Kentucky Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Kentucky
What Kentucky requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Kentucky Secretary of State
- County step
- Required
- State fee
- $5.00 per apostille, plus $25.00 for expedited service
- Typical time
- Same day at the counter; about three days for mailed orders
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
The county step, which most people miss
Before the Kentucky Secretary of State will act on a notarised document, the notary must be certified by the county clerk where the notary took their oath.
Skipping it means the state returns the package untouched, usually a week or two later, and the whole chain restarts. It is the most common single reason a Kentucky document is rejected before it ever reaches a federal desk.
What Kentucky requires of the document
- Vital records and notarised documents need county clerk certification first.
- Circuit court documents need certification by the judge or circuit clerk.
- Only documents originating in Kentucky can be apostilled here.
Where to send it
By post: Kentucky Secretary of State, 700 Capital Avenue, Suite 152, Frankfort, KY 40601
Timing: Same day at the counter; about three days for mailed orders
Kentucky 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 Kentucky require a county step?
Yes. A notarised document must be certified by the county clerk where the notary took their oath before the Secretary of State will act on it. Skipping this is the most common reason a Kentucky package is returned.
I live elsewhere but my document is from Kentucky. Where does it go?
To Kentucky. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Kentucky 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 Kentucky charge?
$5.00 per apostille, plus $25.00 for expedited service 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.
