California Apostille Service for Documents Used Abroad
You have a California document and a foreign office that will not accept it until it carries an apostille. That is what we fix. A California apostille authenticates your birth, marriage, FBI, academic or corporate document so it is recognized in more than 120 Hague Convention countries. We file with California Secretary of State for you and return the finished document anywhere in the world. Licensed and insured, serving all 50 states since 2012.
Your California document, accepted overseas
A California apostille is the step that turns a local record into a document a foreign government will accept. Maybe you were born in California and Spain wants your birth certificate for residency. Maybe you married here and Italy needs the marriage certificate before it records your union. Maybe your company is registered in California and a partner abroad asks for apostilled incorporation papers. In every case the document is real, but an official in another country cannot verify a California seal on their own. The apostille solves that, and we handle the whole thing for you.
Apostille Depot processes California documents every week. You do not have to learn the state's forms, travel to CA's apostille office, or guess whether your document needs an extra certification first. You send us the document, we prepare it the way California expects, file for the apostille, and return it ready to use. This page covers what a California apostille is, who needs one, how the state office works, which documents we authenticate, what it costs, and how fast you can have it back.
What is a California apostille?
An apostille is a certificate that verifies the signature and seal on a public document so another country accepts it as genuine. It comes from the 1961 Hague Convention, a treaty signed by more than 120 countries. A California apostille is one issued by the state's competent authority, California Secretary of State, confirming that the notary, registrar or official who signed your document is legitimate. Once your document carries the apostille, a member country treats it as valid with no embassy step.
Two points catch California residents out. First, the apostille comes from the state tied to the document, so a California record is apostilled in California even if you now live in another state or abroad. Second, California Secretary of State is the only office in California authorized to issue an apostille for a document going to a foreign country. No notary, county clerk or law office can issue one. They are often a step along the way, not the apostille itself.
If your destination country is not a Hague member, an apostille is not enough. Those documents need authentication by the U.S. Department of State followed by legalization at the country's embassy or consulate. We handle that longer route too, so whichever path your document needs, you have one provider for the whole job.
When your California document has to travel
People across California come to us at the moments life crosses a border. These are the situations we see most.
American expats
Moving abroad means proving who you are. We apostille the California birth certificate, marriage certificate and FBI report your new country asks for.
Students abroad
A university or licensing board overseas wants an apostilled diploma and transcript. We authenticate records from California schools for enrollment and teaching.
Couples marrying overseas
Marrying in Italy, Greece or Mexico usually requires an apostilled birth certificate and a single status affidavit. We prepare both and arrange translation.
Businesses and corporations
Companies registered in California need apostilled articles of incorporation, certificates of good standing and powers of attorney to operate abroad.
Immigration and visas
Golden Visa, residency and work permit files often require apostilled vital records and an FBI background check on a lawyer's timeline.
Adoption and family
International adoption and family matters frequently require a stack of apostilled California documents, prepared consistently and on time.
If a foreign government, university, employer or registry has asked for a California document, it almost certainly means an apostilled one. Tell us the document and the country and we will confirm exactly what you need.
How California issues apostilles
In California, apostilles and authentications come from the California Secretary of State, at its Sacramento public counter and its Los Angeles office in the Ronald Reagan State Building. This is the only authority in the state that can apostille a document for use in a foreign country, and the state fee is $20.00 per document.
The Sacramento and Los Angeles counters offer in-person same-day service, often processed within about 30 minutes, and an extra $6 special-handling fee applies per official signature when filing in person. Mail-in requests are processed by the Sacramento office only, and in recent months that office has been working through requests received roughly four weeks earlier, so plan ahead. Neither timeline includes the time it takes to gather a certified record or get a document notarized first, which is where most of the real delay hides.
This is the work we take off your plate. We know how the document has to be prepared before it reaches the California office, and how to avoid the rejections that send people back to the start.
What makes California documents different
California has a few rules that trip up people filing on their own. Vital records are the first. A California birth, death or marriage record comes from the California Department of Public Health Vital Records or the county recorder. You need a certified copy with the seal, and a private document such as a diploma or power of attorney must be notarized by a California notary before it can be apostilled.
Notarized and private documents are the second. A diploma, a power of attorney, an affidavit or a company document usually has to be notarized by a California notary first, because the apostille authenticates the notary's commission. If the notarization is incomplete or the notary details do not match the state's records, the apostille is refused. We check every notarization before the document is filed.
Court documents are the third. A California divorce decree or probate document comes from a court, not a vital records office, and may need certification from the clerk of court before it can be apostilled. We confirm whether that extra step applies and arrange it. Getting any of these details wrong means a document returned unprocessed, which is exactly what our free review is built to prevent.
California documents we apostille
We apostille the full range of California records and prepare each one the way the state expects. Pick a document type for exact requirements and timelines.
