California has one office for apostilles: the Secretary of State, through its Notary Public Section. That makes California different from states where the business filing office issues them. A company document and a personal document go to the same place.
Business filings, search and contacts are in the California office guide. For what an apostille is and which countries accept one, see our apostille guide.
How much does a California apostille cost?
Each apostille is $20.00. When you go to a counter, add a $6.00 special handling fee for each different public official's signature on your documents. Two documents signed by the same county clerk carry one handling fee, and two documents signed by different officials carry two.
| Who issues it | California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section (sos.ca.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Fee per document | $20.00 per apostille, plus $6.00 special handling in person (sos.ca.gov, checked ) |
| How to submit | By mail to Sacramento, or in person in Sacramento and Los Angeles (sos.ca.gov, checked ) |
| Turnaround | Same day in person; mail is processed in order received (sos.ca.gov, checked ) |
| Documents it covers | Documents signed by a California public official or original notarized or certified papers (sos.ca.gov, checked ) |
| Hague and non-Hague countries | One apostille for any destination country (sos.ca.gov, checked ) |
| Where to send it | Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento (sos.ca.gov, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | The special handling fee does not apply to mail requests (sos.ca.gov, checked ) |
The office takes a check or money order made out to Secretary of State. At the counters it also accepts credit cards, and the Sacramento counter takes cash. The Los Angeles office does not accept cash.
How do you request one by mail?
Mail requests are processed in Sacramento only. You send four things:
- The document that needs the apostille. It must carry the signature of a California public official, or be an original notarized or certified paper.
- A cover sheet that names the country where the document will be used. The office has a form, or you can write your own with the country, your return address and your contact details.
- A check or money order for $20.00 for each apostille.
- A self-addressed envelope for the return. Add prepaid postage if you want tracking.
Post it to the Notary Public Section at PO Box 942877 in Sacramento. Private carriers use the street address on 11th Street. The office cannot speed up a mailed request, so a prepaid overnight label only saves transit time.
How does in person service work?
Sacramento and Los Angeles both offer same day service. In Sacramento the public counter is on the third floor of the 11th Street building. Los Angeles is on South Spring Street, and you take a number when you arrive.
The office also runs pop-up shops with local county offices, and it posts the dates on its Request an Apostille page. Bring the original document, the cover sheet, and payment for the apostille fee plus handling.
What do you need before you go?
Get the right kind of document first. A birth or death certificate must be signed by a county clerk, a county recorder or the State Registrar. If it was signed by a local health officer or registrar, have it certified by the county clerk, or order a certified copy from the county recorder or the State Department of Public Health.
For company papers, ask the Secretary of State's business office for a certified copy or a Certificate of Status, then send that for the apostille. The California office does not notarize anything, so get any notarization done before you submit. English notarization is needed, though the rest of the document can be in another language. It also does not translate.
What the apostille does and does not prove
An apostille confirms the signature of the public official, the capacity in which they acted, and the seal or stamp. It does not confirm that the content is true. If you want help with the paperwork, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can send it to the Secretary of State yourself.
Sources
- www.sos.ca.gov/contact-information: office name, officeholder, phone, contact page, hours. Checked .
- www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities: division, street address, business search, name check, name reservation form, online filing. Checked .
- bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/be-fee-schedule-062018.pdf: mailing address, name reservation fee, LLC filing fee, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, foreign LLC fee, report fee, expedite fees, good standing certificate, certificate fee. Checked .
- www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/cbs-search-tips: search fields, search tips. Checked .
- www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/cbs-field-status-definitions: search disclaimer, status terms. Checked .
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=CORP&division=&title=2.6.&part=&chapter=&article=1: LLC name endings, restricted words, name rule. Checked .
- www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/name-reservations: name reservation term. Checked .
- www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/faqs/: report due date, late penalty, certificate ordering, registered agent rule. Checked .
- www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/processing-dates/: processing time. Checked .
- www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/faqs: assumed names (DBA). Checked .
- www.sos.ca.gov/notary/request-apostille: who issues it, how to submit, turnaround, documents it covers, where to send it. Checked .
- www.sos.ca.gov/notary/apostille-faqs: fee per document, hague and non-hague countries, worth knowing. Checked .