California Hague apostille
Do you need a Hague apostille for your California document? We provide Apostille and Embassy legalization services in the State of California and nationwide, for documents intended for international use.
If you are traveling overseas, or sending a California document for use in a foreign country, you may be required to have the document apostilled or legalized. Hague apostilles have been adopted internationally as a uniform way of verifying documents sent between countries.
In the State of California, as in all U.S. states, an apostille is a separate page attached to the document by staples. It is signed by the California Secretary of State (facsimile signature) and has the Seal of the Office of the Secretary of State. California apostilles are issued in English/French/Spanish.
California apostille: $175
Processing time: app. 2 weeks + mail
Please complete the Order Form and mail it with your original document(s) to
If you are sending your document(s) from a foreign country, please use FedEx, DHL, UPS or TNT, and email the tracking number so that we can watch for your package.
No hidden fees.
Our guarantee: If we are unable to get your documents apostilled or legalized, we will issue a 100% refund, we do not keep any service fees.
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California apostille guidelines:
The following documens qualify for CA apostilles:
Original documents notarized by a CA notary. The requirements for notarization are strict in the State of California. See sample California notarial statements below. The notary needs to be active. Old notarized documents where the notary commission expired are not eligible for apostilles. Certified copies of vital records (birth, marriage, death certificates issued by California Department of Public Health signed by the State Registrar of Vital Records, County Clerk/Recorders, County Registrar-Recorders, County Controller-Recorders, County Assessor-Recorders, and the State Registrar (Department of Public Health) (documents signed by County Health Officers, Deputy Health Officers, Health Care Agencies, or County Vital Records Sections require additional legalization steps and the processing will take longer). Old documents are acceptable. certified copies issued by California courts documents issued by CA Secretary of StateCalifornia apostille tips:
Issuance of a single Authentication certificate (Apostille): Effective January 1, 2017, the California Secretary of State's office issues a single Authentication certificate for documents to be used outside of the country rather than issuing either an Apostille (for Hague countries) or Certificate (for non-Hague countries). For example, if your document is intended for use in the UAE (which is a non-Hague country), California will issue an apostille for it, and then the document will need to go to the Embassy / Consulate of the UAE.
California law does not allow notaries to make and certify copies of vital records (birth, death certificates) and other public records. Copies of vital records need to be obtained through California Department of Health Services, County Clerk/Recorders, County Registrar-Recorders, County Controller-Recorders, County Assessor-Recorders.
The document may be in a foreign language, no translation is required. However, the notarial statement has to be in English.
Documents must be correctly notarized with a jurat or acknowledgment statement. The jurat or acknowledgment statement should be for each individual signature.
Read about apostille requirements for school transcripts in the State of California...
California notarization requirements:
The California notary acknowledgment form contains a specific disclaimer to the top of the form certificate of acknowledgment: "A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document." The disclaimer must be legible and in an enclosed box. Then, it states the venue: "State of California, County of ....", the notarial statement, the signature of the notary and the seal. Only the client's name should appear on the acknowledgment form. No title, no client's signature.
The California notary jurat form contains a specific disclaimer to the top of the form certificate of acknowledgment: "A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document." The disclaimer must be legible and in an enclosed box. Then, it states the venue: "State of California, County of ....", the notarial statement, the signature of the notary and the seal. Only the client's name should appear on the jurat form. No title, no client's signature.
Documents must be correctly notarized with a jurat or acknowledgment statement. The jurat or acknowledgment statement should be for each individual signature.
California Certificate of Status ordered online is eligible for an apostille. Just email the PDF file to us.
Can a California apostille be issued for a document in a language other than English?
Yes. If the notarization of the document is in English, the California Secretary of State can issue an Apostille. The rest of the document can be in any other language.
Can a CA apostille be rejected by a foreign country because it is not ribboned to the document?
According to the brochure issued by the Hague Convention (which clarifies many issues pertaining to apostilles), "failure to affix an Apostille to the public document in a particular manner is not a basis for refusing the Apostille".
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