Illinois Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Illinois
What Illinois requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Illinois Secretary of State, Index Department
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $2.00 per apostille
- Typical time
- Seven to fourteen business days for mailed requests
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What Illinois requires of the document
- All mail-in requests must go to Springfield, not Chicago.
- Documents must be certified by a government official or notarised by an Illinois notary.
- Include a self-addressed stamped return envelope.
Where to send it
By post: Illinois Secretary of State, Index Department, 501 S. Second St., Rm. 350, Springfield, IL 62756
By courier: Walk-in: 160 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60601
Timing: Seven to fourteen business days for mailed requests
Illinois 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 Illinois require a county clerk certification first?
No. Illinois 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 Illinois. Where does it go?
To Illinois. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Illinois 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 Illinois charge?
$2.00 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.
