North Carolina Apostille

North Carolina Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in North Carolina, for $10 per original 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.

North Carolina 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 North Carolina

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in North Carolina come from North Carolina Secretary of State (Authentications Division). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $10 per original document. (source)
  • Authentication or Authority certificate (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $10 per document (same fee as an apostille). (source)
  • Adoption-related: each duplicate original ordered at the same time as the first original: $5 (source)
  • Non-adoption: each duplicate original: $10 (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Raleigh): mail the cover letter, a money order or check payable to the North Carolina Secretary of State, the original documents with their certifications and a prepaid return envelope or carrier label (source)
  • In person (Raleigh): hand delivery without an appointment, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (source)
  • Request form: NC Authentication Office Cover Letter (English/Spanish)
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • Mailed-in documents generally take five business days longer than hand-delivered ones; the office posts current turnaround times on its front page. (source)

What North Carolina needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Get the birth, marriage or death certificate from North Carolina Vital Records; documents from NC Vital Records do not need to be notarized. (source)
  • North Carolina agency documents must carry a certification dated on or after April 1, 2000. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Send the document certified by the Clerk of Superior Court (or Register of Deeds); it does not need to be notarized. (source)

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

  • Sign the document in front of a North Carolina notary, or get a certified copy notarized by the issuing entity. (source)
  • For a copy of a North Carolina document, you can use a True Copy affidavit and have your signature on it notarized. (source)
  • A document in another language needs a certified or notarized English translation. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • Have transcripts, report cards or diplomas from a North Carolina school notarized by a North Carolina notary; a registrar's school seal alone is not accepted. (source)

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

  • Documents from the NC Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, DMV (Raleigh office only), Attorney General's Office and Legislative Services do not need to be notarized. (source)
  • Certified copies of North Carolina General Statutes come from the Reviser of Statutes. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, North Carolina Secretary of State issues its Authentication or Authority certificate instead of an apostille. Then:

  • For a country outside the Hague Convention, the document must then be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State. (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

  • Copies of a document without a notarized True Copy affidavit. (source)
  • Courier return to an address outside the United States. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

  • It does not file anything. Requests go to North Carolina 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 North Carolina?

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

Get the birth, marriage or death certificate from North Carolina Vital Records; documents from NC Vital Records do not need to be notarized. North Carolina agency documents must carry a certification dated on or after April 1, 2000. Then send it to North Carolina Secretary of State with the $10 fee, naming the destination country.

Does a document notarized in North Carolina need a county clerk certification first?

Sign the document in front of a North Carolina notary, or get a certified copy notarized by the issuing entity. For a copy of a North Carolina document, you can use a True Copy affidavit and have your signature on it notarized. A document in another language needs a certified or notarized English translation.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

North Carolina Secretary of State issues its authentication or authority certificate 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

North Carolina office checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

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