South Dakota Apostille

South Dakota Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in South Dakota, for $25 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.

South 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 South Dakota

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in South Dakota come from South Dakota Secretary of State (Apostille Office). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $25 per document. (source)
  • Certificate of Authentication (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $25 per document (one request form and fee for both). (source)
  • Expedited service appointment (up to 10 documents), added to the processing fee: $50 (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Pierre): mail the original certified or notarized documents, the request form, the $25 fee (check, money order, cash or card on a U.S. bank) and a prepaid return envelope to the Apostille Office; documents cannot be emailed or faxed (source)
  • In person (Pierre): drop-off and pick-up at the Capitol, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; expedited service by appointment only (no walk-in appointments) (source)
  • Request form: Apostille / Certificate of Authentication Request
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • Mailed requests are processed within 2 business days of receipt. (source)
  • Most drop-off orders are completed within 1 to 2 business days. (source)
  • Expedited appointments: the office tries to process while you wait, but it may take longer. (source)
  • Without a prepaid return envelope, documents come back by standard USPS mail (not trackable), and only to a U.S. address. (source)

What South Dakota needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Request a certified copy from any county Register of Deeds or the South Dakota Department of Health Vital Records. (source)
  • The copy must carry the raised or stamped seal of the vital records office; a notary cannot certify a vital record as a true copy. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Get an original or certified copy of the judgment or decree with the court's raised or stamped seal; a notary cannot certify court documents. (source)

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

  • Have the document properly notarized by a South Dakota notary public; no county step is named. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • Diplomas and transcripts must be certified and notarized by a South Dakota notary; the office offers a sample certified copy template. (source)

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

  • Business documents filed with the Secretary of State go in as originals or certified copies with original seals and signatures. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, South Dakota Secretary of State issues its Certificate of 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, unless they are true certified copies from a notary public. (source)
  • Documents for use in the USA; the office only processes documents for foreign countries. (source)
  • DHL shipments, in or out. (source)
  • South Dakota cannot authenticate documents issued by other states or the federal government; federal documents go 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 South 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 South Dakota?

South Dakota Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in South Dakota. The fee is $25 per document. Requests can be mailed to the office in Pierre. 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 South Dakota?

Request a certified copy from any county Register of Deeds or the South Dakota Department of Health Vital Records. The copy must carry the raised or stamped seal of the vital records office; a notary cannot certify a vital record as a true copy. Then send it to South Dakota Secretary of State with the $25 fee, naming the destination country.

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

Have the document properly notarized by a South Dakota notary public; no county step is named.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

South Dakota Secretary of State issues its certificate of 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

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

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