California apostille by mail
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What it costs
$129for the first document, all-in
- Each additional
- $59
- Included
- Our service, the $20 California Secretary of State fee per apostille, and return shipping within the United States.
How it works
- You send
A photo of each document, then the original by mail.
- We do
Check the original against the photo, prepare the request with the fee, and send it to the Secretary of State. Each step shows on your tracking page.
- You get back
Your original with the apostille attached, after we check that the name, country and signing official match your order.
How long it takes
- Our part
- We send your document to the authority within 1 business day of receiving it, and ship it back within 1 business day of getting it back.
- The state, by mail
State is now processing mail received Nov 3.
California Secretary of State, checked Nov 12. A current figure, not a promise.
Overnight delivery does not speed up processing, and a mailed submission cannot be pulled for expedited service.
What can go wrong
The usual problems are a photocopy instead of the original, a notarized copy of a vital record, and a birth or death certificate that needs a county step first. Our check looks for each before you pay.
A photocopy instead of the original
Send us the original document.
A notarized copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate
Send the original certified copy.
A certificate signed by a local registrar or health officer
Get the county clerk certification or a new certified copy before you mail it.
A document from another state
An apostille has to come from the state that issued the document, and we do not take Nevada orders online yet. Change the issuing state and we will take a quote request.
If an authority still rejects a document, we resubmit it at no service charge. Refund policy
Or do it yourself
If your document is ready and you are not in a hurry, doing it yourself costs less: the state’s $20 per apostille plus postage.
| Compared on | Yourself | With us |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $20 per apostille, plus postage both ways | $129 all-in for the first document |
| You prepare | Cover sheet, check or money order, return envelope, and the original | A photo and the original |
| Before you send | No check; problems show up when the state reviews it | Each document is checked before you pay |
| If it is rejected | You fix it and send it again | We resubmit at no service charge |
What a mailed request needs
Mailed requests go to the California Secretary of State in Sacramento only. The fee is $20 per apostille.
- The original document.
- A cover sheet naming the destination country.
- A check or money order payable to "Secretary of State" for $20.00 per apostille, in blue or black ink with a complete address.
- A self-addressed return envelope (a prepaid tracked or overnight label may be included).
The cover sheet can be the state’s “Apostille Mail Request Cover Sheet” or your own, and it must name the country where the document will be used. Without prepaid return postage, the state returns your document by regular mail.
By US Postal Service
Notary Public SectionP.O. Box 942877Sacramento, CA 94277-0001By FedEx, UPS or DHL
Notary Public Section1500 11th Street, 2nd FloorSacramento, CA 95814Whose signatures the state can apostille
California notaries, and:
- County clerks and their deputies
- County recorders and their deputies
- The State Registrar (California Department of Public Health)
Before you mail it
- Send the original. The state accepts original documents only, and a photocopy cannot be apostilled.
- A notary public cannot certify a copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate.
- A birth or death certificate signed by a county health officer or local registrar may first need a county clerk certification, or a new certified copy from the county recorder or the California Department of Public Health.
- Overnight delivery does not speed up processing, and the state cannot pull a mailed submission for expedited service.
In person instead of by mail
The state also takes requests in person in Sacramento and Los Angeles. In person there is an additional $6 special handling fee for each different public official’s signature. Sacramento accepts Visa, Mastercard, check, money order, cash. Los Angeles accepts Visa, Mastercard, check, money order, and no cash.
Questions
How much does an apostille cost in total?
A state apostille by mail costs $129 for the first document and $59 for each additional one, for every state we take orders for. For California documents, the same-day Los Angeles counter costs $249. A federal apostille costs $149. Each price includes our service, the government fee and return shipping within the United States. There are no other fees.
How long does it take?
We send your document to the authority within 1 business day of receiving it, and ship it back within 1 business day of getting it back. The authority's time is separate and we cannot promise it. Where a state publishes a figure, that state's page here shows it with the day we read it. For example: On November 12, 2026 the California Secretary of State reported it was processing mailed apostille requests received on November 3, 2026. In-person requests at the Los Angeles office are typically processed within 30 minutes.
Can a photocopy be apostilled?
Not for a California document. The California Secretary of State accepts original documents only, and a photocopy cannot be apostilled. Other states have their own rules, and each state's page here lists what that state says.
Does overnight shipping make the state process my request faster?
No. The California Secretary of State says overnight delivery does not speed up processing, and it cannot pull a mailed submission for expedited service. If you need speed, the Los Angeles counter handles requests in person.
How much does it cost to do a California apostille myself?
The California Secretary of State charges $20 per apostille, paid by check or money order payable to "Secretary of State" for a mailed request. You also pay your own postage both ways. In person there is an additional $6 special handling fee for each different public official's signature.
Which states do you take orders for?
We take online orders, at an instant all-in price, for documents from Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas, and for federal documents. An apostille has to come from the state that issued the document, so we send each one to its own state. For a document from any other state, request a quote in the order form and we reply by email with a price.
What happens if the authority rejects my document?
If an authority rejects a document, we tell you why and what is needed, and we resubmit it at no service charge.