Apostille San Francisco sealApostille San Francisco
Taking new files today(415) 439-0289
California Secretary of State · Notary Public Section

Sacramento Secretary of State
Apostille

Every California apostille is issued by the California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section. Walk-ins go to the Sacramento public counter at 1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor, or the Los Angeles office at 300 South Spring Street. Mail to P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001. Fee: $20 per apostille, plus a $6 special handling fee for each different public official’s signature on in-person requests.

Talk to a SpecialistRun the $45 Document Check →
At a glance
Sacramento counter1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor · walk-in, no appointments
Los Angeles office300 South Spring Street, Room 12513 · no cash
Mail, USPS onlyP.O. Box 942877 · Sacramento, CA 94277-0001
State fee$20 per apostille · $6 per official’s signature in person
Price$180 mail-in · $450 same-day · $650 for 3
Counter-Filing Readiness Gate

Three checks before you file in Sacramento

Most counter rejections come down to one of three pre-filing misses. If any of these is unclear, run the $45 Document Check first — one business day to confirm eligibility, and $20 of the $45 is applied toward your apostille when you proceed.

01The document is California-issued or California-notarized. The California Secretary of State only authenticates California-source documents — federal records route through the federal authentication routing at the U.S. Department of State.
02The destination is a Hague Apostille Convention party. If not, the document needs embassy or consulate legalization instead.
03The underlying record is in the correct form — a CDPH or county certified copy for vital records; a current-commission notary acknowledgement for notarized documents.
The office

What the California Secretary of State Apostille Office Does

The California Secretary of State Notary Public Section authenticates the signature and seal of a California public official — a notary public, county clerk, or state registrar — by attaching an apostille. The apostille is the international authentication certificate established by the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961.

The office does not verify the content of the underlying document. It verifies that the signature, seal, or stamp on the document belongs to a person currently authorized to sign it in California. Once the apostille is attached, the document is accepted by any of the 120+ countries that are party to the Convention.

Documents the office can authenticate include: California birth, marriage, and death certificates issued by the California Department of Public Health or a county recorder; documents notarized by a California notary public; California court documents bearing a clerk’s certification; and California-issued business records such as articles of incorporation and certificates of good standing. See eligible California documents for the full list.

Where to file

Three Routine Filing Routes

01

1. Sacramento Public Counter (3rd Floor) — Walk-In

California Secretary of State
Notary Public Section
1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

Service: walk-in, same-day when the document is eligible and counter capacity allows. No appointments. Take a numbered ticket on arrival.
Payment accepted: Visa, Mastercard, check, money order, cash.
Phone (general SOS Notary Section): (916) 653-6814.

02

2. Los Angeles Regional Office — Walk-In

California Secretary of State
Notary Public Section
300 South Spring Street, Room 12513
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Service: walk-in, same-day when the document is eligible and counter capacity allows. No appointments.
Payment accepted: Visa, Mastercard, check, money order. Cash is not accepted at the Los Angeles office.
Verify current room: as of 2026 the LA office has temporarily relocated within the building due to an elevator outage. Confirm the current room on sos.ca.gov before traveling. See Los Angeles regional office for the live address.

03

3. Mail Filing — Sacramento (Carrier-Specific)

USPS only:
California Secretary of State
Notary Public Section
P.O. Box 942877
Sacramento, CA 94277-0001

FedEx, UPS, DHL, and other private carriers:
California Secretary of State
Notary Public Section
1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

Private carriers cannot deliver to a P.O. Box. USPS does not deliver to the 11th Street loading dock. Using the wrong address returns the package to the sender unprocessed. Mail filings require the document, a destination-country cover sheet, a check or money order payable to “Secretary of State”, and a self-addressed return envelope. Full requirements on the mail filing route page.

State fees

California Apostille Fees

Statutory fees set by California law:

01$20.00 per apostille (per document).
02$6.00 Special Handling fee for each different public official’s signature authenticated, on in-person requests only.
03The $20 per-apostille fee is identical across routes — the $6 Special Handling fee applies to walk-in requests only, not mail.

