West Virginia Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in West Virginia
What West Virginia requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- West Virginia Secretary of State
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $10.00 for the first document, $5.00 for each additional document
- Typical time
- Same-day counter service available
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
Where to send it
We have not established West Virginia’s current fee and address from a source that quotes the issuing office directly, and we will not copy one from an industry compilation. Check the official page below. Everything else on this page, including the county-step answer and the issuing authority, still applies.
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 West Virginia require a county clerk certification first?
No. West Virginia 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 West Virginia. Where does it go?
To West Virginia. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can West Virginia 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 West Virginia charge?
$10.00 for the first document, $5.00 for each additional 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.
