Apostille for a California marriage certificate
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What it costs
$129for the first document, all-in
- Each additional
- $59
- Included
- Our service, the $20 California Secretary of State fee per apostille, and return shipping within the United States.
How it works
- You send
A photo of the certificate, then the original certified copy by mail.
- We do
Check the certificate and submit it to the California Secretary of State with the $20 fee. Each step shows on your tracking page.
- You get back
The certificate with the apostille attached, checked against your order and shipped to you.
How long it takes
- Our part
- We send your document to the authority within 1 business day of receiving it, and ship it back within 1 business day of getting it back.
- The state, by mail
State is now processing mail received Nov 3.
California Secretary of State, checked Nov 12. A current figure, not a promise.
Overnight delivery does not speed up processing, and a mailed submission cannot be pulled for expedited service.
What can go wrong
You need an original certified copy; a notary cannot certify a copy of a marriage certificate. Our check reads who signed the certificate and tells you if it needs attention.
A notarized copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate
Send the original certified copy.
A photocopy instead of the original
Send us the original document.
If an authority still rejects a document, we resubmit it at no service charge. Refund policy
Who can order a fresh certified copy
An authorized certified copy of a California birth, death or marriage certificate can be ordered only by the person named, a parent, legal guardian, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner, and a short list of others, such as an attorney for the person or someone acting under a court order or power of attorney. A request by mail must include a notarized sworn statement.
So record retrieval works as “we prepare the request, you sign it”. It costs $49 plus the agency’s fee at cost. Record retrieval cannot be ordered online yet, because we are still confirming the agency's fee.
Questions
Can a notary certify a copy of my birth certificate?
Not for a California certificate. A California notary public cannot certify copies of vital records such as birth, death and marriage certificates. You need an original certified copy from the issuing agency.
Who can order a certified copy of a California birth certificate?
An authorized certified copy of a California birth, death or marriage certificate can be ordered only by the person named, a parent, legal guardian, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner, and a short list of others, such as an attorney for the person or someone acting under a court order or power of attorney. A request by mail must include a notarized sworn statement.
Can a photocopy be apostilled?
Not for a California document. The California Secretary of State accepts original documents only, and a photocopy cannot be apostilled. Other states have their own rules, and each state's page here lists what that state says.
Can you translate my document?
Yes. Certified translation costs $39 per page and is added to the same order. Countries and offices have their own translation rules, so ask the office that will receive your documents whether it accepts a certified translation made in the United States before you order one.