State Apostille Service
Secretary of State Authentication · All 50 States · Flat-Rate $101 per Document
A state apostille authenticates documents issued or notarized by a U.S. state — vital records, academic records, notarized affidavits, ID copies, and state corporate filings — for legal use abroad. FederalApostille.org coordinates the full submission to the appropriate Secretary of State on your behalf.
What Is a State Apostille?
A state apostille is a certificate issued by a U.S. state's Secretary of State office that authenticates a state-issued or state-notarized document for legal use in another country under the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.
Our team handles the eligibility review, the prerequisite notarization (when required), the submission package, and the secure return of your authenticated originals from the state office.
When Is a State Apostille Required?
A state apostille is required when any of the following conditions apply:
- You are applying for dual citizenship in a country that requires a U.S. state-issued vital record (Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Poland, Germany).
- You are marrying abroad and the destination country requests an authenticated single-status affidavit, birth certificate, or divorce decree.
- You are applying to a foreign university with U.S. academic transcripts, diplomas, or degrees.
- You need to present a U.S. driver's license, state ID, or passport copy to a foreign government, employer, or financial institution.
- You are registering a foreign business using a U.S. state-issued certificate of good standing or articles of incorporation.
- You need to authenticate a state court document, power of attorney, or other notarized affidavit for use abroad.
We verify your destination country's requirements and confirm eligibility before any state filing is made.
State Documents Eligible for Apostille or Authentication
Common State Documents
- Birth Certificates — originally certified by the state's vital records office
- Marriage Certificates — certified copies issued by the state or county clerk
- Death Certificates — originally certified state copies
- Divorce Decrees — court-certified copies with the clerk's seal
- Academic Records — transcripts, diplomas, and degrees from U.S. institutions
- Driver's License / State ID — notarized photocopies for foreign use
- Passport Copies — notarized photocopies for international identity verification
- Driving Records / DMV Abstracts — state-issued certified driving history reports
- Power of Attorney — notarized POA documents for international legal use
- Corporate Documents — articles of incorporation, certificates of good standing, bylaws
- State Court Documents — court orders, judgments, and clerk-certified records
- Notarized affidavits (single-status, parental consent, custody, and other declarations)
Important Eligibility Notes
- Vital records must be originally certified copies with raised seals — photocopies are rejected by every state Secretary of State.
- Notarized documents must be originally notarized in wet ink — they cannot be scanned and re-submitted.
- Copies of IDs, passports, academic records, and benefit letters can be uploaded — our notary will certify the copy before submission, for a $25 per-document notarization fee.
- The Secretary of State offices in New York, Texas, and Nevada charge a higher filing fee than other states. Documents from these three states are subject to a $100 per-document surcharge at checkout.
- The apostille certificate is physically attached to the original document. Plan for the original to be away from you for the duration of processing.
Hague Apostille vs. Embassy Legalization
Hague Member Country — Apostille Only
- Issued when the destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention.
- No embassy legalization required.
- Document is ready for international use immediately upon return from the state Secretary of State.
Non-Hague Country — Authentication + Legalization
- Required when the destination country is not a Hague member (e.g., UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, Vietnam).
- State-level authentication is the first step, followed by U.S. Department of State authentication and additional embassy or consulate legalization.
- FederalApostille.org coordinates onward embassy legalization when required.
Our State Apostille Process
Document Review & Pre-Screening
Eligibility verification and formatting check against the issuing state's Secretary of State requirements.
Notarization (if required)
For uploaded copies of IDs, academic records, and benefit letters, our notary public certifies the copy before submission.
Submission to Secretary of State
Submission of the request package to the appropriate state Secretary of State office on your behalf.
Secure Return or Delivery
Tracked shipping back to you, or forwarded for embassy legalization if your destination country requires it.
Mail-In Address for State Documents
Originally certified vital records and originally notarized documents must be mailed to our state processing office:
17875 Von Karman Ave., Suite 150
Irvine, CA 92614
Include a printed copy of your order confirmation with the documents. Use a trackable carrier (USPS Priority Mail with tracking, FedEx, UPS, or DHL). We are not responsible for documents lost or damaged during inbound shipping.
Processing Times
Current state processing time: 7 business days (excluding Fridays and federal holidays), from the time your documents are received in our office.
Processing times can vary by state. California, Florida, and Illinois are typically faster, while New York, Texas, and Nevada take slightly longer (and include the $100 per-document state surcharge). FederalApostille.org provides up-to-date processing guidance at the time of submission so you know exactly when to expect your authenticated documents.
Who Uses State Apostille Services?
Our state apostille services support:
- Applicants pursuing dual citizenship (Italian, Irish, Polish, German, Mexican jure sanguinis claims).
- Individuals marrying abroad who need authenticated single-status affidavits, birth certificates, or divorce decrees.
- International students submitting U.S. transcripts, diplomas, and degrees to foreign universities.
- Expatriates and professionals presenting U.S. IDs, driver's licenses, and academic records to foreign employers and government agencies.
- Businesses registering subsidiaries abroad with state-issued certificates of good standing or articles of incorporation.
- Families navigating international adoption, custody, or estate matters with authenticated state court records.
Important Disclosures
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I upload my documents, or do I have to mail them in?
It depends on the document type. Originally certified vital records (birth, marriage, death, divorce certificates) and originally notarized documents must be mailed in — the Secretary of State requires the original raised seal or wet-ink notary signature.
Copies of IDs, passports, academic records, retirement and benefit letters, and similar documents can be uploaded. Our notary will certify the copy before submission, for a $25 per-document fee.
Why is there a $100 surcharge for New York, Texas, and Nevada?
The Secretary of State offices in these three states charge a significantly higher per-document filing fee than other states. The surcharge passes that fee through to your order; it is not a service markup. You'll see the surcharge applied automatically when you select one of these states as the state of origin at checkout.
How long does state apostille processing take?
Standard processing time is 7 business days (excluding Fridays and federal holidays) from the time we receive your documents. Mail-in transit time and embassy legalization (for non-Hague countries) add to that total. Each step is tracked and you receive an update at every stage.
What if I have both federal and state documents in the same order?
You can submit both jurisdictions in a single order at checkout. Federal documents are processed at our Washington, DC office and state documents at our Irvine, CA office. Return shipping is billed twice because the documents come back from two different offices. The combined order has one estimated completion date covering both lanes.
Do you handle embassy legalization for non-Hague countries?
Yes. When the destination country is not a Hague Apostille Convention member, we coordinate the full chain: state-level authentication first, then U.S. Department of State authentication (when required), then embassy or consulate legalization.
Can you return my documents as digital scans only?
Yes. Select "Digital scans only — no physical return" at checkout. We email high-resolution scans of the apostilled documents to you once processing is complete. Per-document scan fees are included free with this delivery option. Original physical documents are held for 30 days then securely destroyed unless you arrange pickup or shipping within that window.
Is FederalApostille.org affiliated with a state Secretary of State office?
No. We are a private document authentication service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of any state or federal government office. We coordinate submissions to the appropriate Secretary of State on your behalf as a service provider.
What happens if my document is rejected by the Secretary of State?
Our pre-submission review minimizes rejection risk. In the rare case that a document is rejected (typically due to a missing notary commission date, a missing seal, or an issuing-clerk signature that doesn't match the state's roster), we return the document to you with the rejection notice and detailed remediation steps. The Secretary of State filing fee is non-refundable, but our processing fee is fully refunded for unprocessable rejections.
