Pennsylvania Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Pennsylvania
What Pennsylvania requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Pennsylvania Department of State, Apostilles and Certifications
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $15.00 per document, not per page
- Typical time
- About two to three weeks by mail, excluding mailing time
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What Pennsylvania requires of the document
- Payment by personal cheque, money order or cashier cheque payable to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
- Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of your documents.
Where to send it
By post: PA Department of State, Apostilles & Certifications, North Office Building, Room 201, 401 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0029
Timing: About two to three weeks by mail, excluding mailing time
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania require a county clerk certification first?
No. Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania. Where does it go?
To Pennsylvania. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania charge?
$15.00 per document, not per page 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.
