California
California processes more apostilles than any other state, and its Secretary of State runs offices in Sacramento and Los Angeles for exactly that reason. We submit California documents daily. You mail us the document from anywhere; we handle the Sacramento run, the fees, and the return courier.
Vital records need to be certified copies bearing the signature of an authorized official the Secretary of State can verify: the State Registrar, a county recorder or their deputy, or a county clerk or their deputy. If a birth or death certificate instead carries a local Health Officer’s or County Registrar’s signature, it needs county clerk certification first, or a fresh certified copy from the county recorder or the state health department. Informational copies (the ones stamped “informational, not a valid document to establish identity”) will be rejected. If your certificate says that anywhere on its face, order a new authorized copy first, and we can tell you where.
Notarized documents are more forgiving in California than in New York: most go straight from the notary to the Secretary of State with no county step. The notarization itself has to be flawless, though. California is strict about its notarial wording, and an out-of-date acknowledgment form gets bounced.
Court and school documents each have their own signature requirements; send a scan and we’ll confirm the chain before you ship anything.
The state charges $20 per apostille plus a $6 handling fee for in-person submissions. Mail processing at the Sacramento office typically runs 3 to 4 weeks; counter service is faster when available. Our flat service price is on the rates page.
Tech employment visas needing degree verifications, property transactions in Latin America running on California-notarized powers of attorney, and birth certificates for dual citizenship top the list. If your document is going to a non-Hague country, it needs embassy legalization after the California step, and we run the full chain.
How much does a California apostille cost?
The state charges $20 per document. Our all-in service price is on the rates page.
Can you apostille my California birth certificate if I live in New York?
Yes. Location never matters; the issuing state does. Mail us the certified copy and we handle Sacramento.
Does my California notarized document need a county clerk step?
Usually not. California accepts most notarized documents directly, unlike New York.
How long does a California apostille take?
Mail processing runs 3 to 4 weeks at the Sacramento office. Counter service is faster when available. Call us for the current queue.
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