South Carolina Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in South Carolina
What South Carolina requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- South Carolina Secretary of State
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $5.00 per document
- Typical time
- Same day in person; about two business days for mailed orders
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What South Carolina requires of the document
- A private document must be notarised by a South Carolina notary.
- Documents already bearing the signature or stamp of a South Carolina state department do not need notarising first.
Where to send it
By post: SC Secretary of State, 1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201
Timing: Same day in person; about two business days for mailed orders
South 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 South Carolina require a county clerk certification first?
No. South 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 South Carolina. Where does it go?
To South Carolina. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can South 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 South Carolina charge?
$5.00 per document 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.
