Apostille questions, answered plainly

An apostille is a certificate that makes a US public document usable in countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention. It comes from the authority for the document: the state that issued it, for example the California Secretary of State for documents signed by a California notary or public official, and the US Department of State for federal documents such as FBI background checks. Countries outside the Convention need embassy legalization instead.

A state apostille by mail costs $129 for the first document and $59 for each additional one, for every state we take orders for. For California documents, the same-day Los Angeles counter costs $249. A federal apostille costs $149. Each price includes our service, the government fee and return shipping within the United States. There are no other fees.

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 authority's time is separate and we cannot promise it. Where a state publishes a figure, that state's page here shows it with the day we read it. For example: On November 12, 2026 the California Secretary of State reported it was processing mailed apostille requests received on November 3, 2026. In-person requests at the Los Angeles office are typically processed within 30 minutes.

You send the original document, not a copy. Before you pay, you upload a photo or scan of it so we can check it. For a birth, death or marriage certificate, that means the certified copy you were issued.

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.

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.

If an authority rejects a document, we tell you why and what is needed, and we resubmit it at no service charge.

Full refund if we cannot process a document after our check said it looked ready. Full refund on request before we submit to the authority, less any government or shipping cost already paid. If an authority rejects a document, we resubmit at no service charge.

No. Stamped Abroad is a private service and is not affiliated with any government agency. You can request an apostille from the government yourself; our pages explain how.

No. For our same-day service, our runner goes to the Los Angeles counter for you. The California Secretary of State says any individual can request an apostille on behalf of themselves or anyone else, only one person needs to be present, and that person does not need to be named in the document.

We take online orders, at an instant all-in price, for documents from Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas, and for federal documents. An apostille has to come from the state that issued the document, so we send each one to its own state. For a document from any other state, request a quote in the order form and we reply by email with a price.

Countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention need embassy legalization instead of an apostille. The order form tells you which one your country needs. For embassy legalization we give you a quote rather than an instant price.

Yes. You upload a photo or scan of each document, and the check tells you in plain language whether it looks ready or what needs attention and how to fix it. A needs-attention result does not stop the order; it explains what we will do or what you need to do.

California notaries cannot currently notarize documents remotely online. State law requires you to appear in person before the notary. We can arrange a notarization for $35 per document.

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.

No. The California Secretary of State says overnight delivery does not speed up processing, and it cannot pull a mailed submission for expedited service. If you need speed, the Los Angeles counter handles requests in person.

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.

The California Secretary of State charges $20 per apostille, paid by check or money order payable to "Secretary of State" for a mailed request. You also pay your own postage both ways. In person there is an additional $6 special handling fee for each different public official's signature.

You send the document with form DS-4194 and the fee of $20 per document to the US Department of State, Office of Authentications, in Sterling, Virginia. Walk-in requests are limited to 15 documents per customer or company.

Yes. International return shipping costs $65 per order. Return shipping within the United States is included in every price.