Birth certificate
For dual citizenship, school enrollment and residency abroad. We confirm you have the certified copy the state requires.
FBI background check
A federal document handled through the U.S. Department of State, for work visas, residency and Golden Visa files.
Diplomas and transcripts
For studying, teaching and licensing abroad, from California universities and schools.
Corporate and legal
Articles of incorporation, certificates of good standing, powers of attorney and agreements.
Divorce decree
A court document that often needs clerk-of-court certification before the apostille. We handle that step.
Single status affidavit
Proof you are free to marry, prepared and notarized for couples marrying overseas.
Have a document not listed here? We authenticate almost every type of California public and notarized record. See all apostille services or ask us about your document.
Apostille or authentication: which does your country need?
The destination country decides which process applies, and choosing wrong is the most common and costly mistake. There are two paths, and we confirm the right one before you order.
Apostille, for Hague Convention countries. If your California document is going to one of the 120-plus member countries, a single apostille is all you need. Spain, Italy, Portugal, Mexico, Germany, France and most of Europe and Latin America fall here. There is no embassy step.
Authentication and legalization, for non-Hague countries. Some countries never joined the Convention, such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait. For these, an apostille is rejected. The document needs authentication and embassy legalization, a longer chain we manage end to end.
Apostille corporate documents from California
California is home to companies that trade, hire and open entities abroad, and every one of those moves can require an apostille. When a California business expands overseas, foreign banks, registries and partners ask for authenticated proof that the company is real and in good standing. The documents we apostille most for California businesses are articles of organization or incorporation, certificates of good standing, bylaws and operating agreements, board resolutions, commercial invoices and powers of attorney that let someone act for the company abroad.
Corporate documents follow the same two-track rule as personal records. A state-issued certificate of good standing is a public document that can be apostilled directly. A private company document, such as a resolution or an agreement, usually has to be signed before a California notary first, because the apostille authenticates the notary. We confirm which of your documents are ready to file and which need notarizing, so a deal is not held up by a rejected filing.
If you are setting up a subsidiary, signing a contract, registering a trademark or opening a bank account in another country, tell us the destination and the documents involved. We will confirm whether each one needs an apostille or full embassy legalization, prepare the set consistently, and return everything together. See the full range on our apostille services page, or ask us about a corporate order.
How to get a California apostille
Step 1: Gather the right document
For a vital record, you need a certified copy with the registrar's signature and seal. For a diploma, affidavit or company document, it has to be notarized by a California notary first. Not sure what you have? Send a photo and we will tell you before you spend on anything.
Step 2: Notarization and certification
We confirm the notarization is complete and check whether your document needs an extra certification, such as clerk-of-court certification for a divorce decree, before it can be apostilled. We arrange what is missing.
Step 3: File for the apostille
We submit your prepared document to California Secretary of State and pay the $20 state fee. For a federal document like an FBI report, we route it through the U.S. Department of State instead. Every finished apostille is checked by our quality control team against your destination country's requirements.
Step 4: Delivery and tracking
We return your apostilled document by the courier you choose, anywhere in the world, or you can pick it up. You follow each stage in our online portal, and we notify you when the state returns your document and when it ships back to you.
California apostille cost and turnaround
Clear pricing with the $20 state fee included. Choose the handling that fits your deadline.
Economy
- State fee included
- First class return mail
- Online tracker
- Delivery in 1 to 3 weeks
- Free document review
Express
- State fee included
- Priority mail return
- Online tracker
- 1 to 5 business days
- Free document review
FBI Report
- U.S. Department of State
- 100% remote processing
- Government fee included
- Delivery in 2 to 6 weeks
- Priority mail return
FBI report apostilles through the U.S. Department of State are $199.95. Certified translation, court certification and non-Hague embassy legalization are quoted per case. Authenticating several California documents at once, such as a birth certificate and a marriage certificate for a visa file? We offer multi-document pricing. See the full breakdown on our how it works page.
Processing times are estimates set by California Secretary of State and shipping carriers. Gathering a certified record or notarization can add time. We confirm a realistic window before you order.
Apostille service across California
From Los Angeles to the Bay Area, you apply online and mail your document, and we file it with the California Secretary of State for you. California has two counters, in Sacramento and Los Angeles, but mail goes through Sacramento alone and the backlog can stretch weeks, which is where a service keeps your deadline safe. We serve Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach and the rest of the state. Most clients never need to visit anyone in person. You apply online, mail or drop off your document, and we file with California Secretary of State on your behalf.
Because we handle the filing, you skip the state office's hours, limits and lines, and you get one team managing notarization, certification, the apostille and worldwide return shipping together. If you are nearby and prefer to hand your document over in person, get in touch and we will arrange it.
A verified business, not an anonymous website
We know the state rules
We prepare California documents the way the state expects, so your apostille is right the first time.
