Kansas Apostille

Kansas Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Kansas, for $10 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.

Kansas 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 Kansas

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Kansas come from Kansas Secretary of State (Business Services Division). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $10 per document. (source)
  • Authentication (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $10 per document. (source)

How to send a request

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • Generally 3 to 5 business days from receipt. (source)
  • The fee rose to $10 per document on March 2, 2026. (source)
  • A Kansas apostille needs no further U.S. Department of State certification or embassy legalization for Hague countries; the Department of State does not apostille state-issued documents. (source)

What Kansas needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Get a certified copy of the Kansas birth, marriage or death certificate or divorce decree through the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • A Kansas court judgment can be certified only if the court official's signature is on file with the Secretary of State. (source)
  • Write the name of the court official (for example the court clerk or deputy clerk) in section 2 of Form DC. (source)

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

  • Have the document notarized by a Kansas notary; a foreign-language document is accepted if the notarization is in English. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • Diplomas from Kansas schools are accepted and may need to be notarized by a Kansas notary. (source)

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

  • Get the original or a certified copy from the agency or court that issued the document. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Kansas Secretary of State issues its Authentication 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

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

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

Kansas Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Kansas. The fee is $10 per document. Requests can be mailed to the office in Topeka. 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 Kansas?

Get a certified copy of the Kansas birth, marriage or death certificate or divorce decree through the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics. Then send it to Kansas Secretary of State with the $10 fee, naming the destination country.

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

Have the document notarized by a Kansas notary; a foreign-language document is accepted if the notarization is in English.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Kansas Secretary of State issues its authentication 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

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

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