Iowa Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Iowa
What Iowa requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Iowa Secretary of State, Notary Division
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $5.00 per apostille or certification
- Typical time
- Same day at the counter; about two days for mailed orders
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
Where to send it
By post: Iowa Secretary of State, Notary Division, Lucas Building, 1st Floor, 321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319
Timing: Same day at the counter; about two days for mailed orders
Iowa 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 Iowa require a county clerk certification first?
No. Iowa 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 Iowa. Where does it go?
To Iowa. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Iowa 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 Iowa charge?
$5.00 per apostille or certification 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.
