Connecticut Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Connecticut
What Connecticut requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Connecticut Secretary of the State
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $40.00 per apostille; $15.00 for adoption documents
- Typical time
- Five to seven business days standard; about 24 hours expedited
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What Connecticut requires of the document
- The document must be notarised by a Connecticut notary or certified by a Connecticut official.
- It must have been notarised or certified within the last ten years and carry an original signature or seal.
- Since 21 July 2025 Connecticut issues a single authentication certificate for all legalisation requests.
- At $40 this is the most expensive state fee in the country.
Where to send it
By post: Secretary of the State, 30 Trinity Street, Hartford, CT 06106-0470
Timing: Five to seven business days standard; about 24 hours expedited
Connecticut 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 Connecticut require a county clerk certification first?
No. Connecticut 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 Connecticut. Where does it go?
To Connecticut. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Connecticut 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 Connecticut charge?
$40.00 per apostille; $15.00 for adoption documents 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.