Apostille San Francisco’s service fee is separate from these statutory fees and covers document review, courier to the Sacramento or Los Angeles counter, return delivery, and routing accuracy. See service + state fee breakdown for the full picture.

Timing

Hours and Current Processing Times

Public counter hours and current mail processing windows are dynamic. Both are posted by the California Secretary of State on its Secretary of State posted processing time page and can change with seasonal volume. Sacramento and Los Angeles counters typically allow for same-day filing when the visitor is in line during posted hours and the document meets eligibility requirements. Same-day outcomes are not guaranteed by the Secretary of State.

For an in-person/by-mail comparison and historical context on backlog, see current processing timelines.

Out of scope

What the Office Does Not Do

01Federal documents. FBI background checks, USCIS records, IRS documents, and any document signed by a federal official go through the federal authentication routing at the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.
02Out-of-state documents. A birth certificate from Texas must be apostilled by Texas, not California. The Sacramento office only authenticates California-source documents.
03Embassy or consulate legalization. If the destination country is not a Hague party, the document needs embassy or consulate legalization rather than an apostille.
04Document substance review. The office does not verify whether content is correct, current, or sufficient for the receiving country. Substance review is the document holder’s responsibility.
05Translation certification. The office authenticates the signature of a California public official; it does not certify translations. A translation is completed by a translator, notarized, and then the apostille is attached to the notarized translation.
How we handle it

How Apostille San Francisco Routes Documents to Sacramento

01Document arrives at our San Francisco hub at 416 Bryant Street by mail, drop-off, or Bay Area mobile notary.
02Pre-filing review. We verify the document is California-issued or California-notarized, the destination country is a Hague party, the notary commission is current, and the underlying certification is in order. Roughly one in five documents we receive needs correction before filing — this step is where the $20 state fee is protected from a counter rejection.
03Courier to Sacramento or Los Angeles. We carry the document to the California Secretary of State counter and pay the $20 statutory filing fee (plus $6 for each different public official’s signature) on the client’s behalf.
04Apostille attached. The Secretary of State attaches the apostille certificate to the document.
05Return delivery to the client by tracked courier or carrier of choice (FedEx, USPS Priority, international DHL).
Rejection traps

The Seven Most Common Counter Rejections (and the Fix)

01Informational copy of a vital record. The office cannot apostille an informational birth or marriage record — only CDPH-issued or county-recorder-issued certified copies are eligible. Fix: order a certified copy before traveling to the counter.
02Notary acknowledgement with an expired commission. The notary’s commission must be current as of the date of notarization. Fix: verify the notary’s commission on the SOS notary lookup before submission.
03Federal document filed in California. FBI background checks, USCIS documents, and IRS records require the U.S. Department of State, not California. Fix: route federal records through federal authentication routing.
04Cash brought to the Los Angeles office. LA does not accept cash. Fix: bring Visa, Mastercard, check, or money order.
05Missing destination-country cover sheet. A cover sheet identifying the destination country is required for both counter and mail filings. Fix: include a cover sheet per apostille requested.
06Wrong $6 calculation. The $6 Special Handling fee applies per different public official’s signature authenticated on a counter request — not per page and not per document. Fix: count signatures, not pages.
07Assuming the apostille works for any country. Apostilles are only valid in Hague Convention countries. China (mainland, post-November 2023 accession), India, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., and most of Europe are Hague parties. The UAE, Qatar, and several others require embassy or consulate legalization instead.
Choose a route

Walk-In vs. Mail vs. Courier — Which Is Right?

