Massachusetts birth certificate apostille, from certified copy to Commonwealth seal
Get the right certified copy, and we file it with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. State fee included, same-day rush available.
Massachusetts birth certificate apostille: the short answer
To apostille a Massachusetts birth certificate, order a certified copy from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics or from the clerk of the city or town where the birth was recorded. The Commissions Section of the Secretary of the Commonwealth then certifies the Registrar's or clerk's original signature and issues the apostille, for $6 per document.
Orders stall on the details: a photocopy instead of a certified copy, a notarized copy the state will not accept, or a copy without the parents' names when a consulate wants them. Fees and timelines below are as the offices listed them when we checked in September 2026.
Born in Massachusetts
A certified copy from the Registry in Dorchester or a city or town clerk goes to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, which charges $6. With us, $149.95 on Economy or $199.95 on Express, fee included, or $385.95 same-day.
Born outside Massachusetts
Boston cannot apostille it, even if you live here now. Another state's certificate goes to that state, and a Consular Report of Birth Abroad goes to the U.S. Department of State. Our birth certificate apostille guide covers every state.
Going to a country outside the Hague Convention, such as the United Arab Emirates or Qatar? You need legalization instead of an apostille. See legalization for non-Hague countries
Start at the counter: the copy that can be apostilled
Every apostille in this guide starts with a certified copy from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics or a city or town clerk. Ask for one with the raised seal and look it over before you leave the counter. In our free review we then check:
- The signer. The Registrar, a city or town clerk or an assistant clerk, with an original signature.
- The version. Whether the office abroad wants your parents' details, and whether your copy shows them.
- Names and dates. They should match your passport, because an apostille does not correct a typo.
- The destination and your date. An apostille or the embassy route, any translation, and the speed that fits your deadline.
If something will not pass, we tell you before you pay, and we tell you what to order instead.
How to apostille a Massachusetts birth certificate, step by step
Which copy works and where to order it, what the Commissions Section does, how long each route takes, what gets turned away and two orders from start to finish.
Updated September 2026. Reviewed by Hanson Webb, founder of Apostille Depot.
Which Massachusetts birth certificate can be apostilled
A certified copy from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics or from the clerk of the city or town where the birth was recorded. The Commissions Section only certifies original signatures from a short list, and for a birth certificate that means the Registrar of Vital Records, a city or town clerk or an assistant clerk.
The list is printed on the state's own Apostille/Certification Request Form, and it names city and town clerks or their assistants, so a copy signed by an assistant town clerk qualifies like one signed by the clerk. The signature has to be original, never photocopied.
The Registry, at 150 Mount Vernon Street in Dorchester, holds births from 1936 on. Records from 1931 through 1935 are at the Massachusetts State Archives, and older ones may be with the town: Boston's Registry Division issues copies of births from 1870, and Worcester's City Clerk holds records back to 1686. A birth can also be on file in two town halls: Boston and Cambridge, for example, each keep the births in the city and the births to parents who lived there. The City of Boston's birth certificate page sums up the apostille route: order a certified copy with a raised seal, then submit it to the state.
Long form or short form: what the office abroad wants
The Commissions Section's rules say nothing about long or short forms. They are about whose original signature is on the copy. The layout matters to the office abroad. If a consulate or registry asks for a long form, a full copy or a copy showing parental details, check that your copy shows both parents before you send it.
- Italy. For a wedding, the Consulate General of Italy in Boston asks for a birth certificate showing both parents' names. To register a child's birth, it wants the long form with the city of birth and the parents.
- Ireland. The Foreign Births Register asks for civil birth certificates showing parental details.
- Portugal. The nationality route for grandchildren asks for full copies where possible.
The Boston, Cambridge and Worcester ordering pages we read offer no choice labeled long form or short form, though Worcester's City Clerk also sells a copy of the original record for an extra fee. If your copy lacks what the office abroad wants, send us a photo and we will tell you what to order. Our birth certificate apostille guide explains how other states name their long forms.
