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Eligibility · CA SOS vs. Federal · Hague Routing

Which Documents
Can Be Apostilled

Q: Which documents can be apostilled in California?

Four buckets of California-source documents: vital records (birth, marriage, death certified copies from CDPH or county recorder), court records (divorce decrees, judgments, orders — court-certified copies), notarized documents (powers of attorney, affidavits, contracts notarized by a California notary), and academic and business records (registrar-certified transcripts and diplomas, SOS business records). Federal documents route through the U.S. Department of State; out-of-state documents route through the issuing state.

Eligibility comes down to three things: who issued the document, whether it is in the correct certified or notarized form, and whether the destination country is a Hague Convention party. This page maps every common document to its correct authority — California Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State, or another state.

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At a glance

California-issuedCalifornia Secretary of State · or California-notarized

FederalU.S. Department of State · FBI, USCIS, IRS

Out-of-stateThat state’s Secretary of State

Office416 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 · Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm PT

Price$180 mail-in · $450 same-day · $650 for 3

Four buckets

Direct Answer

Documents eligible for a California apostille fall into four buckets: vital records (birth, marriage, death certified copies), court records (divorce decrees, court-certified judgments), notarized documents (powers of attorney, affidavits, contracts), and academic and business records (registrar-certified transcripts and diplomas, certified business records). Federal documents — FBI, USCIS, IRS — route through the U.S. Department of State, not California.

Three questions

Eligibility in 30 Seconds

01Who issued it? California-issued or California-notarized → California Secretary of State. Federal → U.S. Department of State. Out-of-state → that state’s Secretary of State.

02Is it in the correct form? Certified copy (not informational) for vital records; court-certified copy (not conformed) for court documents; complete acknowledgment for notarized documents; registrar-certified or notarized copy statement for academic records.

03Is the destination a Hague party? If yes — apostille. If no — embassy or consulate legalization. The HCCH member list is the authoritative reference for current membership.

California Secretary of State

California-Issued Documents

Five categories, each with the form the Secretary of State expects.

CA SOS · CDPH / County Recorder

Vital Records

Must be a certified copy with raised seal and Registrar signature. Informational copies are not apostille-eligible.

01Birth certificate — certified copy from CDPH or county recorder

02Marriage certificate — certified copy (public or confidential)

03Death certificate — certified copy, authorized requesters

04Stillbirth & fetal death certificates — certified copies from CDPH

CA SOS · Superior Court

Court Records

Some destinations require county clerk certification of the judge’s signature before the apostille — confirm with the destination consulate.

01Divorce decree — court-certified final decree

02Court judgments & orders — clerk-signed certified copies

03Probate records — Letters Testamentary / Administration

04Adoption records — some sealed; need court order

05Name change orders — court-certified copies

CA SOS · CA Notary Public

Notarized Documents

Notary commission current as of the notarization date; complete acknowledgment or jurat block. The apostille authenticates the notary’s signature, not the document’s substance.

01Power of attorney — CA-notarized for international use

02Affidavits & sworn statements

03Contracts & agreements — notarized for foreign jurisdictions

04Single / marital status declarations

05Acknowledgments of paternity

06Real estate deeds & conveyances

07Copies of private documents — diplomas, passports, licenses — with the holder’s notarized sworn statement that the copy is true and complete

CA SOS · Registrar or Notary

Academic Records

Registrar signature on file with the California Secretary of State for the direct-certification route; otherwise the notarized copy-statement route applies.

01Diploma — registrar-certified copy or a copy with a notarized copy statement

02Transcript — sealed registrar or notarized copy statement

03Degree verification letters — registrar-issued

04Enrollment certificates — registrar-issued

05Credential evaluation reports — when notarized for foreign use

CA SOS · Business Programs

Business & Corporate Records

01Articles of incorporation — certified SOS copy

02Certificate of good standing

03Certificate of qualification / authorization

04Corporate resolutions & bylaws — copies with an officer’s notarized sworn statement that they are true and complete

05Statement of information — certified SOS copy

06Trademark registration — CA-issued; USPTO routes federal

07Fictitious business name statements — county clerk certified

Notarization first

Need notarization before your apostille?

Powers of attorney, affidavits, contracts, and diploma copies need a notarized copy statement before the California Secretary of State can apostille them. Apostille San Francisco is a proud partner of Sacramento Notary Co — trusted California notarization since 2017. They notarize; we apostille.

Not California

Federal Documents

Route Through the U.S. Department of State

Federal documents go to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, 600 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006. The California Secretary of State will return a federal document sent to it. See our federal apostille page.

