An Apostille is a certificate issued by a U.S. state or the U.S. Department of State that verifies the authenticity of a public official’s signature on a document for use in another country.

An Apostille certifies:

• The authenticity of the signature
• The official capacity of the person who signed the document
• The identity of the seal or stamp, such as a notary public’s seal

Note: An Apostille does not validate or confirm the actual contents of the document.

Personal Documents:

• Power of Attorney
• Affidavits
• Copies of Driver’s License or Passport
• Other Notarized Documents

Corporate Documents:

• Certificate of Good Standing
• Statement of Information
• Assignments

Vital Records (County Issued):

• Birth Certificates
• Marriage Certificates
• Death Certificates
• Single Status Affidavits

Court Documents:

• Judgments
• Divorce Decrees
• Name Change Petitions

Federal Documents:

• FBI Background Checks
• IRS Forms
• Certificates of Naturalization

There are two types of Apostilles:

State Apostille: Issued by the Secretary of State where the document originated. For example, if a document was issued in California, it must be Apostilled in California. A document from New York cannot be Apostilled in California.

Federal Apostille: Required for federal documents such as FBI background checks and naturalization certificates. These must be Apostilled by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

The destination country determines the type of authentication required:

• If the country is part of the Hague Apostille Convention, only an Apostille is required.
• If the country is not part of the Hague Convention, your documents will require Embassy or Consular Legalization instead.

To see if your destination country is a member, visit HCCH.net.

You can verify whether an Apostille issued in the last five years is authentic by using the California Secretary of State’s online verification tool.

If the Apostille is older than five years or not listed, contact the Notary Public Section of the California Secretary of State.

To verify an Apostille, visit: State Apostille Verification Website

1. Step 1: Obtain a Certified Copy
   • Request a recent certified copy from the County Clerk or Registrar-Recorder where the record was filed.
   • Only immediate family members or authorized individuals may request these records.
2. Step 2: Submit Your Document
   • Mail or drop off your certified copy with us.
   • Notarization is not required for certified vital records.
   • Note: We cannot notarize copies of vital records.
3. Step 3: Include Required Items
   • Certified copy of the document
   • Completed order form
   • Payment: via money order, cashier’s check, PayPal, or we’ll email you a secure payment link once we receive your documents.
4. Step 4: Processing and Delivery
   • We’ll submit your document to the California Secretary of State for Apostille.
   • Choose your delivery option:
     • Pick-up from our office
     • Mail delivery
     • International shipping available

1. Step 1: Notarize the Document
   • Your Power of Attorney must be notarized before it can be Apostilled.
   • Options:
     • Mail-in a notarized document
     • Schedule a mobile notary visit to your home or office
     • Bring your document to our office for notarization
   • Important: The notary must use correct California wording and include their title for the Apostille to be accepted.
2. Step 2: Apostille Submission
   • We will submit the notarized document to the California Secretary of State for Apostille.
3. Step 3: Optional Translation
   • If your destination country requires it, we offer professional translation services.

Required Items:

• Notarized Power of Attorney
• Completed order form
• Payment via money order, cashier’s check, or online

Delivery Options:

• Pick up from our office
• U.S. or international mail delivery available

Examples of Commercial Documents:

• Certificate of Status
• Statement of Information
• Certificate of Formation
• Articles of Incorporation
• Other business filings

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Obtain Certified Copies
   • Request certified copies from the California Secretary of State or allow us to assist.
2. Submit for Apostille
   • We submit your certified documents to the Secretary of State for Apostille.
3. Include Required Items
   • Certified copy of each business document
   • Completed order form
   • Payment via money order, cashier’s check, or PayPal
4. Choose Delivery Method
   • Pick-up at our office
   • Standard or international mail delivery

Our team has extensive experience handling Apostille requests for commercial documents. We ensure fast, compliant, and accurate processing—so your documents are ready for international use without delay.