1. About these terms

These terms apply to every order for a Single Status Affidavit placed through this page with Federal Apostille ("we", "us", "our"). By ticking the box at checkout and paying, you ("you", "the customer") agree to them. The version in force when you placed your order applies to that order.

2. Our service

We prepare a custom affidavit of single status from the answers you give us, arrange for you to sign it before a commissioned notary public, submit the notarized affidavit for an apostille, and return it to you by the shipping method you choose.

We are a document preparation, notary and apostille service. We are not a law firm, we are not acting as your attorney, and nothing we provide is legal advice. If you need advice about your marital status, a divorce, an annulment, immigration or the law of another country, please consult a licensed attorney.

Translations in the affidavit are prepared by us as part of the document so that it can be read in the chosen language. They are not certified or sworn translations by a court-appointed translator. If the receiving authority requires a sworn or certified translation, please tell us before ordering.

3. Your responsibilities

You must give complete, accurate and truthful information. The affidavit is a sworn statement made by you: you will swear or affirm to it under penalty of perjury, and making a false statement may be a crime. We rely on what you tell us and do not independently verify your marital history.

You are responsible for confirming with the authority that will receive the affidavit that it meets their requirements - including the wording, the language, whether an apostille is accepted, whether the original is required, and how recent the document must be. Requirements differ between countries and between offices, and they change.

4. Your draft and corrections

We email you a link to your draft. Please read every line before approving it: names, dates, places and spellings must match your documents exactly. Corrections requested before you sign are free.

Once the affidavit has been signed and notarized it cannot be changed. A change after that point requires a new affidavit, charged at the full price of a new order.

If, after you have approved the draft, a mistake is found that we introduced (the affidavit does not match the answers you gave us), we will prepare, notarize and apostille a corrected affidavit at no charge, provided you tell us within 30 days of receiving it.

5. Signing before the notary

You must sign in person before the notary, either at one of our offices or by online video notarization. You must present a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID, and the name on it must match the name on the affidavit.

A notary may refuse to notarize if your identity cannot be satisfactorily proved, if the document is incomplete, or if the notary believes you are not signing willingly or do not understand the document. Online notarization requires a device with a working camera and microphone and a stable internet connection, and may include identity verification required by the notary's state; the session may be recorded and kept as that state's law requires.

We contact you to schedule your signing after you approve your draft. If you need to reschedule, please give us at least 24 hours' notice.

6. The apostille

An apostille is issued under the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961 and is accepted only in countries that are parties to that convention. It is issued by the state where your notary is commissioned. It certifies the notary's signature and seal - it does not certify that the contents of the affidavit are true.

Whether the affidavit is accepted is decided solely by the receiving authority. We cannot guarantee acceptance. Countries that are not parties to the convention require embassy legalization instead, which is a separate service we can quote for.

7. Fees and payment

All fees are shown in U.S. dollars before you pay and include the government apostille fee. A card processing fee of 4.5% is added at checkout. Payment is taken in full when you place your order and is processed by Square; we never see or store your full card number.

Translation into the languages offered is included at no extra charge.

8. Turnaround

Turnaround times are estimates in business days, counted from the day your affidavit is signed and notarized, and do not include shipping time. The standard apostille estimate is 7 business days and the expedited estimate is 2 business days.

Apostilles are issued by government offices whose processing times we do not control. The expedited fee pays for priority handling by us and the faster government service where one exists; it does not guarantee a delivery date. We are not responsible for delays caused by government offices, carriers, weather, customs or other events outside our control.

9. Shipping, scan only and pickup

Shipped orders travel by tracked FedEx service to the address you give us. Please check it carefully: if a package is returned or misdelivered because of an incorrect address, re-shipping is charged at the applicable shipping fee. For international shipments, any customs duties, taxes or customs delays are the recipient's responsibility.

With scan only, we email you a color PDF scan of the apostilled affidavit and do not mail the original. Most authorities abroad require the original apostilled document, so please confirm that a scan is acceptable before choosing this option. We keep the original for 90 days, during which you can ask us to ship it for the applicable shipping fee.

With office pickup, the affidavit is released only to you, on presentation of photo ID, or to a person you authorize in writing.

10. Cancellations and refunds

You may cancel by emailing or calling us. Refunds depend on how far your order has progressed when you cancel: before we begin drafting, everything is refunded except the card processing fee; once your draft has been prepared, the preparation fee is non-refundable; once your affidavit has been notarized, the notarization fee is non-refundable; once it has been submitted for the apostille, the apostille and expedite fees are non-refundable; once it has been shipped or emailed, the shipping fee is non-refundable. The card processing fee is non-refundable in all cases.

A decision by a foreign authority not to accept the affidavit is not by itself grounds for a refund, but we will help you understand what they require. Refunds are made to the original card, and banks usually show them within 5 to 10 business days.

If you have a concern about a charge, please contact us first - we will try to resolve it quickly.

11. Privacy and records

We collect the information needed to prepare and process your affidavit and use it only for that purpose and to communicate with you about your order. We share it only with the people who need it to complete your order: the notary, the government office issuing the apostille, our payment processor and the shipping carrier. We keep order records as the law requires and as needed to support your order.

Your draft is available through a private link sent to your email. Please do not share it.

By ordering you agree that we may contact you by email, phone or text message about your order.

12. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability for any claim relating to your order is limited to the fees you paid us for that order. We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, including missed or rescheduled weddings, travel costs, or refused or delayed visas or residence permits.

13. Governing law and changes

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California. We may update these terms; the version shown on this page when you placed your order applies to that order.

14. Contact

Federal Apostille - (760) 469-2997 - submissions@federalapostille.org

Version 2026-10-19