Ohio Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Ohio
What Ohio requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Ohio Secretary of State, Client Service Center
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $5.00 per apostille or authentication
- Typical time
- Two to three days for mailed requests; faster in person
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What Ohio requires of the document
- A completed Authentication/Apostille request form must accompany the documents.
- Payment by credit card authorisation form, cheque or money order drawn on a United States bank.
- Include a self-addressed stamped envelope or prepaid express label.
Where to send it
By post: Ohio Secretary of State, Client Service Center, 180 Civic Center Dr., Columbus, OH 43215
Timing: Two to three days for mailed requests; faster in person
Ohio 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 Ohio require a county clerk certification first?
No. Ohio 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 Ohio. Where does it go?
To Ohio. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Ohio 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 Ohio charge?
$5.00 per apostille or 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.
