How to Get an Apostille in California: A Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

If you need to use a California-issued document in another country — a birth certificate for immigration, a diploma for studying abroad, a power of attorney for an international property transaction — you will almost certainly need an apostille in California before that document will be accepted. The apostille is the internationally recognized certificate that authenticates the signature of the public official on your document, and without it, most foreign governments will reject your paperwork outright.

At Wet Ink Notary LLC, we help clients throughout Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange Counties navigate every step of the apostille process — from notarization and county clerk authentication to final submission at the Secretary of State. In this guide, we walk through exactly how the process works in 2026, what it costs, how long it takes, and where people commonly run into problems.

What Is an Apostille?

An apostille is a certificate issued under the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. Before the Hague Convention, getting a document recognized in a foreign country required a lengthy chain of verifications involving multiple government offices and often a foreign consulate. The apostille replaced that entire chain with a single, standardized certificate.

An apostille in California is issued exclusively by the California Secretary of State. The certificate authenticates three things: the genuineness of the public official’s signature on your document, the capacity in which that official acted, and the identity of any seal or stamp on the document. Importantly, an apostille does not validate the contents of the document itself — it only confirms that the official who signed or stamped it was authorized to do so.

As of 2026, over 125 countries are party to the Hague Convention, including the Philippines, India, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and Australia. If the country where you need to present your document is a member, an apostille in California is the authentication method you need. If the destination country is not a Hague member, you may need an authentication and legalization instead — a different process that routes through the U.S. Department of State and the destination country’s embassy.

Step 1: Confirm Your Document Is Eligible for an Apostille in California

The California Secretary of State can only apostille documents that originate in California and bear the signature of a California public official. Not every document qualifies, so confirming eligibility is the essential first step before you invest time and money in the process.

Documents that typically qualify for an apostille in California include vital records such as birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, and divorce decrees; educational documents such as diplomas, transcripts, and degree certificates; legal documents such as powers of attorney, affidavits and sworn statements, and court orders; business documents such as articles of incorporation, certificates of good standing, and corporate resolutions; and any document that has been properly notarized by a commissioned California notary public.

There is an important distinction for vital records. If your birth or death certificate was issued by a city- or county-level agency and bears the signature of a local Health Officer or County Registrar rather than the State Registrar, you may need to have it certified by the county clerk’s office first — or obtain a new certified copy from the California Department of Public Health — before the Secretary of State can issue an apostille in California for that document.

Federal documents — such as FBI background checks, IRS certificates, or federal court records — cannot receive an apostille in California. These must go through the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C.

Step 2: Get Your Document Notarized (If Required)

Many of the documents that need an apostille in California must be notarized before they can be submitted to the Secretary of State. This is especially true for personal documents that are not already signed by a recognized public official — affidavits, declarations, consent letters, translations, and certain corporate documents all fall into this category.

The notarization must be performed by a California-commissioned notary public. A notarization performed in another state cannot be apostilled through the California Secretary of State — each state apostilles only its own documents. The notarial certificate must be in English for the Secretary of State to process it, although the underlying document itself can be in any language.

At Wet Ink Notary LLC, this is where we add the most value for our apostille clients. Our mobile notaries travel to your home, office, hospital, or any other convenient location throughout the Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley — including Ontario, Chino, Chino Hills, La Verne, Claremont, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Eastvale, Corona, Riverside, Fontana, Arcadia, Diamond Bar, and Anaheim Hills. We ensure that the notarization meets every requirement for an apostille in California so there are no rejections or delays downstream.

Before your notarization appointment, make sure you have acceptable identification ready — California has strict ID requirements, and bringing the wrong document is the most common cause of appointment delays. Our guide on how to prepare for a notarization appointment covers everything you need to know.

Step 3: Obtain County Clerk Authentication (For Notarized Documents)

If your document has been notarized, there is an intermediate step before you can get an apostille in California: county clerk authentication. The county clerk in the county where the notary holds their commission must verify that the notary’s commission was valid at the time the notarization was performed. This step bridges the gap between the notary’s signature and the Secretary of State’s apostille.

County clerk authentication is typically straightforward. You bring the notarized document to the clerk’s office, pay the authentication fee (which varies by county but is generally around $15–$25 per document), and receive a certificate attached to or stamped on your document. Processing times vary — some county offices offer same-day or next-day service, while others may take one to two business days.

