You need an apostille when a foreign bank, court, government or business wants proof that a US document is genuine. Typical papers are a certificate of good standing, articles of organization, a notarized power of attorney or a birth certificate.
The apostille does not vouch for what the document says. It confirms the signature, the capacity of the person who signed and any seal. That is the meaning set out by the Hague Conference on Private International Law, which describes one certificate issued by a competent authority in the place where the document originates.
Which state office issues an apostille?
For a document issued or notarized in a state, a state office issues it. In most states that is the Secretary of State. Check the state page, because the office, the fee and the submission methods all differ.
| State | Who issues it | Fee per document | How to submit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Arizona Secretary of State, Apostille Dept., Phoenix | $3 per document | By mail, or in person in Phoenix or Tucson; no electronic apostilles |
| California | California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section | $20.00 per apostille, plus $6.00 special handling in person | By mail to Sacramento, or in person in Sacramento and Los Angeles |
| Colorado | Colorado Secretary of State, Authentications Program | $5.00 routine, $15.00 expedited, per document | Bring the document to the office or mail it. No online apostilles. |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Secretary of the State, Authentications and Apostilles unit | $40.00 per document; $15.00 for child adoption documents; expedited adds $50.00 | Order online and create an account. E-apostilles are uploaded; paper apostilles are mailed or delivered |
| District of Columbia | Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications (ONCA), Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia | $15 per document | Mail in service, or walk in service with no appointment, 9 am to 1 pm Monday to Friday |
| Florida | Division of Corporations, Florida Department of State | $10.00 per document, or $20.00 for county clerk certified documents | By mail with the request form, the original document and a prepaid return envelope |
| Georgia | Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA), Notary Division | $3.00 per document | Walk in 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, no appointment, or send by mail |
| Illinois | Illinois Secretary of State, Index Department | $2 for each apostille or certificate, one separate certificate per document | By mail, or in person at the Chicago office, Springfield office or selected DMV+ locations |
| Iowa | Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Des Moines | $5.00 per apostille or certification | Same-day walk-in, mail, or upload through Fast Track Filing |
| Maryland | Maryland Secretary of State, Certification Desk, Annapolis, 410-974-5521 | $5.00 per document | By mail or in person at the Certification Desk |
| Massachusetts | Secretary of the Commonwealth, Commissions Section, Boston | $6.00 per document | Walk-in at Boston, Springfield or Fall River |
| Michigan | Michigan Department of State, Office of the Great Seal, Lansing | $1.00 per document | By mail or by office visit; not online and not at a self-service station |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services | $5.00 per apostille certificate | By mail, or in person by appointment only. No walk-ins. |
| Nevada | Nevada Secretary of State | $20.00 per apostille or certification, plus any expedite fee | By mail to Carson City, at the Las Vegas dropbox, or at the Carson City counter |
| New York | NY Department of State, Division of Licensing Services, Apostille and Authentication Unit | $10 per document | By mail, or walk in at New York City, Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo or Utica |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Secretary of State, Authentication Office, Raleigh | $10.00 per original; $10.00 per duplicate original | By mail or hand delivery; no appointments, no online requests |
| Ohio | Ohio Secretary of State, records section | $5.00 listed for the Authentication/Apostille Request Form | Mail the request to the address on the form, or file in person at the Client Service Center |
| Oregon | Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division, in Salem | $10 for each apostille | Send the original notarized document with the Request for Authentication form, using the office delivery options |
| Pennsylvania | Department of State, Office of Notaries, Commissions and Legislation, not the business bureau | $15.00 per certificate issued | By mail, or walk in at the Harrisburg office, first come first served |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Secretary of State, Authentications office, Columbia | $5.00 per document | Mail, UPS or FedEx, or hand delivery |
| Texas | Texas Secretary of State, Authentications Unit, Austin | $15 per document, not per page | Appointment Tuesday to Thursday, walk-in Monday and Friday, or mail |
| Utah | Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Salt Lake City | $20 in person same day, $5 by mail, $5 for each extra same-signer document | Appointment in person, mail-in, or digital delivery |
| Virginia | Secretary of the Commonwealth, Authentication Division, Richmond | $10.00 for the first document, $5.00 for each additional one in the same set | By mail, or by appointment booked online on Fridays at 10:00 AM, up to 10 documents |
| Washington | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities, Olympia | $15.00 per document for standard processing | By mail, or same day in person at Tumwater or Cheney for an extra $150 (first 10 documents) |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) | $10 per document standard, $35 per document expedited | Mail the document, a request form and payment; online payment form available |
What do you do before you request one?
- Confirm the destination country is in the Apostille Convention.
- Get the right document. For a company, that is often a certified copy of the formation document or a certificate of good standing.
- Check that the document is signed or certified the way the state office requires.
- Fill in the state's request form or online request.
- Pay the fee the office publishes, and keep any tracking number.
What does an apostille cost?
Each state sets a fee per document. The state pages show the amount only when we confirmed it on an official page. Fees for the certificate of good standing or certified copy are separate, and a courier or notary costs extra.
How long does it take?
Turnaround depends on the office and on how you submit. Some offices publish timeframes for mail and walk-in service. Others do not. If a state page shows no turnaround, ask the office.
Can someone get it for you?
A private service can collect documents and send requests. You can ask our private filing service about good standing certificates and document requests. It is a private service, state fees are separate and you can always apply at the state office yourself.
Sources
The meaning of an apostille comes from the Hague Conference page linked above. State offices, fees and methods come from each state's own pages.