Massachusetts apostille service without the trip to Boston

Who issues apostilles in Massachusetts

Massachusetts apostilles are issued by the Commissions Section of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, in Room 1719 at One Ashburton Place, Boston. The section certifies original signatures of Massachusetts notaries, justices of the peace, city and town clerks, court clerks and the Registrar of Vital Records, and it will not certify federal or out-of-state documents.

The Commissions Section belongs to the same office that runs state elections, the Corporations Division and the Massachusetts Archives. For a document headed to a Hague Convention country it issues an apostille. For a country outside the Convention it issues a Certificate of Appointment, which confirms that the notary held a valid Massachusetts commission on the day of the notarization, and the destination's embassy takes it from there.

The state's request form adds one more eligible signature to the list: the Secretary of the Commonwealth's own. Assistants count as well, so a certified copy signed by an assistant town clerk or an assistant court clerk qualifies. What the office refuses is just as specific. It does not authenticate federal or out-of-state documents, and it will not authenticate a notarized photocopy of an FBI background check or of another state's certificate of good standing, the two examples printed on its form. Two regional offices, in Springfield and Fall River, also process certifications, and the state notes that their document limits and turnaround vary. Questions go to the section at (617) 727-2836 or comm@sec.state.ma.us. Planning to go in person? Our apostille in Boston guide covers the counter visit.

Massachusetts documents we apostille

If a Massachusetts official signed it, or someone signed it in front of a Massachusetts notary, it can usually be apostilled in Boston. These are the documents we handle most, with the office that has to issue or sign each one.

• Birth certificates. A certified copy from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in Dorchester, or from the clerk of the city or town where the birth was recorded. Our Massachusetts birth certificate apostille guide covers the details.
• Marriage certificates. A certified copy from the clerk of the city or town where the couple filed their marriage intention, or from the Registry. See our marriage certificate apostille service.
• Death certificates. Estates and pensions abroad usually start here. Order the copy from the Registry or the town clerk, then read how we apostille death certificates.
• Divorce decrees and court records. A certified copy from the court that handled the case, signed by its clerk or register. Massachusetts divorces are handled by the Probate and Family Court. See divorce decree apostilles.
• Diplomas and transcripts. From Massachusetts schools and colleges only, certified by the registrar in front of a notary. Our diploma and transcript page walks through it.
• Company documents. Certificates of good standing, certificates of legal existence and certified copies of filings come from the Corporations Division, part of the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office. Board resolutions and officer certificates need a notary first. See corporate apostilles.
• Notarized personal documents. Anything signed before a Massachusetts notary or justice of the peace, from a power of attorney or affidavit to a single status statement or an adoption dossier. See power of attorney apostilles and single status affidavits.
• Criminal records. A Massachusetts CORI comes from the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, and the version used abroad is a certified CORI. Our CORI apostille guide explains the request.

Federal records are the exception. An FBI background check carries a federal official's signature, which puts it in the hands of the U.S. Department of State, and we handle it through our FBI report apostille service. Everything else on this list stays with the Commonwealth.

Massachusetts requirements that trip people up

Massachusetts refusals are rarely about the document itself. They come from the signature, the notary block or the paperwork around it. These are the problems we catch most often in our free review.

• A photocopied signature. The office certifies original signatures only. A scanned or photocopied certificate goes back, however clear it looks.
• A notary block with gaps. The Commissions Section tells you to check four things before you file: the notary signed exactly as commissioned, the notarial certificate is complete, the commission expiration date is clear and complete, and the seal was applied with a legible imprint.
• The wrong state. A power of attorney notarized in New Hampshire or a diploma from a Rhode Island college cannot be certified in Boston. It goes to the state of origin, and we file there instead.
• A school record done out of order. For in-state schools, the registrar certifies the record in the presence of a notary, and the notary then notarizes the registrar's signature. That route runs through the school, so start with the registrar's office.
• No destination on the request. Different countries need different certificates, so the state asks which country will receive the document. Leave it out and the request can be delayed.
• Photographs. A Massachusetts notary cannot certify or authenticate a photo. The notary can notarize a statement you sign about the photo, but that only confirms who signed the statement.

Getting a certified copy in Massachusetts

Massachusetts issues certified birth, marriage and death records from two places: the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester, which holds events from 1936 to the present, and the clerk of the city or town where the event was recorded. Records from 1931 through 1935 have moved to the Massachusetts State Archives, and earlier records may also be held by the town (for a marriage, the town where the intention was filed). Either kind of copy can be apostilled, because the Registrar and town clerks are both on the Commissions Section's list.