How to order a certified copy in Massachusetts
Order from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in Dorchester, in person, by mail or through VitalChek, or from the clerk of the city or town where the birth was recorded. Have the name, date and place of birth ready, plus photo ID. As published in September 2026, the Registry charges $20 per copy at its counter.
| Office and method | Fee per certified copy | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, 150 Mount Vernon Street, Dorchester, in person | $20 | Processed immediately in most cases. Births from 1936 on |
| Registry, by mail | $32, or $42 expedited | Shipped within 15 to 20 business days, or 10 business days expedited |
| Registry, online or by phone through VitalChek | $54 first copy, $42 each extra | Paid by card |
| Boston Registry Division, City Hall, Room 213 | $12 in person, $14 online or by mail | Online orders processed in 2 to 3 business days |
| Worcester City Clerk | $12 in person, $14 online or by mail | A copy of the original record costs extra |
| Cambridge City Clerk | $15 | Online orders mailed within 10 business days |
Registry checks are payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and its main line is (617) 740-2600. A record of a birth to unwed parents is released only to the child, the parents, a legal guardian or a legal representative, and some clerks go further: Cambridge releases birth records only to the person named and the parents listed. Ordering a parent's or grandparent's certificate for a descent claim? Check who may order it first.
What the Commissions Section does, and what it charges
The Commissions Section of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, in Room 1719 at One Ashburton Place, Boston, issues Massachusetts apostilles for $6 per document. The apostille confirms the signature on your birth certificate, the capacity of the official who signed it and the seal on it. It does not confirm the facts, and it does not translate anything.
The request form asks for the destination country, your contact details, the number of documents at $6 each and the return method: first-class mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope, express mail with a prepaid label and envelope, or pickup, the default if you check nothing. Pay by check or money order to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The office advises against sending cash.
The country decides the certificate. A Hague Convention country such as Italy, Ireland, Portugal or Spain gets an apostille. A country outside the Convention, such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar or Kuwait, gets a certification instead, and the embassy step follows. Unsure? Check our Hague apostille country list.
Requests go to Boston or the regional offices in Springfield and Fall River, in person or by mail, and questions to (617) 727-2836. Our guide to the Boston apostille office covers the counter, and our Massachusetts apostille guide covers every other Massachusetts document.
How long a Massachusetts birth certificate apostille takes
At the Boston counter, up to three documents are done the same day, and more than three wait until the next business day. Mailed requests take two to three weeks plus postage. With us, Express takes 1 to 5 business days, and same-day rush has a guaranteed 24-hour turnaround.
| Route | What you pay | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Walk in at the Commissions Section, Boston | $6 per document | Up to 3 documents the same day. 4 or more, or anything left after 4:00 PM, the next business day |
| Mail it to Boston yourself | $6 per document, plus postage both ways | 2 to 3 weeks, plus mail time |
| Springfield or Fall River office | $6 per document | Limits and turnaround vary, so call ahead |
| Apostille Depot Economy | $149.95, state fee included | 1 to 3 weeks, first-class mail return |
| Apostille Depot Express | $199.95, state fee included | 1 to 5 business days, priority mail return |
| Apostille Depot same-day rush | $385.95, state fee included | Guaranteed 24-hour turnaround, Massachusetts and New Hampshire documents only |
Our clock starts when your certified copy reaches us, so if you still need a copy, add the time to order one. For other states, see how long an apostille takes.
Same-day rush for Massachusetts documents
Same-day rush costs $385.95, state fee included, with a guaranteed 24-hour turnaround for Massachusetts and New Hampshire documents. The clock starts when your certified copy reaches our Tewksbury office ready to file, by that day's cutoff on a business day, and stops when it is ready for pickup or handed to your courier. Transit back to you comes on top.
Call (978) 424-4629 first to confirm the cutoff, and mention it if you have four or more Massachusetts documents, since the Boston counter takes only three hand-delivered documents for same-day service. Full terms are on our same-day apostille service page.
Does my birth certificate already have an apostille stamp?
Not unless someone has already sent it to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The raised seal and signature on a certified copy come from the Registry or the town clerk, and they are not an apostille. An apostille is a separate certificate issued only by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, placed on your certificate or fastened to it.
