Record retrieval: a fresh certified copy for your apostille
No certified copy of your California birth, death or marriage certificate? We prepare the request for a fresh one, you sign it, and the agency ships it straight to us for the apostille.
Record retrieval cannot be ordered online yet, because we are still confirming the agency's fee. If you already have a certified copy, you can start your order with it now.
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Fill in the rest to see your all-in price.
What it costs
$49plus the agency's fee at cost
- Agency fee
- Charged at cost. We are still confirming the amount.
- On top of
- The apostille for that document.
How it works
- You send
Once it opens: nothing by mail. You sign the request we prepare before a notary and return it as your order instructions explain.
- We do
Fill in the agency’s form and sworn statement, send the signed request with the fee, receive the copy, and submit it for the apostille.
- You get back
The fresh certified copy with the apostille attached, 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 agency
- The agency's time to issue the copy is separate. We do not publish it because we have not verified a current figure.
What can go wrong
Only certain people may order an authorized copy, and the sworn statement must be notarized. If you are not one of those people, ask someone who is to sign the request.
If an authority still rejects a document, we resubmit it at no service charge. Refund policy
Why you sign the request
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 we cannot order the copy in our own name. We prepare everything, and you sign the sworn statement before a notary. California notaries cannot notarize remotely online, so you sign in person. We can arrange the notary for $35.
Questions
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 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.
Can my document be notarized online?
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.
How much does an apostille cost in total?
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.