Louisiana Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Louisiana
What Louisiana requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Louisiana Secretary of State, Commissions Division
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $20.00 per authentication
- Typical time
- Same day at the counter; two to three business days for mailed orders
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What Louisiana requires of the document
- The original certified or notarised document is required.
- You must state the destination country with the request.
Where to send it
By post: Louisiana Secretary of State, Commissions Division, P.O. Box 94125, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
By courier: Courier: 8585 Archives Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Timing: Same day at the counter; two to three business days for mailed orders
Louisiana 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 Louisiana require a county clerk certification first?
No. Louisiana 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 Louisiana. Where does it go?
To Louisiana. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Louisiana 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 Louisiana charge?
$20.00 per authentication 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.