An apostille is easy to spot. It follows the model in the 1961 Convention: the heading "Apostille", the French title "Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961" and 10 numbered fields. They name the country, the official who signed your certificate, that official's capacity and the seal your certificate bears, then where, when and by whom the apostille was issued, its number, and the issuing office's seal and signature. A town seal or a notary's stamp is not an apostille.
Once it is attached, never take it off: the HCCH, the organization behind the Convention, says an apostille should never be detached. You only need one for use abroad, because an apostille can never be used to have a document recognized in the country that issued it.
What an apostilled Massachusetts birth certificate is used for
The typical uses are citizenship by descent, a marriage abroad and a residence visa for you or your family. Many Massachusetts families trace their roots to Italy, Ireland and Portugal, and each of those countries treats a U.S. birth certificate differently, so read the destination's own checklist before you order anything.
Citizenship by descent
Italy: the Consulate General of Italy in Boston asks for birth certificates with official Italian translations for every generation down to you, each U.S. record apostilled by its state. Italy narrowed descent claims in 2025 under Law 74/2025, so confirm that an exception applies to you first. See our apostille guide for Italy.
Ireland: the Foreign Births Register's published list asks for original civil birth certificates and does not mention apostilles, so ask before you pay for one. See our apostille guide for Ireland.
Portugal: the grandchild route asks for your birth certificate and your parent's, apostilled, with a certified Portuguese translation. Our citizenship by descent guide covers the whole chain.
Marriage abroad and residence visas
Spain's Civil Registry asks for the original birth certificate with an apostille and an official Spanish translation, and Portugal for a recently issued certified copy, so ask the registry how recent. See apostilles for marriage abroad. For Portugal's D7 and D8 visas, family members prove the relationship with apostilled records such as children's birth certificates, as our apostille guide for Portugal explains. Any translation usually comes after the apostille. Our guide to apostille and translation covers what to translate and when.
Apostille Depot is a private document authentication service, not a law firm and not a government office. We do not give legal advice. For questions about your eligibility for citizenship, residency or a visa, ask the consulate or your lawyer.
What the Commonwealth will not apostille
The Commissions Section will not apostille a photocopy, a scan, a notarized copy or a hospital keepsake certificate of a Massachusetts birth. It also turns away birth certificates from other states and federal records such as a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Each problem has a fix, and most fixes start with a proper certified copy.
| What you have | Why it fails | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| A photocopy or a scan | The office certifies original signatures only | Order a certified copy |
| A notarized copy | The state form rules out notarized copies of in-state government-issued documents | Use a certified copy. See notarized vs certified copies of a birth certificate |
| A hospital keepsake certificate | It is not a vital record, and no Registrar or clerk signed it | Order a certified copy |
| A birth certificate from another state | Massachusetts does not authenticate out-of-state documents | File it in the state of birth, as our birth certificate apostille guide explains |
| A Consular Report of Birth Abroad | It is a federal record | The U.S. Department of State apostilles it. See Consular Report of Birth Abroad apostilles |
| A request with no destination country | It can be delayed, because the certificate depends on the country | Name the country. On our orders, we fill in the form |
Two things are not on that list. A clerk's copy is as good as the Registry's, and the age of your copy is not a Commissions Section rule: it publishes no age limit for birth certificates, and an apostille does not expire. The office abroad may still want a recently issued copy, so confirm its rule with the consulate, court or lawyer. See do apostilles expire.
Our apostille services cover every state office, so a Massachusetts birth certificate and a New York marriage certificate can travel in one order. For the rest of a family file, see marriage certificate apostilles, death certificate apostilles and, for New Hampshire records, our New Hampshire apostille guide.
Two worked examples, start to finish
These are illustrations, not client stories, using the fees published in September 2026.
By mail, from another state
Say you were born in Worcester, live in Chicago and are marrying in Spain, where the Civil Registry wants your original birth certificate with an apostille and an official Spanish translation.
- Order the copy from Worcester's City Clerk online or by mail for $14, or from the Registry for $32 by mail.