If you are working with Wet Ink Notary LLC, we handle the county clerk authentication step on your behalf, so you don’t need to visit the clerk’s office yourself. This is especially helpful for clients in our Rancho Cucamonga apostille service area and Corona apostille service area who want a fully managed process.

Note that county clerk authentication is not required for all documents. Vital records issued by the State Registrar, court documents signed by a court clerk, and certain other documents bearing the signature of a recognized state public official may go directly to the Secretary of State without this intermediate step.

Step 4: Submit Your Document to the California Secretary of State

The California Secretary of State is the sole authority that can issue an apostille in California. There are three ways to submit your document for processing:

In person at the Sacramento or Los Angeles offices. The Sacramento office is located at 1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. The Los Angeles office is in the Ronald Reagan State Building at 300 South Spring Street, Los Angeles. Both offices offer same-day service — in-person submissions are typically processed within 30 minutes after submission. No appointment is required at either location, but you should arrive by 4:30 p.m. to guarantee service.

By mail through the Sacramento office. Mail-in requests are processed only by the Sacramento office. Send your documents via USPS to: Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001. If using FedEx, UPS, or DHL, send to: Notary Public Section, 1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. As of late April 2026, the Sacramento office is processing mail-in apostille requests received approximately four weeks prior. You can always check the current processing times on the Secretary of State’s website before mailing your documents.

Through an Apostille Pop-Up Shop. This is a newer option that many people don’t know about. Throughout the year, the Secretary of State partners with local county offices to bring in-person apostille services to communities across California. These pop-up events offer same-day processing without traveling to Sacramento or Los Angeles. Check the Secretary of State’s Pop-Up Shop schedule for upcoming dates and locations — San Bernardino County has hosted these events, which is great news for our Inland Empire clients.

Regardless of your submission method, you will need to include your original document (or certified copy), a completed apostille request cover sheet (available on the Secretary of State’s website), the required fee, and — for mail-in requests — a self-addressed return envelope with prepaid postage if you want tracking.

Step 5: Fees for an Apostille in California (2026)

The current fees for an apostille in California are set by the Secretary of State and have remained consistent:

$20.00 per apostille — this is the base fee regardless of whether you submit in person or by mail. $6.00 special handling fee — this additional fee applies to in-person submissions only and is charged for each different public official’s signature to be authenticated. The $6.00 fee does not apply to mail-in requests.

Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, check, or money order. Checks and money orders must be payable to “Secretary of State.” Cash is accepted at the Sacramento office but is not accepted at the Los Angeles office.

Here is a practical example: if you are submitting a single notarized affidavit in person at the Los Angeles office, you would pay $20.00 for the apostille plus $6.00 for the special handling fee — a total of $26.00. If you mailed the same document to Sacramento, you would pay only $20.00 because the special handling fee does not apply to mail-in requests.

Step 6: Receive Your Apostille

Once the Secretary of State processes your request, the apostille certificate is attached to your document. The apostille is a one-page certificate bearing the seal of the California Secretary of State and formatted according to the standards of the Hague Convention. Your document is then ready for international use in any member country — no further authentication or legalization is needed.

The California Secretary of State issues a single apostille format for all destination countries. You do not need to specify which country will receive the document for the apostille itself, although the request cover sheet does ask for the country of destination.

Timeline Summary: How Long Does an Apostille in California Take?

The total time to obtain an apostille in California depends on your submission method and whether your document requires notarization and county clerk authentication first. Here is a realistic breakdown for 2026:

In-person at Sacramento or Los Angeles: Same-day processing, typically within 30 minutes of submission. If your document also needs notarization and county clerk authentication beforehand, plan for one to three business days total depending on your county clerk’s turnaround time.

By mail through Sacramento: The Secretary of State currently has a processing backlog of approximately three to four weeks for mail-in requests, plus transit time each way. Plan for four to six weeks total from the day you mail your documents to the day you receive them back.

Through an Apostille Pop-Up Shop: Same-day processing at the event location. Availability depends on the Secretary of State’s published schedule, so check dates early and plan accordingly.

Through a professional service like Wet Ink Notary LLC: We typically complete the full process — notarization, county clerk authentication, and Secretary of State submission — within one to two weeks, with expedited options available for urgent deadlines.

