Federal Apostille and Notary Processing
DMV Driving Record Request and Apostille
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What this service does
Most countries will exchange a U.S. driving licence for a local one, but almost all of them first want proof of your driving history from the state that issued it — authenticated, so a foreign official can trust the signature on it. That is three separate problems: getting the right document out of a motor vehicle agency, getting it authenticated by the right authority, and getting it to wherever you now live.
We handle all three for all 51 U.S. jurisdictions. You tell us which state issued your licence and where the record is going; we tell you exactly which product to order and how, then notarise and apostille it when it reaches us and send it back tracked.
The mistake that costs people the most
Every motor vehicle agency sells at least two versions of your record. The cheap instant download is uncertified — no seal, no authorised signature — and no Secretary of State will authenticate it. People buy it because it is first on the menu and cheapest, discover weeks later that it is worthless for this purpose, and start again.
Only 22 of the 51 jurisdictions sell the certified version online. In the rest it has to be posted for or collected in person, which is exactly the problem when you are several thousand miles away.
Who this is for
- Exchanging a U.S. licence abroad. The commonest reason, and the one with the tightest deadlines, because most authorities refuse a record more than three to six months old.
- Residency and visa applications that ask for a driving history as part of a wider document bundle.
- Employment overseas, particularly anything involving driving, haulage or insurance.
- Foreign motor insurance, where a clean record from your home state affects what you are quoted.
How it works
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You tell us the state and the destination
Those two answers decide everything else: which product to order, whether a notary is involved, and whether the end result is an apostille or full consular legalisation.
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We send your ordering instructions
Specific to your state: the exact product name, the form number, the fee, the agency link, the wrong product to avoid, and where to have it delivered. Sent the moment you pay.
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The certified record reaches us
Where a state lets you nominate a delivery address, ours goes on the request and an entire international postal leg disappears. Where it will only post to you, you forward it on.
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We authenticate it and send it back
Notarised where the state requires it, then apostilled by the right authority, then shipped to you tracked — with an email at every stage.
Two routes, and why your state matters
No notary needed
In Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Texas the motor vehicle official's signature is already on file with that state's Secretary of State, so the certified record is authenticated exactly as issued. You do not pay the notarisation fee.
Notarised copy certification
Everywhere else the Secretary of State will not authenticate a motor vehicle official, so the record is attached to a copy certification sworn before a notary, and the notary's signature is what the apostille certifies.
What it costs
Two separate bills: the agency charges for the record, we charge for everything after it.
- Ordering instructions and request preparation$10.00
- Notarised copy certification — only where the state requires it$25.00
- State apostille$101.00
- Consular legalisation — countries outside the Apostille Convention$175.00
- Certified translation, per page$75.00
- Tracked return delivery$25.00 US / $140.00 intl
The motor vehicle agency's own fee ranges from about $3 to $30 depending on the state and is paid to them directly, never to us. A 4.5% card surcharge applies to our fees and is shown before you pay.
How long it takes
There is no honest single answer, because the first stage varies enormously. Some states deliver a certified record in under a minute; others take several weeks and will only post it. Authentication then adds the Secretary of State's own queue, and international postage adds more at each end.
Work backwards from your deadline, not forwards from today. A driving record has a shelf life — most authorities abroad refuse one issued more than three to six months earlier — so ordering as early as possible is its own kind of mistake. Tell us the date you need it by and we will say honestly whether it is achievable.
Questions people actually ask
Can my driving record be apostilled?
Yes, but only the certified version. Every motor vehicle agency sells at least two products, and the cheap instant download is uncertified: it carries no seal and no authorised signature, so no Secretary of State will authenticate it. The certified record is the one that can be apostilled.
Why do I need an apostille on my driving record?
Most countries will exchange a U.S. licence for a local one, but first want proof of your driving history from the state that issued it, authenticated so a foreign official can trust the signature. The same document is often required for employment abroad, residency applications and foreign motor insurance.
Do I need a notary as well as an apostille?
