California Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in California
What California requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $20.00 per apostille, plus $6.00 special handling for each different public official whose signature is authenticated
- Typical time
- Processed in the order received; see the state current-processing-times page
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What California requires of the document
- The document must be an original notarised document or a certified copy issued by a California public official.
- The notary acknowledgement must use current California wording.
Where to send it
By post: Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001
By courier: Notary Public Section, 1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814
Timing: Processed in the order received; see the state current-processing-times page
California Secretary of State: apostilles and authentications
Checked against the state's own page on 8 September 2026.
After the state
If the destination is in the Hague Apostille Convention, the state apostille ends the chain. If it is not, the document then needs U.S. Department of State authentication and legalisation by that country’s mission.
Questions people actually ask
Does California require a county clerk certification first?
No. California is not among the seven states that insert a county-level step, so a properly notarised document goes directly to the Secretary of State.
I live elsewhere but my document is from California. Where does it go?
To California. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can California authenticate my FBI background check?
No. An FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document and no state can certify a federal signature. It goes straight to the U.S. Department of State.
What does California charge?
$20.00 per apostille, plus $6.00 special handling for each different public official whose signature is authenticated This was checked against the official page for that state on 8 September 2026. Fees change without notice, so confirm before filing.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
