Alabama Apostille
Alabama Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Alabama, for $5 per document. Pick the document and the country to see what it needs first and how to send it. This runs in your browser and stores nothing.
Alabama office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.
This runs in your browser. Nothing you pick is sent, saved or added to the page address.
Pick the state where the document was issued, recorded or notarized, not the state you live in.
Choose who issued the document, the kind of document and the country to see the steps.
Who issues apostilles in Alabama
Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Alabama come from Alabama Secretary of State (Authentication Division). Official page
Fees
- Apostille: $5 per document. (source)
- Certification (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $5 per document. (source)
How to send a request
- By mail (Montgomery): mail the submittal form and documents to the Authentication Division (source)
- In person (Montgomery): walk-in, Monday to Friday (the submittal form says 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM; the 2020 handbook says 8:00 am to 5:00 pm) (source)
- Request form: Authentication Submittal Form
- The request must name the country where the document will be used.
Processing time, as the office states it:
- The form asks you to allow five business days for mail time; it states no processing time. (source)
What Alabama needs first, by document
Birth, death or marriage certificate
- For an apostille, birth and death certificates must bear the signature of the current Alabama State Registrar. (source)
- For a non-Hague Certification, the certificate needs the signature and seal of a currently commissioned Alabama probate judge, circuit clerk or the current State Registrar. (source)
Court document (divorce decree, court order)
- For an Apostille, the document needs the signature and seal of a currently commissioned Alabama probate judge, notary public or the current State Registrar. (source)
- For a non-Hague Certification, the document needs the signature and seal of a currently commissioned Alabama probate judge, circuit clerk or the current State Registrar. (source)
Notarized document (power of attorney, affidavit, consent letter, translation)
School diploma or transcript
Other state-issued document (business certificate, state background check)
Alabama Secretary of State does not say on its page whether this kind of document needs a step first. Ask the office before you mail an original.
Countries outside the Apostille Convention
For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Alabama Secretary of State issues its Certification instead of an apostille. Then:
- For a country outside the Convention, send the state-certified document to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, with Form DS-4194 and the $20 fee per document. (source)
Last, the destination country’s embassy or consulate in the United States legalizes it; ask it about its own steps, fees and timing before you send anything.
What the office will not accept or handle
- Foreign-language documents without a notarized English translation. (source)
- Federal documents are not authenticated by the state; contact the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office. (source)
Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.
What this page does not do
- It does not file anything. Requests go to Alabama Secretary of State.
- It does not cover documents from another state or a federal agency; those go to their own office.
- It does not list embassy legalization rules for countries outside the Convention.
- It does not promise processing times; fees and forms change, so check the office's page before you send originals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I get an apostille in Alabama?
Alabama Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Alabama. The fee is $5 per document. Requests can be mailed to the office in Montgomery. The office also serves people in person; check its page for hours and any appointment rule before going.
How do I apostille a birth certificate from Alabama?
For an apostille, birth and death certificates must bear the signature of the current Alabama State Registrar. For a non-Hague Certification, the certificate needs the signature and seal of a currently commissioned Alabama probate judge, circuit clerk or the current State Registrar. Then send it to Alabama Secretary of State with the $5 fee, naming the destination country.
Does a document notarized in Alabama need a county clerk certification first?
Have the document notarized by a currently commissioned Alabama notary public. For a non-Hague Certification only: first get a county authentication of the notary's commission from the probate judge's office in the county where the notary is commissioned.
What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?
Alabama Secretary of State issues its certification instead of an apostille. Send it next to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (Form DS-4194, $20 per document); the destination country's embassy or consulate then legalizes it.
How do I get an apostille for an FBI background check?
An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document, so a state office cannot apostille it. The U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications handles it: send Form DS-4194, the document and the $20 fee per document. The form asks for the country where the document will be used.
Do I need a paid apostille service?
No. Every office on this page accepts requests directly from the public by mail, and some take them online. A service can only file the same request with the same office for you.
Sources
- Alabama Secretary of State: apostilles and authentications
- Authentication Submittal Form
- HCCH: Apostille Convention status table
- HCCH: United States competent authorities
Alabama office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.
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