Louisiana Apostille

Louisiana Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Louisiana, for $20 per document ($10 if the document relates to an adoption). 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.

Louisiana 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 Louisiana

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Louisiana come from Louisiana Secretary of State (Commissions Division). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $20 per document ($10 if the document relates to an adoption). (source)
  • Certificate of Authentication (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $20 per document (the request form charges $20 for all non-adoption documents). (source)
  • Reduced fee per document when the content relates to an adoption (the office may ask for proof): $10 (source)
  • Additional state fee when paying by credit card: $5 (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Baton Rouge): mail the original, a written request naming the destination country (the request form covers this), payment and a prepaid return envelope or label (source)
  • In person (Baton Rouge): walk-in, Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except state holidays and office closures (source)
  • Request form: Authentication Request Form
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • The request form says to allow two to three business days for processing. (source)

What Louisiana needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Send the original certified copy from the Louisiana Department of Vital Records; it does not need to be notarized, and photocopies are not accepted. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Send the original document issued by the Louisiana clerk of court; it does not need to be notarized, and photocopies are not accepted. (source)

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

  • Use a Louisiana notary whose printed name and notary ID number appear beneath the signature; the notarization must comply with Louisiana notary law. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • Official transcripts and diplomas signed by a registrar, president or dean of a Louisiana state-accredited university can be sent as issued. (source)
  • A document not signed by an official on record with the Secretary of State must be notarized by a Louisiana notary first. (source)

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

  • Business documents on file with the Commercial Division go by a separate written request to that division, by mail or fax. (source)
  • The Commercial Division charges $20 to authenticate a Louisiana business document. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Louisiana Secretary of State issues its Certificate of 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

  • Documents intended for use within the United States. (source)
  • Photocopies of clerk of court or vital records documents. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

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

Louisiana Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Louisiana. The fee is $20 per document ($10 if the document relates to an adoption). Requests can be mailed to the office in Baton Rouge. 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 Louisiana?

Send the original certified copy from the Louisiana Department of Vital Records; it does not need to be notarized, and photocopies are not accepted. Then send it to Louisiana Secretary of State with the $20 fee, naming the destination country.

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

Use a Louisiana notary whose printed name and notary ID number appear beneath the signature; the notarization must comply with Louisiana notary law.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Louisiana Secretary of State issues its certificate of 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

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

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