Indiana Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Indiana
What Indiana requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $2.00 per authentication. Birth and death certificates, student transcripts and diplomas are exempt from the fee
- Typical time
- Mailed requests about three to five business days; in person, same day if received by noon
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What Indiana requires of the document
- Indiana is unusual in waiving the fee entirely for vital records and academic documents.
Where to send it
By post: Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, 302 W. Washington Street, Room E018, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Timing: Mailed requests about three to five business days; in person, same day if received by noon
Indiana 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 Indiana require a county clerk certification first?
No. Indiana 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 Indiana. Where does it go?
To Indiana. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Indiana 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 Indiana charge?
$2.00 per authentication. Birth and death certificates, student transcripts and diplomas are exempt from the fee 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.