01Walk-in (counter) filing at Sacramento or Los Angeles: document brought to the counter during posted hours, $20 fee paid (plus $6 for each different public official’s signature), apostille typically issued the same business day when capacity allows. Best for urgent timelines, single documents, and sensitive originals where chain of custody matters.
02Mail filing to Sacramento: see the mail filing route for the full package list. Best for non-urgent timelines, multiple documents, requesters who cannot travel.
03Courier service via Apostille San Francisco: Sacramento is roughly 90 miles from San Francisco — a round trip takes most of a business day. Our courier routes documents on a regular Sacramento schedule and can run same-day in-person filing on a client’s behalf when timing requires it, without the client making the trip.
$450Same-day · Sacramento counter
Skip the drive to Sacramento

We file at the California Secretary of State on your behalf.

One business day to verify eligibility, fee, and destination-country routing before the document leaves your hands. The $45 Document Check puts $20 toward your apostille when you proceed; non-refundable if the document is declined. Counter timing follows the Secretary of State’s posted hours; same-day outcomes are not guaranteed.

Call (415) 439-0289Start the $45 Document Check

California Secretary of State Apostille FAQ

01

Where in California can I get an apostille in person?

Two California Secretary of State locations: the Sacramento public counter at 1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor, and the Los Angeles regional office at 300 South Spring Street. Both accept walk-in same-day filings during posted hours when document eligibility and counter capacity allow. The Secretary of State also runs Pop-Up Shop events around the state throughout the year. Same-day outcomes are not guaranteed by the Secretary of State.
02

What is the California apostille fee?

$20.00 per apostille (per document), plus a $6.00 Special Handling fee for each different public official’s signature authenticated on in-person requests (for example, $26.00 for one document with one signature). Fees are statutory; mail requests pay $20.00 per apostille only. Apostille San Francisco service fees are separate from the statutory filing fee.
03

Can I get a California apostille at a county clerk or city hall?

No. Apostilles for California-source documents are issued only by the California Secretary of State. County clerks and city offices cannot issue apostilles. The two California Secretary of State counters that issue apostilles in person are Sacramento and Los Angeles.
04

What is the mail address for a California apostille?

For USPS: California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001. For FedEx, UPS, or DHL: California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section, 1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. The two intakes are not interchangeable; using the wrong one returns the package to sender.
05

Can the Sacramento office issue an apostille for an FBI background check?

No. FBI Identity History Summary documents are federal records authenticated by the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C., not by the California Secretary of State. A federal document sent to California is returned. Apostille San Francisco prepares federal routing on a client’s behalf.
06

How long does the California Secretary of State take to process a mail filing?

Mail processing time is set by the Secretary of State and varies with current backlog. The Secretary of State publishes the posted processing time at sos.ca.gov/notary/processing-times — that page is the only authoritative source. Walk-in filings at Sacramento or Los Angeles are typically same-day when document eligibility and counter capacity allow. Outcomes are not guaranteed by Apostille San Francisco.
07

What payment methods does the Sacramento office accept?

Sacramento accepts Visa, Mastercard, check, money order, and cash. The Los Angeles office accepts the same methods except cash, which is not accepted in Los Angeles. Mail filings accept check or money order only — payable to “Secretary of State”.
08

Does the California Secretary of State certify translations?

No. The Secretary of State authenticates the signature of a California public official; it does not certify translations. A translation is completed by a translator and then notarized; the apostille is then attached to the notarized translation, authenticating the notary’s signature.
09

Will the receiving country accept my California apostille?

Yes, if the destination is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. If the destination is not a Hague party, the document requires embassy or consulate legalization instead of an apostille. The Sacramento office authenticates the signature only — acceptance by the foreign authority is governed by that authority’s rules.
10

Do I need an appointment for the Sacramento or Los Angeles counter?

No. Both the Sacramento and Los Angeles California Secretary of State counters operate on a walk-in basis. No appointments are accepted. Visitors take a numbered ticket on arrival and wait for their number to be called. Counter hours are posted on sos.ca.gov.
What changed

Last reviewed: 2026-05-23.

Call now$45 Document Check
Apostille San FranciscoCA Secretary of State apostille service Start Document Check Call (415) 439-0289