How Wet Ink Notary LLC Simplifies the Apostille Process

Getting an apostille in California involves multiple steps, multiple offices, and specific requirements at each stage. Missing a single detail — an incomplete notarial certificate, a missing county clerk authentication, an incorrect payment amount — can add weeks to your timeline. That’s where Wet Ink Notary LLC comes in.

We handle the complete apostille process for clients throughout Southern California. Our services include document review and preparation to ensure your paperwork meets all apostille requirements before anything is submitted; mobile notarization at your location, whether that’s your home, office, hospital, or care facility; county clerk authentication at the appropriate clerk’s office; and submission to the Secretary of State with tracking and status updates throughout.

We have specific experience processing apostilles for documents destined for the Philippines, India, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and many other Hague Convention countries. Each destination may have its own quirks — for example, some countries require a certified translation in addition to the apostille, and others have specific formatting expectations for affidavits or declarations. Our experience with these requirements helps you avoid rejections that can cost weeks of additional delay.

If you are an attorney handling international matters, our mobile notary services for attorneys are designed to integrate smoothly with your existing workflow, including apostille coordination.

Common Documents We Process for Apostille in California

Our clients frequently need apostilles for birth certificates being submitted for immigration applications, dual citizenship claims, or international adoption proceedings; marriage certificates for spousal visa applications or civil registry filings abroad; academic credentials including diplomas, transcripts, and degree verifications for international university enrollment or professional licensing; powers of attorney for international property transactions, estate matters, or financial management across borders; corporate documents such as articles of incorporation, resolutions, and certificates of good standing for overseas business operations; and single-status affidavits, identity declarations, and other personal statements required by foreign civil registries for marriage or immigration.

If your document involves a trust signing or a certified copy of a power of attorney, we can handle both the notarization and the apostille coordination in a single engagement.

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting an Apostille in California

Can someone else submit my document for an apostille? Yes. Any individual can submit documents and pick them up on behalf of the person named in the document. You do not need to be present or related to the document holder. This is why professional services like Wet Ink Notary LLC can handle the entire submission process for you.

Can I get an apostille in California for a document notarized in another state? No. Each state apostilles only its own documents. If your document was notarized in Nevada, for example, you would need to obtain the apostille through the Nevada Secretary of State. Only documents notarized by a California-commissioned notary or signed by a California public official can receive an apostille in California.

Does my document need to be in English? The document itself can be in any language. However, the notarial certificate — if notarization is required — must be in English for the Secretary of State to process the apostille in California. If the receiving country requires a translation, that can be done before or after the apostille is issued, depending on the country’s requirements.

What if my country is not part of the Hague Convention? If your destination country is not a Hague Convention member, you will need an authentication and legalization instead of an apostille. This process requires the document to be authenticated by the Secretary of State, then further authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, and finally legalized by the embassy or consulate of the destination country. It is a longer and more involved process, but we can guide you through it.

How do I check the current processing time for a mail-in apostille? Visit the Secretary of State’s Current Processing Times page. This page is updated regularly and shows the date of the most recent mail-in requests being processed. As of late April 2026, the office is processing requests received approximately four weeks prior.

Is there a same-day option for an apostille in California? Yes. Both the Sacramento and Los Angeles Secretary of State offices offer same-day, walk-in service. In-person submissions are typically processed within 30 minutes. You will pay the $20 apostille fee plus the $6 special handling fee per public official’s signature. The Secretary of State also offers Apostille Pop-Up Shop events at various county locations throughout the year for same-day processing closer to home.

Get Started with Your Apostille Today

Whether you need a single birth certificate apostilled for an immigration filing or a stack of corporate documents authenticated for an international business deal, Wet Ink Notary LLC is ready to manage the process from start to finish. We serve clients throughout Ontario, Chino, Chino Hills, La Verne, Claremont, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario Ranch, Eastvale, Norco, Corona, Riverside, Fontana, Duarte, Arcadia, Diamond Bar, Brea, Walnut, Anaheim Hills, and the greater Southern California region.

Call or text us at (626) 248-0349 for a free consultation on your apostille needs. We’ll walk you through every step, handle the paperwork, and make sure your documents are properly authenticated for international use.

For more information on the apostille process, visit the California Secretary of State’s Apostille FAQ page.