Colorado Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Colorado
What Colorado requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Colorado Secretary of State, Authentications Program
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $5.00 per apostille
- Typical time
- About three to five business days for mailed requests, plus post; expedited walk-in service subject to demand
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What Colorado requires of the document
- The original document must be notarised by a Colorado notary or certified by an eligible Colorado public office.
- Cheque or money order payable to Colorado Secretary of State. Do not post cash.
Where to send it
By post: Colorado Secretary of State, 1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290
Timing: About three to five business days for mailed requests, plus post; expedited walk-in service subject to demand
Colorado 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 Colorado require a county clerk certification first?
No. Colorado 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 Colorado. Where does it go?
To Colorado. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Colorado 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 Colorado charge?
$5.00 per apostille 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.
