North Dakota Apostille

North Dakota Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in North Dakota, for $10 per authentication, plus a $5 record search fee per unique notary signature. 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 Dakota 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 Dakota

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in North Dakota come from North Dakota Secretary of State (Licensing and Notary team (Notary Unit)). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $10 per authentication, plus a $5 record search fee per unique notary signature. (source)
  • Certification (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $10 per authentication (one fee line covers apostilles and certifications). (source)
  • Record search fee, charged once for each unique notary signature (two documents by the same notary: one $5 search): $5 (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Bismarck): mail the original documents, a letter naming the destination country and the fee to the Secretary of State; a prepaid shipping label gets faster return than first-class mail (source)
  • In person (Bismarck): visit during business hours with no appointment needed, or book a time online with the Licensing and Notary team (source)
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • Requests are usually processed within 3 business days when the information and payment are complete. (source)
  • You can email your documents to sosnotary@nd.gov for a review before mailing the originals. (source)

What North Dakota needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Get a certified copy of the certificate from the appropriate North Dakota office and send that. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Get a certified copy of the judgment or decree from the appropriate North Dakota office and send that. (source)

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

  • Have the document notarized by a North Dakota notary public and send the original; the page names no county step. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • Prepare an original acknowledgment page listing the attached copies (transcript, diploma or official letter), signed by the principal or an official with the same authority before a notary. (source)
  • Staple the acknowledgment to the copies of the school documents. (source)

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

  • Get a certified copy of the business or agency document from the appropriate North Dakota office and send that. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, North Dakota Secretary of State issues its Certification instead of an apostille. Then:

  • A country outside the Apostille Convention may require more authentication beyond the Secretary of State's certification. (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.

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

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

North Dakota Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in North Dakota. The fee is $10 per authentication, plus a $5 record search fee per unique notary signature. Requests can be mailed to the office in Bismarck. 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 Dakota?

Get a certified copy of the certificate from the appropriate North Dakota office and send that. Then send it to North Dakota Secretary of State with the $10 fee, naming the destination country.

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

Have the document notarized by a North Dakota notary public and send the original; the page names no county step.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

North Dakota Secretary of State issues its 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

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

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