California Apostille

California Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in California, for $20 per Apostille. 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.

California 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 California

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in California come from California Secretary of State (Notary Public & Apostille). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $20 per Apostille. (source)
  • California issues one certificate for every country, in or outside the Apostille Convention.
  • Special handling fee for in-person requests only, per different public official's signature (not charged on mail requests): $6 (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Sacramento): mail requests are processed by the Sacramento office only (source)
  • In person (Sacramento; Los Angeles): same-day counter service in Sacramento and Los Angeles, no appointments; periodic Pop-Up Shops; the Los Angeles office does not accept cash (source)
  • Request form: Apostille Mail Request Cover Sheet
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • Documents are processed in the order the office receives them. (source)
  • Same-day service is available in person at the Sacramento and Los Angeles offices and at Pop-Up Shops. (source)
  • The Los Angeles office is temporarily serving customers on the 1st floor, suite 1215, because of an elevator outage. (source)

What California needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Birth and death certificates can be apostilled when signed by a county clerk, a county recorder or the State Registrar (California Department of Public Health), or their deputies. (source)
  • If a city or county Health Officer or local registrar signed your certificate, you may first need to have it certified by the county clerk in the issuing county, or get a certified copy from the county recorder or the California Department of Public Health. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

California 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.

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

  • Have the document notarized before you submit it; the Secretary of State does not notarize. (source)

School diploma or transcript

California 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.

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

  • Send the original document signed by a California public official, or an original notarized or certified document. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

California issues one certificate for every country, in or outside the Apostille Convention.

  • 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. (source)
  • Documents for use in Puerto Rico, Guam or another U.S. territory. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

  • It does not file anything. Requests go to California 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 California?

California Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in California. The fee is $20 per Apostille. Requests can be mailed to the office in Sacramento. 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 California?

Birth and death certificates can be apostilled when signed by a county clerk, a county recorder or the State Registrar (California Department of Public Health), or their deputies. If a city or county Health Officer or local registrar signed your certificate, you may first need to have it certified by the county clerk in the issuing county, or get a certified copy from the county recorder or the California Department of Public Health. Then send it to California Secretary of State with the $20 fee, naming the destination country.

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

Have the document notarized before you submit it; the Secretary of State does not notarize.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

California issues one certificate for every destination, in or outside the Convention. For a country outside the Convention, send that certificate to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications (Form DS-4194, $20 per document), and then to the country's embassy or consulate for legalization.

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

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

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