille — is where people lose weeks.
Because the affidavit is a sworn statement, it is notarized with a jurat under Texas Government Code Chapter 406: you sign in the notary's presence after taking an oath that its contents are true, and the notary completes the certificate with a Texas venue, signature and seal. The Texas Secretary of State then attaches the apostille, authenticating the notary's commission for the receiving country, for $15 per document. Two variations come up often. Some registries — Mexico's among them — sometimes ask instead for a certificate of no record of marriage from Texas Vital Statistics, which is a state record rather than your own statement; and anyone previously married must usually attach a certified divorce decree or death certificate, each apostilled separately. We ask which country and which office before we notarize anything, because the wording the registry expects varies.
Text or call (915) 302-0902 with your wedding date and the country where you will marry. We confirm which document the registry wants, quote the notarization ($10 for the oath plus the $39 travel fee anywhere in El Paso) and the apostille service (our fee plus the $15 state fee and shipping), and come to your home or office to administer the oath. Bring your unexpired passport or driver license and the affidavit in the form your wedding coordinator or the registry provided, unsigned. We then prepare the Secretary of State request, ship, track and return the apostilled affidavit to you — or to the wedding planner in Mexico. We are not attorneys and cannot draft the affidavit or advise on foreign marriage requirements; we make sure the Texas side is done correctly.
Documents we notarize
- Single Status Affidavit / Affidavit of Eligibility to Marry (constancia de soltería)
- Affidavit of Marital Status for a registry that uses that title
- Certificate of No Record of Marriage from Texas Vital Statistics, ordered and apostilled when the registry requires a state record
- Certified divorce decree with apostille for a previously married partner
- Death certificate with apostille for a widowed partner
- Passport copy certification for the foreign registry (non-recordable document)
- Apostilled birth certificate when the registry requires it alongside the affidavit
- Translator's sworn statement, notarized here, when a translation made in El Paso is accepted
What the affidavit usually says — and who provides the form
Most registries want your full legal name, date and place of birth, current address, passport number, a statement that you are single, divorced or widowed and free to marry, and sometimes your parents' names and your intended spouse's name. The wedding venue, the consulate of the destination country, or the registry itself usually supplies the wording; resort wedding coordinators in Cancún and Los Cabos send a template as part of their packet. Use their form. If you have only a description of the requirements, an attorney or the receiving office should prepare the text — a notary cannot write it for you — and we notarize the finished document.
Timing your paperwork around the wedding
Many registries require the affidavit to be dated within a window — often three to six months before the ceremony — so signing it too early is as much a problem as too late. Count backwards: the Texas apostille takes roughly two to four weeks by mail, translations in the destination country add time, and the registry may need the documents a set number of days before the date. Couples in El Paso typically sign the affidavit ten to twelve weeks out. If the date is close, tell us; expedited shipping and in-person handling in Austin are available at a quoted cost, and a previously married partner should start earlier because the divorce decree needs its own certified copy and apostille.
What to bring
- Unexpired passport or driver license
- The affidavit in the form your registry, consulate or wedding coordinator provided — unsigned
- Your wedding date and the name of the receiving office
- Certified divorce decree or death certificate if you were previously married
How a mobile appointment works
Text or call with your wedding details
Tell us the country, the office and the date. We confirm whether it wants your sworn affidavit, a Texas no-record certificate, or both, and quote the notarization and apostille service before anything is signed.
Sworn at your home in El Paso
The notary checks your ID, administers the oath, watches you sign and completes the Texas jurat. It takes about ten minutes, evenings and weekends included, anywhere in El Paso County.
Apostilled and delivered
We prepare the Secretary of State request and $15 fee, ship to Austin with tracking, and return the apostilled affidavit to you or directly to your wedding coordinator abroad, with a photo of the apostille the day it arrives.