Alaska Apostille

Alaska Office of the Lieutenant Governor apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Alaska, for $5 per certificate (one certificate per notary or official signature on a 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.

Alaska 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 Alaska

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Alaska come from Alaska Office of the Lieutenant Governor (Authentications Department). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $5 per certificate (one certificate per notary or official signature on a document). (source)
  • Certificate of Authority (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $5 per certificate. (source)
  • Optional: Alaska Vital Statistics charges this extra fee if you order authenticated vital records copies directly from it instead of sending certified copies to the Lt. Governor yourself: $12 (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Juneau): mail originals to the Authentications Department; include the word "Authentications" in the address (source)
  • In person (Juneau): call ahead to schedule an appointment (source)
  • Request form: Authentications Order Form
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • The office tries to return orders the same day it receives them, plus return mail time. (source)

What Alaska needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Send an official certified copy issued directly by Alaska's Vital Records office; court-issued copies from before 2005 generally cannot be authenticated. (source)
  • If your copy was not issued fairly recently, use the free screening service; if the signature cannot be authenticated you will need a freshly certified copy. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Send an official certified copy of the court document; it can be authenticated only if the court official's signature is on file. (source)
  • Ask the clerk to print their name below their signature, or attach a note naming the court official. (source)

Notarized document (power of attorney, affidavit, consent letter, translation)

  • Have the document notarized by a commissioned Alaska notary with the principal's signature, a notarial certificate, the notary's signature, the commission expiration date and a reproducible seal. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • Ask your school registrar to add a notarial certificate to its copy certification so you receive a notarized original. (source)

Other state-issued document (business certificate, state background check)

  • If the state official's signature is not already on file, the office must collect it before processing; screening your documents first can save time. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Alaska Office of the Lieutenant Governor issues its Certificate of Authority 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

  • Photocopies of signatures, including notarized photocopies of Alaska vital records. (source)
  • Orders that are not for legitimate foreign use. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

  • It does not file anything. Requests go to Alaska Office of the Lieutenant Governor.
  • 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 Alaska?

Alaska Office of the Lieutenant Governor issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Alaska. The fee is $5 per certificate (one certificate per notary or official signature on a document). Requests can be mailed to the office in Juneau. 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 Alaska?

Send an official certified copy issued directly by Alaska's Vital Records office; court-issued copies from before 2005 generally cannot be authenticated. If your copy was not issued fairly recently, use the free screening service; if the signature cannot be authenticated you will need a freshly certified copy. Then send it to Alaska Office of the Lieutenant Governor with the $5 fee, naming the destination country.

Does a document notarized in Alaska need a county clerk certification first?

Have the document notarized by a commissioned Alaska notary with the principal's signature, a notarial certificate, the notary's signature, the commission expiration date and a reproducible seal.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Alaska Office of the Lieutenant Governor issues its certificate of authority 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

Alaska office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

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