Apostille San Francisco
Taking new files today(415) 439-0289
Apostille for France · from California documents
France.
France.
Hague since 1965.
No consulate step.
The French consulates in the United States require a U.S. birth or marriage certificate to be apostilled before it is transcribed into French civil records, and they state that records written in English are not translated. What fails is the certified copy underneath: issuing office, signature on file, issue date. We check that before the fee.
At a glance
RouteHague apostille · California Secretary of State
ConsulateNot required; the consulate asks for the apostille itself
DocumentsBirth, marriage, death certificates · divorce judgments · degrees and transcripts · FBI background checks (federal route) · powers of attorney
TranslationCivil-status records written in English are not translated for consular transcription (French consulates in the U.S.). Records in another language need a translator certified by the ATA. A French court, notaire or préfecture may set its own rule for other papers; we confirm before filing.
Price$180 mail-in · $450 same-day · $650 for 3
Before you send anything
What the counter accepts for France.
Each line is a real rejection we screen for in the $45 Document Check.
01Certified copy from the county recorder or CDPH, not a hospital or informational copy.
02Current signing official. The Secretary of State authenticates only signatures it has on file.
03Notarized first if it is a power of attorney, affidavit or copy certification.
04Issued within six months, and so is the apostille. For transcription of a birth or marriage, the French consulates in the U.S. want the U.S. certificate dated within the last six months and the apostille itself dated within six months. Photocopies and scans, even notarized, are refused. We time the order so both dates still hold when the file reaches the consulate.
$6503 documents · one emergency trip · filed together
Transcription and citizenship sets
Birth and marriage certificates for consular transcription, filed together in one Sacramento trip.
Returned tracked, with status updates, to France or wherever you are. Price confirmed before any work begins.
Asked on nearly every France call.
01Does the French consulate in San Francisco still need to legalize it?
No. France has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 24 January 1965, so a California Secretary of State apostille replaces consular legalization. The French consulates’ own transcription checklists state that the U.S. birth or marriage certificate must be apostilled by the Secretary of State of the state that issued it; there is no separate consular stamp.
02Do I need a French translation of my California certificate?
For consular transcription, no. The checklists state that civil-status records written in English are not translated. A record in any other language must be translated by an ATA-certified translator. A French court, notaire or préfecture may ask for a sworn translation for other documents, so we confirm with the receiving office before filing. Translation is Quoted per document by page and language before anything starts; delivered certified with a signed certificate of authenticity.
03My marriage certificate has to show the city and the officiant. Is that true?
For transcription of a marriage, yes: the consulate requires the U.S. marriage record to state the city where the marriage took place and the identity of the person who performed it, and it accepts only the original certified copy, dated within six months. We check the copy for both details before it is filed, and order a fresh certified copy from the county if the one you hold does not show them.
04I live in France already. Can you do the whole thing without me?
Yes. Order the certified copy from the county or the state and have it shipped to our office at 416 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, or mail us what you already hold. We check it, file it, and ship the finished apostille tracked to your address in France. International delivery is quoted per destination before we start, and we can keep you updated by WhatsApp if you prefer.