Mississippi Apostille

Mississippi Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Mississippi, 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.

Mississippi 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 Mississippi

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Mississippi come from Mississippi Secretary of State (Notary Division (Notary / Apostille / Authentication)). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $5 per document. (source)
  • Authentication (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $5 for each copy (the request form covers both Apostille and Authentication). (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Jackson): mail the original documents with the request form and a check or money order payable to Secretary of State; FedEx and UPS go to the physical address with a prepaid return envelope (source)
  • Request form: Form 11 Request for Apostille / Certification
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

What Mississippi needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Send a copy certified by the issuing government agency; a notary who does not work for that agency cannot certify a copy of a birth or death certificate. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

Mississippi 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 by a Mississippi notary public. (source)

School diploma or transcript

Mississippi 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)

Mississippi 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.

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Mississippi 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

  • Copies of a birth or death certificate, driver's license, passport or Social Security card certified by a notary who does not work for the issuing agency. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

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

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

How do I apostille a birth certificate from Mississippi?

Send a copy certified by the issuing government agency; a notary who does not work for that agency cannot certify a copy of a birth or death certificate. Then send it to Mississippi Secretary of State with the $5 fee, naming the destination country.

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

Have the document notarized by a Mississippi notary public.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Mississippi 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

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

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