California Apostille Service

What an apostille is

An apostille certifies the signature of the official who signed a document, the capacity in which that official signed, and the seal or stamp on it. You need one so that a U.S. document can be used in a country that has joined the Hague Convention.

An apostille doesn't check what the document says. It confirms only that the signature and seal of the official who signed it are genuine.

Which documents can get a California apostille

The California Secretary of State certifies the signatures of California officials. In practice, that covers two situations:

• The document was issued in California and signed by a state or county official: a birth, marriage, or death certificate, or company records from the state business registry.
• The document was signed before a California notary public, such as a power of attorney, a written statement, or a consent letter. This route also covers diplomas and other documents for which the owner signs a written statement before a notary. Here the apostille goes on the notary's signature.

Documents from other states and FBI checks

California can't apostille documents from other states, because it has no authority to certify the signatures of another state's officials. A document like that goes to the state where it was issued or notarized, and we can handle that for you for $160.

An FBI background check is a federal document, so its apostille comes from the U.S. Department of State. We handle that for $250.

Price and turnaround

A California apostille is $120 per document, and the state fee is already included. Turnaround is 1-3 business days, not counting the day you place the order. Return shipping is extra: $20 within the U.S. by USPS Priority Mail (FedEx or overnight costs more), and international delivery is billed at our document shipping rates.

If you order apostilles for 2 or more documents, we take $20 off each one. This also applies to apostilles from other states and to FBI background check apostilles. The discount doesn't cover shipping.

The Secretary of State processes mailed requests in the order received and doesn't offer paid expedited processing for them. We file documents in person at the counter in Sacramento, so yours doesn't wait in the mail queue.