The Registry's fees, as published in September 2026:

• In person: $20 per copy, processed immediately in most cases
• By mail: $32 per copy, shipped within 15 to 20 business days, or $42 for expedited mail within 10 business days
• Online or by phone through VitalChek: $54 for the first copy and $42 for each additional copy

You need the name, date and place of the event plus photo ID, and some records are restricted. A record of a birth to unwed parents is limited to the child, the parents, a legal guardian or a legal representative. Since July 1, 2026, the full Social Security number on a death record is released only to people with a legitimate need, such as the spouse, children, the informant, the funeral director or the estate's representative. Checks go to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Registry's official ordering page has the forms.

How long a Massachusetts apostille takes

At the Boston counter, up to three documents are done the same day, four or more are ready after 3:00 PM the next business day, and mailed requests take two to three weeks. Through us, a Massachusetts apostille takes 1 to 5 business days on Express, 1 to 3 weeks on Economy, or 24 hours on same-day rush.

The counter rules are strict. Anything dropped off after 4:00 PM waits until the next business day, and the office says there are no exceptions. The Springfield and Fall River offices set their own limits and turnaround. Mail adds postal time in both directions on top of the two to three weeks.

Our clock starts once your document reaches us in the right form, so if you need a new certified copy from the Registry, add its processing time first. For a Massachusetts document with a hard deadline, our same-day apostille service costs $385.95 and comes with a guaranteed 24-hour turnaround. Planning a rush with several documents? Call us first so we can plan around the counter's three-document limit. For timing in other states, see how long an apostille takes.

What a Massachusetts apostille costs

The Commonwealth's fee is $6 a document, paid by check or money order with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as payee. The office advises against sending cash, because it cannot refund cash lost in transit. That $6 is already inside our prices:

• Economy, $149.95: free document review, filing, the state fee, online tracking and first-class mail return, in 1 to 3 weeks.
• Express, $199.95: the same service in 1 to 5 business days, with priority mail return.
• Same-day rush, $385.95: Massachusetts and New Hampshire documents only, with a guaranteed 24-hour turnaround.

Extras are optional: certified translation in more than 100 languages, a notary in Tewksbury or a faster courier. A destination outside the Hague Convention needs the Certificate of Appointment plus an embassy step, priced for your country before you commit (see legalization for non-Hague countries). Ordering a new certified copy first carries the Registry's own fee.

An example: a couple sending two Massachusetts birth certificates and their marriage certificate on Economy pays 3 x $149.95, or $449.85, with every state fee included. Sending a stack of documents? Ask us about a volume discount.

Getting a Massachusetts apostille without visiting Boston

Most clients never visit us or the state office. They order online, mail the document to 1215 Main St, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA 01876, and follow it in the online order tracker. If you are nearby, walk-in drop-off and pickup are welcome Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern. Tewksbury is close to both Interstate 93 and Interstate 495, which makes the office an easy stop from much of eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Our founder, Hanson Webb, is a commissioned Massachusetts notary public, and notary service at our office is available when a document needs a notarized signature before it can be apostilled.

Same-day rush for Massachusetts documents

When the deadline is tomorrow, bring the document to Tewksbury or overnight it to us and choose same-day rush. It costs $385.95, covers Massachusetts and New Hampshire documents only and comes with a guaranteed 24-hour turnaround. We review the document when it arrives, so a gap in a notary block or a photocopied signature is caught in Tewksbury rather than at the state counter.

Filing it yourself at a state office

If you would rather go in person, the Commissions Section is in Room 1719 at One Ashburton Place, Boston, and takes questions at (617) 727-2836. Two regional offices also process certifications: the Western office at 436 Dwight Street, Room 102, Springfield, and the Southeastern office at 218 South Main Street, Suite 206, Fall River, both open 8:15 AM to 4:30 PM on weekdays. Bring the original document, a check or money order, the completed request form and the name of the country that will receive it.

Cities we serve by drop-off or mail

• Merrimack Valley: Lowell, Tewksbury, Andover, Billerica, Chelmsford, Lawrence and Methuen, a short drive from our office
• Route 128 corridor: Burlington, Woburn, Lexington, Waltham and Newton
• Boston and nearby: Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline and Quincy
• Central and Western Massachusetts: Worcester, Framingham, Springfield, Northampton and Pittsfield
• South Coast and the Cape: Fall River, New Bedford, Plymouth and Barnstable

Former residents in other states or abroad

Moved away? A Massachusetts record is still apostilled in Massachusetts, wherever you live now. Order online, tell us the destination country and mail us the certified copy, or ask us which office to order a fresh copy from and where to have it sent. Many Massachusetts families trace their roots to Ireland, Italy and Portugal, and citizenship applications there often ask for apostilled vital records across two or three generations. Our pages for Ireland, Italy and Portugal cover the destination side, and our citizenship by descent guide covers the family records. Every service we offer is listed on our apostille services page. When you are ready, start your Massachusetts apostille order.