How to Get an Apostille in California

Educational information, not legal advice. Fees, addresses and processing times reflect the California Secretary of State and can change. Confirm current details on the official sos.ca.gov page before you mail anything.

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Who issues apostilles in California?

Apostilles in California are issued by the Secretary of State's Notary Public Section, which runs a public counter in Sacramento and a regional office in Los Angeles. The office authenticates the signature and seal of a California notary or public official, issuing an apostille for Hague Convention countries and a certification for the rest. It only handles California-source documents, so a certified copy of a California vital record, a California court document, or a California-notarized private document all qualify, while federal records do not. For a private document such as a power of attorney, have it notarized by a California notary first, because the state authenticates that notary's commission.

How much does a California apostille cost?

A California apostille costs $20 per apostille, and there is a detail that surprises people at the counter: a $6 special handling fee applies for each additional public official's signature authenticated on a document submitted over the counter. So a single-signature document is $20, but one that needs several officials' signatures verified climbs by $6 each. Payment is by credit card, check, money order or cash, with checks made out to the Secretary of State. As everywhere, the state fee is only the government charge; a private service adds its own handling on top. Confirm the current fees before submitting, since they can change.

How long does a California apostille take?

A California apostille in person is typically completed in about 30 minutes at the Sacramento or Los Angeles counter, so long as you arrive before the afternoon cutoff. By mail the answer is less fixed, because processing depends on the current backlog, and California is unusually transparent about it: the Secretary of State posts a "Current Processing Times" page showing the date of the requests it is working on right now. During busy stretches that gap has run to several weeks, so check the posted date before you rely on a timeline, and add mail transit in each direction. If a deadline is tight, the in-person route removes the guesswork.

How do you get an apostille in California, step by step?

You prepare the certified or notarized document, add a cover sheet, and submit it with the fee. The route below is the standard process.

1. Get the right certified document: a California-issued certified copy or a California-notarized document.
2. Add a cover sheet: use the Apostille Request Cover Sheet and name the destination country.
3. Choose mail or in person: mail to the Sacramento PO Box, or walk in to Sacramento or Los Angeles for same-day service.
4. Include payment and return postage: $20 per apostille, plus $6 per extra signature over the counter, and a self-addressed envelope.
5. Receive it: attached to your document; in person is usually about 30 minutes.

Can California apostille an FBI background check?

No, California cannot apostille an FBI background check, because an FBI Identity History Summary is a federal document authenticated by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. Filing it with the California Secretary of State results in rejection, which is a frequent and costly mistake. California authenticates documents issued or notarized in California, such as a California birth certificate or a power of attorney notarized by a California notary. Federal records, and documents from other states, go to their own authority instead. Remember too that non-Hague countries require embassy legalization rather than an apostille.

By the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section (Request an Apostille; Current Processing Times, sos.ca.gov). These details shift over time, so confirm them with the state before you act.