Maryland Apostille

Maryland Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Maryland, for $5 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.

Maryland 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 Maryland

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Maryland come from Maryland Secretary of State (Certification Desk). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $5 per document. (source)
  • standard certification (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $5 each (same fee as an apostille). (source)

How to send a request

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • Documents sent by FedEx or UPS take around 3 to 4 days. (source)
  • USPS Priority Mail takes at most 3 to 4 days of processing. (source)
  • Regular mail takes 7 to 14 business days. (source)
  • The page banner says walk-ins are not available at this time, while the text below it says the desk is open for walk-ins until 1 pm; call 410-974-5521 before going. (source)
  • The office says it will move to mail-only service once building construction begins; mail is the dependable channel. (source)
  • Questions go to the Certification Desk at 410-974-5521. (source)

What Maryland needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Send the birth, death or marriage certificate bearing the seal and authorized signature of the issuing state or county office directly to the Secretary of State. (source)
  • If your copy is not a current one, call 410-974-5521 first to confirm the office can authenticate it. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Send the divorce decree bearing the seal and authorized signature of the issuing office directly to the Secretary of State; other court records are not described. (source)

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

  • Take the notarized document to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the notary was commissioned (shown on the notary's seal) for certification first. (source)
  • If the clerk who certified it is not the current Circuit Court clerk, call 410-974-5521 to confirm the office can authenticate it. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • Get the record from the school (often in a sealed envelope) and take it unopened to a notary, who opens it and notarizes the school record. (source)
  • Then have the Clerk of the Circuit Court where the notary is commissioned certify that the notary is in good standing. (source)

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

  • Send state documents such as a motor vehicle ownership certification or a criminal records status certification, bearing the issuing department's seal and authorized signature, directly to the Secretary of State. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Maryland Secretary of State issues its standard certification instead of an apostille. Then:

  • For a country outside the Hague Convention, send the document with its Maryland certificate to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, and then to the country's embassy. (source)
  • 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

  • Naturalization and immigration documents cannot be notarized, whether originals or copies. (source)
  • Federal documents such as FBI background checks, USCIS documents and births-abroad certificates go directly to the U.S. Department of State. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

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

Maryland Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Maryland. The fee is $5 per document. Requests can be mailed to the office in Annapolis.

How do I apostille a birth certificate from Maryland?

Send the birth, death or marriage certificate bearing the seal and authorized signature of the issuing state or county office directly to the Secretary of State. If your copy is not a current one, call 410-974-5521 first to confirm the office can authenticate it. Then send it to Maryland Secretary of State with the $5 fee, naming the destination country.

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

Yes. Take the notarized document to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the notary was commissioned (shown on the notary's seal) for certification first. If the clerk who certified it is not the current Circuit Court clerk, call 410-974-5521 to confirm the office can authenticate it.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Maryland Secretary of State issues its standard certification 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

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

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