In Colorado, apostilles come from the Secretary of State, at the same Denver office that files business records. The state calls the program apostilles and authentications. Business records and the apostille desk sit under one roof, but the work is separate. See the Colorado office guide for the rest of that office.
The key facts are short. The fee is $5.00 per document. Expedited walk in service is $15.00. And everything is done on paper. Our apostille guide explains the apostille idea for all states.
When do you need a Colorado apostille?
You need one when a document will be used in a foreign country, and that country wants proof that the signature on it is real. The office certifies the signature of the notary or public official and the capacity in which that person signed.
For a company, the common cases are a certified copy of formation papers or a Certificate of Good Standing that a foreign bank or registry wants to see. Our Colorado good standing guide shows how to get the underlying certificate, which is free.
How much does a Colorado apostille cost?
| Who issues it | Colorado Secretary of State, Authentications Program (sos.state.co.us, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Fee per document | $5.00 routine, $15.00 expedited, per document (sos.state.co.us, checked ) |
| How to submit | Bring the document to the office or mail it. No online apostilles. (sos.state.co.us, checked ) |
| Turnaround | Expedited service for documents hand delivered before 4:30 PM (sos.state.co.us, checked ) |
| Documents it covers | Documents with a Colorado notary signature, or certified by Colorado Vital Records or a county clerk (sos.state.co.us, checked ) |
| Hague and non-Hague countries | One combined certificate since April 2, 2018. For Hague countries it serves as an apostille. (sos.state.co.us, checked ) |
| Request page | sos.state.co.us/pubs/apostilles/general.html (sos.state.co.us, checked ) |
| Where to send it | 1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290 (sos.state.co.us, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | No credit cards for authentications. Pay by check or money order. (sos.state.co.us, checked ) |
The charge applies to each document. A routine request is $5.00. An expedited request is $15.00. Pay with a check or money order made out to the Colorado Secretary of State. The office does not accept credit cards for authentications.
What does Colorado apostille?
The original document has to carry at least one of three things: a Colorado notary public signature, certification by Colorado Vital Records, or certification by a county clerk's office in Colorado.
Out of state documents are a problem. The office cannot authenticate them. A Colorado notary can make a certified copy of a government document issued elsewhere, and that copy can then be authenticated.
How to submit your request
- Get the document notarized in Colorado, or certified by Vital Records or the county.
- Fill in the apostilles and authentications request form.
- Add a check or money order for the fee.
- Bring everything to the Denver office, or mail it to the address on the form.
A properly notarized document has original signatures, with no stamps or photocopies, and no blanks left open. The notary statement has to show the state, the county and the date, and it must be in English. The office will review a PDF of your document before you submit it if you send one to its authentications mailbox.
How long does it take?
There are three speeds. Mailed documents are processed in the order received, and the office routes mail through a state distribution center first. Drop off documents are worked in order too, and the office tells you by email or phone when they are ready. Expedited service is for documents hand delivered before 4:30 PM, and the office tries to finish them while you wait.
Nothing is processed on weekends or holidays. When there is a backlog, you may be asked to return for the document.
Hague and non Hague countries
Colorado issues one combined certificate. If the destination country belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention, that certificate acts as an apostille. If it does not, the same certificate serves as an authentication, and that country's own rules decide what else it needs. The office points to a list of countries that issue and accept apostilles.
If you would like help with the paperwork, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can send the request to the state yourself.
Sources
- www.sos.state.co.us/biz/BusinessEntityCriteriaExt.do?resetTransTyp=Y: business search. Checked .
- www.coloradosos.gov/biz/FileDocNameAvailCriteria.do?transTyp=CERT_LP: name check. Checked .
- www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/info_center/fees/business.html: LLC filing fee, report fee. Checked .
- www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/business/FAQs/reports.html: report due date, status terms. Checked .
- www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/business/fileAForm.html: online filing. Checked .
- www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/business/FAQs/certGoodStanding.html: good standing certificate, certificate fee, certificate ordering. Checked .
- www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/apostilles/general.html: who issues it, how to submit, turnaround, documents it covers, hague and non-hague countries, request page, where to send it, worth knowing. Checked .
- www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/info_center/fees/business.html: fee per document. Checked .