Home - California Hague Apostille - Single Authentication Certificate (Apostille)
New: 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).
What has changed in the apostille certificate?
As before, the California Secretary of State provides authentication of public official signatures on documents to be used outside the United States of America.
As before, an Authentication Certificate only certifies the authenticity of the signature of the official who signed the document, the capacity in which that official acted, and when appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which the document bears. The Authentication certificate does not validate the contents of the document.
The only difference in the procedure is that all certificates now have the word "apostille" on it.
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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