- Check it against your passport, and do not have it notarized.
- Order online and mail it to us. Express, $199.95, covers the review, the $6 state fee, filing and priority mail return in 1 to 5 business days.
- We file it in Boston with Spain named as the destination.
- Translate it last, so one translation can cover the apostille too. Ask the registry who may translate, and see our apostille guide for Spain.
All in, $213.95: $14 to Worcester and $199.95 to us, plus postage and the translation.
In person, on a deadline
Say you live in Lowell, have no certified copy at home and have a consulate appointment at the end of the week.
- In the morning, order a copy at the Registry counter in Dorchester for $20. Most in-person requests are processed immediately.
- Call us at (978) 424-4629 to confirm the day's cutoff.
- Drop it off at 1215 Main St, Unit 115, Tewksbury, for same-day rush at $385.95.
- Collect it within the guaranteed 24 hours, apostille attached.
That comes to $405.95. With a week to spare, Express at $199.95 usually fits for about half the price.
Ready? Start your order or send us a photo for a free review, and we will confirm the copy, the office and the total before you pay.
Massachusetts birth certificate apostille: common questions
Straight answers to what we hear most. Anything else, call us at (978) 424-4629.
How do I get a Massachusetts birth certificate apostilled?
Order a certified copy from the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics or from the clerk of the city or town where the birth was recorded. File it with the Commissions Section of the Secretary of the Commonwealth in Boston, with the $6 fee and the destination country. Or send the certified copy to us, and we check it, file it and return it with the apostille attached.
Where can I get my birth certificate apostilled in Massachusetts?
Only at the Secretary of the Commonwealth: the Commissions Section in Room 1719 at One Ashburton Place, Boston, or the regional offices in Springfield and Fall River, in person or by mail. The Registry, a town clerk and a notary cannot issue an apostille. You can also drop the certificate at our Tewksbury office or mail it to us, and we file it for you.
Does my birth certificate already have an apostille stamp?
Not unless someone has already sent it to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The raised seal and signature on a certified copy come from the Registry or the town clerk. An apostille is a separate certificate headed Apostille, with 10 numbered fields, placed on the certificate or fastened to it. If you see none of that, your birth certificate has not been apostilled.
Can I apostille a photocopy or a notarized copy of my Massachusetts birth certificate?
No. The Commissions Section certifies original signatures only, so a photocopy or scan goes back. Its request form also rules out notarized copies of in-state government-issued documents, and a Massachusetts birth certificate is one. Order a certified copy from the Registry or from the clerk of the city or town where the birth was recorded instead. Either one can be apostilled.
How much does a Massachusetts birth certificate apostille cost?
The Commonwealth charges $6 per document. Through us, Economy costs $149.95 and Express $199.95, and same-day rush for Massachusetts documents costs $385.95, each with the $6 fee included and a free review first. A new certified copy is extra: $20 in person at the Registry or $32 by mail, as published in September 2026.
How long does it take to apostille a Massachusetts birth certificate?
At the Boston counter, up to three documents are done the same day, and a mailed request takes two to three weeks plus postage. With us, same-day rush has a guaranteed 24-hour turnaround, Express takes 1 to 5 business days and Economy 1 to 3 weeks. If you still need a new certified copy, add the time to order it first.
I live in another state now. Can I still apostille my Massachusetts birth certificate?
Yes, and it still goes to Massachusetts, because the apostille comes from the state where you were born. Order the certified copy from the Registry by mail or online, or from the town clerk, then mail it to us and name the destination country. The reverse holds too: Boston cannot apostille a birth certificate from another state, even if you live here.
How recent does my Massachusetts birth certificate need to be?
The Commissions Section does not publish an age limit for birth certificates, and an apostille does not expire. The office receiving your file abroad may still want a recently issued copy and sets its own rule, so confirm it with the consulate, court or lawyer before you order. If they want a fresh copy, order it first and have that one apostilled.
Your Massachusetts birth certificate, apostilled and on its way
Send us a photo of your certified copy and name the destination. We confirm the copy, the route and the total price before you pay anything.
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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