How to Get an Apostille in South Carolina

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

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South Carolina apostille cost and time calculator

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How much does a South Carolina apostille cost?

A South Carolina apostille costs $5 per document, and this is worth stating clearly because a lot of older pages still repeat a $2 figure from years ago. The Secretary of State's Office now lists $5 for each document, and a single document may contain several pages under that one fee. Payment is by personal or company check, money order, or cash, made payable to the Secretary of State's Office, which is unusual since many states refuse cash. As always, the $5 is the state charge only, and any private service adds its own handling fee on top, which is the bulk of the flat rates advertised online. Confirm the current fee on the official site before you send anything, since fees change and the outdated number is still widely copied.

Who issues apostilles in South Carolina?

Apostilles in South Carolina are issued by the Secretary of State's Office, through its Authentications section in Columbia. The office certifies the signature of an elected or appointed official, or an authorized staff member whose signature is on file, and it also certifies documents notarized by a commissioned South Carolina notary; it issues an apostille for Hague Convention countries and a certification for the rest. It handles South Carolina documents only, so a document from another state goes to that state. A private document such as a power of attorney must be notarized by a commissioned South Carolina notary first, while vital records must be certified copies; all signatures must be original, not photocopies.

How long does a South Carolina apostille take?

A South Carolina apostille takes about two business days once the office receives your request, not counting mail transit in each direction. You can mail the documents, send them by UPS or FedEx, or hand-deliver them to the Authentications office in Columbia between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., which is the fastest option if you are nearby. Include a completed request with the destination country, your payment, and a return method so the finished apostille comes back promptly. For a firm foreign deadline, hand-delivery plus a prepaid return label keeps the whole round trip within a few days.

Can South Carolina apostille an FBI background check?

No, South Carolina cannot apostille an FBI background check, because it is a federal document authenticated by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. Sending a federal report to Columbia means it comes back unprocessed. The South Carolina Secretary of State authenticates documents issued or notarized in South Carolina, such as a South Carolina birth certificate from the Department of Health and Environmental Control or a power of attorney notarized by a commissioned South Carolina notary. Federal documents and those from other states each go back to their own authority.

By the Trámites Notariales US editorial team. Sources: South Carolina Secretary of State's Office, Apostilles (sos.sc.gov). Confirm the current fee and where to mail it before you proceed.