Free review first
We confirm your document is eligible and which steps it needs before you pay anything.
Quality control
Every finished apostille is checked against your destination country's requirements before it ships.
One order, full service
Notarization, certification, apostille or legalization, translation and worldwide delivery, handled together.
We are a licensed, insured apostille provider with a real office, processing documents since 2012 for more than 2,200 clients. The state fee is included in our price, and we review your document for free before you commit. Meet the team or call (978) 424-4629.
Where California documents are headed
The destinations our California clients ask about most. Most are Hague members, so an apostille is correct, usually with a certified translation.
Mexico
Hague member. Apostille is the everyday route for civil records moving between California and Mexico, usually with a Spanish translation.
China
Hague member since 2023. Apostille now replaces the old consulate step for many documents bound for China.
Philippines
Hague member. Apostilled records are widely used by California's large Filipino community.
South Korea
Hague member. Apostille for education, work and family documents.
Spain
Hague member. Apostille plus a certified Spanish translation for residency and Golden Visa.
United Arab Emirates
Not a Hague member. Documents need authentication and UAE embassy legalization, not an apostille.
Heading somewhere not listed? We process California documents for destinations worldwide. Tell us the country and we will confirm whether you need an apostille or full legalization, plus any translation.
Mistakes that delay a California apostille
Almost every rejected document we see fails for one of these reasons. Our free review exists to catch each one before your document leaves your hands.
Using a plain copy
A printout, a keepsake or a photocopy cannot be apostilled. A vital record needs a certified copy with the registrar's signature and seal.
Incomplete notarization
For a diploma, affidavit or company document, the apostille authenticates the notary. A missing date, seal or wording gets it refused.
Filing in the wrong state
A document is apostilled by the state that issued it. A California record goes to California even if you now live elsewhere.
Skipping court certification
A divorce decree or probate document may need clerk-of-court certification first. Skip it and it comes back unprocessed.
Missing the translation
Many countries require a certified translation alongside the apostille. Without it the destination office has an incomplete file.
An outdated record
Some consulates want a certified copy and apostille issued within the last three to six months. An older one can be turned away.
Not sure your California document clears all six? Send us a photo and we will tell you what it needs before you pay anything. Start with a free review.
California apostille FAQs
Who issues apostilles in California?
California Secretary of State is the competent authority. It operates from the California Secretary of State, at its Sacramento public counter and its Los Angeles office in the Ronald Reagan State Building, and it is the only office that can apostille a California document for use in a foreign country.
How much does a California apostille cost?
The state charges $20.00 per document. Our service starts at $149.95 with that fee included, a free document review and an online tracker. Express is $199.95.
How long does it take?
Mail-in requests are processed by the Sacramento office only, and in recent months that office has been working through requests received roughly four weeks earlier, so plan ahead. Our Economy service delivers in 1 to 3 weeks and Express in 1 to 5 business days.
Do I have to travel to file?
No. Most clients work with us entirely by mail and email. We file with the state authority for you and return the finished document anywhere in the world.
Does my document need to be notarized first?
Vital records do not, but private documents like diplomas, affidavits and company papers usually need a California notary first, because the apostille authenticates the notary. We check the notarization before filing.
My document was issued in another state. Can you help?
Yes. A document is apostilled by the state that issued it, so we route it to the correct state's authority. We handle every state.
Can you apostille a California divorce decree?
Yes. A divorce decree is a court document and may need clerk-of-court certification before it can be apostilled. We confirm whether that step applies and arrange it.
What if my country is not in the Hague Convention?
We handle U.S. Department of State authentication and embassy legalization for non-Hague countries such as the UAE and Qatar. Tell us the destination and we confirm the route and quote it.
Can you translate my document too?
Yes. We provide certified and notarized translation in more than 100 languages and pair it with your California apostille order.
Can I apply from outside the United States?
Yes. Many clients apply from abroad. Choose international return shipping in the form, and reach out if you need help getting the document to our office.
Does a California apostille expire?
The apostille does not expire, but some foreign offices want a recently issued certified copy and apostille, often within three to six months. Check the receiving office's rule before ordering.
Can you file at the Los Angeles or Sacramento office?
Yes. California issues apostilles at its Sacramento and Los Angeles counters, but mail-in requests run through Sacramento and can take weeks. We handle the filing so your document is not stuck in the backlog.
Get your California document recognized abroad
Send us your document for a free review, or start your order now. We confirm the right certified copy or notarization, file with California Secretary of State, authenticate it for your destination, and return it ready to use.
Hanson Webb
Editor, Apostille Depot
Hanson edits Apostille Depot, a licensed, insured document authentication service operating since 2012. With more than ten years in apostille, notarization and certified translation, he turns complex government requirements into clear guides, helping over 2,200 clients send documents to more than 120 countries across all 50 states.
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