Maine Apostille

Maine Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Maine, for $10 per special certification. 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.

Maine 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 Maine

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

Fees

  • Apostille: $10 per special certification. (source)
  • Authentication (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $10 per special certification (same fee for apostilles and authentications). (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Augusta): mail the request form, the documents and the fee to the Secretary of State in Augusta (source)
  • Request form: Apostille/Authentication Request
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • Processing takes 10 to 15 business days. (source)
  • Call 207-624-7752 to make an appointment before submitting a request with more than 5 documents. (source)

What Maine needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Order the certified birth, marriage, divorce or death record from Maine DHHS; when ordering by mail, ask them to forward it to the Secretary of State's office. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Divorce records issued by Maine court officials can be certified like other vital records; the office does not describe other court records. (source)

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

  • Make sure the Maine notary's notarial statement (a jurat or an acknowledgment) is on or attached to the document; a missing statement is the most common reason for rejection. (source)

School diploma or transcript

Maine 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)

  • The office certifies officials whose oath of office it keeps on file, such as commissioners, board members, Dedimus Justices, legislators, constitutional officers and certain county offices. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Maine 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.

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

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

Maine Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Maine. The fee is $10 per special certification. Requests can be mailed to the office in Augusta.

How do I apostille a birth certificate from Maine?

Order the certified birth, marriage, divorce or death record from Maine DHHS; when ordering by mail, ask them to forward it to the Secretary of State's office. Then send it to Maine Secretary of State with the $10 fee, naming the destination country.

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

Make sure the Maine notary's notarial statement (a jurat or an acknowledgment) is on or attached to the document; a missing statement is the most common reason for rejection.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Maine 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

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

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