It depends on the state. In five jurisdictions the motor vehicle official's signature is already on file with their Secretary of State, so the certified record is authenticated as it stands and no notary is involved. Everywhere else the record is attached to a copy certification sworn before a notary, and the notary's signature is what gets apostilled.
How much does it cost?
Our fees are $10.00 for the state-specific ordering instructions, $25.00 for notarisation where the state requires it, $101.00 for a state apostille or $175.00 for full consular legalisation, and $25.00 domestic or $140.00 international for tracked return delivery. The motor vehicle agency charges its own fee for the record, which you pay to them directly and which ranges from about $3 to $30 depending on the state.
How long does the whole process take?
The record itself takes anything from seconds to several weeks depending on the state, because some sell the certified version online and most do not. Authentication then adds the Secretary of State's own processing time, and international postage adds more at each end. Every figure is an estimate: government timelines are outside our control.
Can I do this from outside the United States?
Yes, and that is who this service is built for. Several states sell the certified record online, so you can order it from anywhere. Where a state will only post to the address it holds for you, or only accepts a posted form, the instructions tell you exactly how to work around that.
Does the record expire?
Effectively, yes. Most licensing authorities abroad will not accept a driving record issued more than three to six months earlier, and some are stricter. Order it at the right moment rather than as early as possible, or it will expire while the rest of your application is assembled.
Where do I send the certified record?
To 17875 Von Karman Ave., Suite 150, Irvine, CA 92614. Use a tracked service. Where a state lets you nominate a delivery address, putting ours on the request removes an entire international postal leg.
What if my country is not in the Apostille Convention?
Then the document needs full consular legalisation instead of an apostille, which is slower and costs more. The ordering form works this out from the destination you choose and prices it accordingly, so you are never quoted the wrong route.
Are you a government agency?
No. We are a private document-processing service, not affiliated with any Department of Motor Vehicles, Secretary of State or the U.S. Department of State. You can carry out every step yourself, directly with those agencies, for their fees alone. What you are paying us for is knowing which product to order in which state, and handling the authentication without the document crossing an ocean twice more.
Important disclosures
- We are not a government agency
- Federal Apostille is a private document-processing service. We are not a government agency, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any Department of Motor Vehicles, any Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State, or any embassy or consulate. You can carry out every step of this process yourself, directly with those agencies, for their fees alone.
- Government fees are separate from ours
- The motor vehicle agency charges its own fee for the certified record, and you pay that to them directly. It is not included in anything you pay us, and it varies by state. Where a figure for it is shown, it is the agency's published fee and may change without notice.
- A card surcharge applies
- Card payments carry a 4.5% processing surcharge, which is shown as its own line before you pay and is included in the total you authorise.
- Timings are estimates, not guarantees
- Every time quoted is an estimate based on how the agency concerned is currently performing. Government processing times, postal delays and consular backlogs are outside our control, and we cannot guarantee a date. If you are working to a deadline, tell us before you order so we can say honestly whether it is achievable.
- We cannot guarantee a foreign authority will accept the document
- Whether a licensing authority, consulate or employer abroad accepts your document is their decision alone, and their requirements can change without notice. We will tell you what is normally required and prepare the document correctly, but acceptance is not something any service can promise. Confirm the exact requirement with the receiving authority before you order.
- Driving records expire
- Most authorities will not accept a driving record issued more than three to six months earlier, and some are stricter. Ordering too early is as much of a problem as ordering too late. The date on the record is set by the agency, not by us.
- Refunds
- Our own fees are refundable until work begins on your order. Once a government fee has been paid on your behalf, or a document has been submitted to an agency or consulate, that portion cannot be refunded because we cannot recover it either. A rejected or returned document is not in itself grounds for a refund of a government fee.
- Your documents and data
- We handle identity documents and hold only what we need to complete your order. Uploaded files are stored outside the public web root and are not shared with anyone beyond the agencies required to process your request.
- Not legal advice
- Nothing we provide is legal advice. If the outcome carries legal consequences for you, take advice from a qualified lawyer in the country concerned.
Connect With Us
Federal Apostille and Notary Processing
1050 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036
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