Minnesota keeps apostilles in the same office that files businesses. The Minnesota Secretary of State, through Business Services in St. Paul, issues them. The Minnesota office guide covers the business side of that office.
The fee is $5.00 for each apostille. Our apostille guide explains the idea in general, and this page covers what is particular to Minnesota.
What does a Minnesota apostille do?
An apostille authenticates the signature of a public official or a notary on a document that will be used in another country. It confirms who signed and in what capacity, and the seal or stamp when there is one. It does not vouch for what the document says.
The certificate is black and white, stamped and stapled to your document. Each one has a unique file number and issue date, and apostilles issued since May 15, 2018 can be verified on the state's verification site.
| Who issues it | Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services (sos.mn.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Fee per document | $5.00 per apostille certificate (sos.mn.gov, checked ) |
| How to submit | By mail, or in person by appointment only. No walk-ins. (sos.mn.gov, checked ) |
| Turnaround | Processed in the order received. No standard time is published. (sos.mn.gov, checked ) |
| Documents it covers | Certified Minnesota records and notarized documents, including certified copies of business filings (sos.mn.gov, checked ) |
| Hague and non-Hague countries | One apostille is issued for any foreign country, Hague member or not (sos.mn.gov, checked ) |
| Request page | sos.mn.gov/notary-apostille/apostille-authentication (sos.mn.gov, checked ) |
| Where to send it | First National Bank Building, 332 Minnesota Street, Suite N201, Saint Paul, MN 55101 (sos.mn.gov, checked ) |
| Worth knowing | Up to 10 documents per appointment. Larger batches go by mail or drop off. (sos.mn.gov, checked ) |
Which documents does Minnesota accept?
Two groups. Certified originals need no notarization. These include birth and death records certified by the Department of Health, marriage records certified by the county, divorce decrees and judgments from the county, and certified copies of business records from the Secretary of State.
Notarized documents are the other group. Personal papers such as affidavits and powers of attorney must be notarized by a Minnesota notary. School transcripts and diplomas must be notarized too. A school registrar's signature and seal alone are not accepted.
For business documents, order a certified copy from the Secretary of State first. Our certificate of good standing guide covers the certificate many foreign buyers ask for.
How do you get one by mail?
Send the original certified or notarized documents, the fee and the completed Authentication Request Form, or a letter, to the Business Services address in St. Paul shown in the table. Make the check or money order payable to the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Your documents come back to the address on the form unless you say otherwise. Regular U.S. mail return is free. You may enclose a prepaid FedEx, USPS Priority Mail or UPS label if you want tracking.
How do appointments work?
Walk-ins are not allowed. Schedule through the Microsoft Bookings page or by phone, and show up with the original documents. Appointments open fourteen days ahead, with room for up to 10 documents each.
The office is in the First National Bank Building in St. Paul. The building is one block from the Green Line Central stop, and the parking ramp is entered from Fifth Street East.
What about Hague and non-Hague countries?
Minnesota issues a single apostille for use outside the United States, regardless of the Hague Convention. That is a simpler rule than in states that issue two different certificates.
Still, ask the receiving party what it wants. The Minnesota office suggests contacting the embassy or consulate of the destination country if you are unsure of your options.
If you want the work done for you, you can ask our private filing service. State fees are separate, and you can send the request to the Secretary of State yourself.
Sources
- www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens/: office name. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/media/5126/business-bulk-order-implementation-guide-and-record-layout.pdf: division, street address, contact page. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/media/1dxf5p2g/executive-offices-2025.pdf: officeholder, officeholder party. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/media/5124/bulkrequestcorp_commercialusers.pdf: mailing address, phone, hours. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens/business-help/how-to-search-business-filings/: business search, search fields, status terms, search tips. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/name: name check. Checked .
- www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/322C.0108: LLC name endings, restricted words, name rule. Checked .
- www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/302A.115: corporation name endings. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/media/1687/businessentityfees.pdf: name reservation fee, LLC filing fee, corporation filing fee, nonprofit filing fee, foreign LLC fee, report fee, late penalty, good standing certificate, certificate fee. Checked .
- www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/302A.117: name reservation term. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/media/1395/namereservation.pdf: name reservation form. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens/renewals/: report due date. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens/business-filing-and-certification-fee-schedule/: expedite fees. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens/business-help/online-filing-system-requirements/: online filing. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens/business-help/how-to-order-copies-of-filings-certificates/: processing time. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/media/4817/how-to-order-copies.pdf: certificate ordering. Checked .
- www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/5.36: registered agent rule. Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens/business-forms-fees/assumed-namedba/: assumed names (DBA). Checked .
- www.sos.mn.gov/notary-apostille/apostille-authentication/: who issues it, fee per document, how to submit, turnaround, documents it covers, hague and non-hague countries, request page, where to send it, worth knowing. Checked .