North Carolina Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in North Carolina
What North Carolina requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- North Carolina Secretary of State, Authentications Division
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $10.00 per authentication
- Typical time
- About five business days from receipt; same-day service often available in person in Raleigh
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What North Carolina requires of the document
- Documents must be properly notarised and complete; in-person same-day service depends on the paperwork being in order.
Where to send it
By post: North Carolina Secretary of State, Authentication Office, PO Box 29622, Raleigh, NC 27626-0622
Timing: About five business days from receipt; same-day service often available in person in Raleigh
North Carolina 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 North Carolina require a county clerk certification first?
No. North Carolina 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 North Carolina. Where does it go?
To North Carolina. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can North Carolina 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 North Carolina charge?
$10.00 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.
