Wisconsin Apostille

Wisconsin Secretary of State apostilles documents issued, recorded or notarized in Wisconsin, for $10 per document, standard service ($35 per document expedited). 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.

Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin

Apostilles and authentication certificates for documents issued in Wisconsin come from Wisconsin Secretary of State (Apostilles and Authentications, State Capitol). Official page

Fees

  • Apostille: $10 per document, standard service ($35 per document expedited). (source)
  • Authentication (for countries outside the Apostille Convention): $10 per document, standard (same requirements and fees as an apostille). (source)
  • Expedited service, charged instead of the $10 standard fee (a $25 expedite fee on top of $10): $35 (source)

How to send a request

  • By mail (Madison): start the order and pay in the online portal (or use the paper order form, one per country), then mail the documents with a prepaid return envelope or label to the Secretary of State's P.O. box; the office does not ship DHL (source)
  • In person (Madison): walk-in at the Secretary of State's office on the basement level of the State Capitol; expedited walk-in service is generally same day (source)
  • Online: begin the order and pay online through the state's online services portal (MyWisconsinID login); the documents must still be mailed or delivered, and orders are cancelled if documents do not arrive within 60 days (source)
  • Request form: Apostille/Authentication order form (one per destination country) or the online order portal
  • The request must name the country where the document will be used.

Processing time, as the office states it:

  • How-to page: standard service takes an estimated 7 to 20 days from receipt; expedited takes 2 to 4 business days. (source)
  • FAQ page: expedited service takes 1 to 3 business days (standard 7 to 20 business days). (source)
  • Walk-in expedited service is generally available the same day. (source)
  • Wisconsin has a second apostille office: the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) also issues apostilles for Hague countries, but only the Secretary of State issues authentications for other countries. (source)
  • Online orders are cancelled if the documents do not reach the office within 60 days. (source)

What Wisconsin needs first, by document

Birth, death or marriage certificate

  • Send the certified Wisconsin vital record itself; do not alter, copy or notarize it, because copies cannot be processed. (source)

Court document (divorce decree, court order)

  • Send the document certified by the Wisconsin court official; the office accepts documents from certain court officials but does not list which. (source)

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

  • Have it fully notarized by a commissioned Wisconsin notary with venue, statement, date, signature, seal and commission expiration; only wet-ink stamped or embossed notarizations are accepted, not electronic ones. No county step is named. (source)

School diploma or transcript

  • University of Wisconsin documents signed by a UW registrar or president can be sent as they are. (source)
  • Any other school record: have the registrar or an authorized faculty member certify it with signature and title. (source)
  • Then have that signature notarized by a Wisconsin notary, with the notarial certificate attached to the record. (source)

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

  • Send the original certified document with the signature and seal of the approved Wisconsin official; photocopies or notarized copies are not processed. (source)

Countries outside the Apostille Convention

For a country outside the Apostille Convention, Wisconsin Secretary of State issues its Authentication instead of an apostille. Then:

  • An Authentication then goes to the U.S. Department of State for further processing before it reaches the destination country. (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

  • Vital records issued by another state or country, and copies of vital records. (source)
  • Certificates for use in U.S. states or territories, including Puerto Rico. (source)
  • Digital or electronic notarizations. (source)
  • Federal documents, including FBI background checks, and federal court documents go to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications. (source)

Checked against official sources on October 24, 2026.

What this page does not do

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

Wisconsin Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents issued, recorded or notarized in Wisconsin. The fee is $10 per document, standard service ($35 per document expedited). Requests can be mailed to the office in Madison. The office also serves people in person; check its page for hours and any appointment rule before going. The office also takes requests online.

How do I apostille a birth certificate from Wisconsin?

Send the certified Wisconsin vital record itself; do not alter, copy or notarize it, because copies cannot be processed. Then send it to Wisconsin Secretary of State with the $10 fee, naming the destination country.

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

Have it fully notarized by a commissioned Wisconsin notary with venue, statement, date, signature, seal and commission expiration; only wet-ink stamped or embossed notarizations are accepted, not electronic ones. No county step is named.

What if the country is not in the Apostille Convention?

Wisconsin 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

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

Know someone who could use this? Share this free tool:

Share: