Wisconsin Apostille and Authentication
State authentication
Apostille and Authentication in Wisconsin
What Wisconsin requires before a document issued or notarised there can be authenticated, and what happens after.
- Issued by
- Wisconsin Secretary of State
- County step
- Not required
- State fee
- $10.00 per document standard, $35.00 per document expedited
- Typical time
- Seven to ten or more business days standard; one to three business days expedited; walk-in expedited usually same day
- Federal fee
- $20 per document
What Wisconsin requires of the document
- Eligible documents include court records, vital records, school documents, state documents and documents notarised by a Wisconsin notary.
- All signatures must be original. Photocopies are not accepted.
Where to send it
By post: Wisconsin Secretary of State, PO Box 7848, Madison, WI 53707-7848
By courier: Courier: 17 W. Main Street, Madison, WI 53703-3960. Walk-in: B41 West State Capitol, Madison, WI 53703
Timing: Seven to ten or more business days standard; one to three business days expedited; walk-in expedited usually same day
Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin require a county clerk certification first?
No. Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin. Where does it go?
To Wisconsin. Authentication follows the document, not the person. Where you live has no bearing on it.
Can Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin charge?
$10.00 per document standard, $35.00 per document expedited 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.