01FBI Identity History Summary — FBI background check

02USCIS documents — Naturalization, immigrant visa records

03IRS documents — federal tax return certifications

04Federal court documents — U.S. District Court judgments

05FDA documents — Certificate to Foreign Government

06Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

07Federal trademark & patent documents (USPTO)

08FCC licenses, FAA certifications, military records (DD-214)

Not California

Out-of-State Documents

Route Through the Issuing State

A birth certificate from Texas, a marriage from New York, a divorce from Nevada — all must be apostilled by that state’s Secretary of State, not California. The California Secretary of State only authenticates California-source documents. Apostille San Francisco can coordinate out-of-state apostilles through any U.S. state Secretary of State.

Not eligible

What Cannot Be Apostilled

01Unsigned Photocopies The apostille attaches to a signature. Without a public-official or notary signature, there is nothing to authenticate.

02Informational Vital Records Copies marked “Informational, not a valid document” cannot be apostilled — only certified copies qualify.

03Foreign-Issued Documents A document from a foreign country must be authenticated by that country’s authority, not by California.

04Translations Alone A translation without the underlying source document is not eligible. Translations are typically apostilled after the original, by re-notarizing the translation.

Our process

How We Route Your Document

01$45 Document Check We identify the correct bucket and route before any government fee is spent. $20 applied toward your apostille. Start a Document Check.

02California Secretary of State For state-source documents, filed with the California Secretary of State.

03U.S. Department of State For federal documents, via the Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.

04Out-of-State & Legalization Coordination through the issuing state’s Secretary of State, or embassy or consulate legalization for non-Hague destinations.

$45Document Check · $20 applied toward your apostille

How we handle it

We identify the correct bucket and route before any government fee is spent.

Federal documents route through the U.S. Department of State; out-of-state documents route through the issuing state.

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

Document Eligibility FAQ

Which documents can be apostilled in California?

Four buckets of California-source documents: vital records (birth, marriage, death certified copies from CDPH or county recorder), court records (divorce decrees, judgments, orders — court-certified copies), notarized documents (powers of attorney, affidavits, contracts notarized by a California notary), and academic and business records (registrar-certified transcripts and diplomas, SOS business records). Federal documents route through the U.S. Department of State; out-of-state documents route through the issuing state.

Can a photocopy be apostilled?

No. The apostille attaches to a public-official or notary signature; a photocopy without notarization or certification has no signature to authenticate. A California notary cannot certify the photocopy itself, but you can sign a sworn statement that it is a true and complete copy of the original and have a California notary notarize your signature — the apostille then authenticates the notary’s signature.

Can California apostille a foreign document?

No. The California Secretary of State only authenticates California-source documents. A foreign document — a Mexican birth certificate, a U.K. court order — must be authenticated by the issuing country’s apostille or legalization authority. We can advise on the foreign route but cannot file a foreign document in California.

Can the California Secretary of State apostille my FBI background check?

No. FBI Identity History Summary documents are federal records — they route through the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C., not the California Secretary of State. We prepare the federal package on your behalf. See the FBI background check apostille guide.

Can a translation be apostilled?

A translation alone is generally not apostille-eligible — the apostille needs a public-official or notary signature. The typical sequence is: the original is apostilled, a certified translator translates it, and the translator’s notarized statement is itself apostilled if the destination requires a double-apostille. Confirm the sequence with the destination consulate.

Can a California diploma or transcript be apostilled?

Yes, by two routes: a sealed transcript signed by the registrar of a California institution whose registrar’s signature is on file with the California Secretary of State, or a notarized copy statement where the registrar is not on file. See the California transcript apostille page for the full process.

Can a private letter or document be apostilled?

Only if it is notarized first by a California notary public. The notary’s acknowledgment converts the private document into a signed instrument with a public-official signature, which the California Secretary of State can then apostille. The apostille authenticates the notary’s signature, not the document’s content.

Does the document need to be in English?

A California notary may notarize a signature on a document in another language, but the notarial certificate must be completed in English and the notary must be able to communicate directly with the signer; a translation may still be needed for the destination. The Secretary of State apostille step does not require English — it attaches to whatever notarized or certified document is submitted. Destination-country translation requirements are separate.

Related Paths & Document Guides

California Apostille Process · Federal Apostille · Birth Certificate · Marriage Certificate · Divorce Decree · Death Certificate · Diploma · Transcript · Embassy Legalization · Pricing · $45 Document Check · Contact

Apostille issuance is by the California Secretary of State or the U.S. Department of State. Apostille San Francisco is a private filing service — not a government agency — and does not provide legal advice. Document form requirements and outcomes are set by the issuing authority.

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Which DocumentsCan Be Apostilled