Authentication of Documents as Mandated by the Government

Below is a list of all 50 states and some of their requirements. This is not an exhaustive list. Due to post-pandemic delays and staff shortages, current process times are inflated. Plan accordingly. Use our rush services where available.

We recommend ordering recently issued vital documents with the current state official's signature on it. To order newer vital documents, please check www.vitalchek.com.

** Concerning notarized documents: Signed documents must be notarized according to State law. Since the notarization is the driving force behind the Apostille for signed documents, it is critical to be sure your document is properly notarized or face rejection. Every state requires a full notary public statement as required by law. Notaries should be advised that they must use the full and complete, statutorily appropriate notarial blocks for all documents they notarize.

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Alabama: All birth and death certificates must bear the signature of the current Alabama State Registrar, Nicole Henderson Rushing. All documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a notarized English translation.

Alaska: Notarized documents must be notarized by commissioned notaries public. Vital records must be issued directly by Alaska’s Vital Records office.

Arizona: General state rules apply.

Arkansas: All documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a notarized English translation.

California: Birth certificates must have the signature of county clerks or recorders. Process times can be lengthy, consider rush services if time is short. Rush services are available.

Colorado: Documents must be notarized by a Colorado notary public or certified by Vital Records or the county clerk's office.

Connecticut: Documents must be properly notarized. Vital documents must be original. Rush services are available.

Delaware: All documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a notarized English translation. Rush services are available.

Florida: Birth certificates must have the current state registrar, Ken Jones, signature on it. Notarized documents MUST have the full and proper notary acknowledgement indicating online notary or physical presence. Ask us for a sample. Rush services are available.

Georgia: Publicly recorded documents must be officially certified copies with the signature and seal of the issuing Georgia state or county official. Rush services are available.

Hawaii: We will need to order new documents on your behalf. This state requires an official signature to be notarized. Prepare for at least 4 weeks of processing time.

Idaho: Documents must be a certified copy or an original notarized document, notarized by an Idaho notary public.

Illinois: Vital records (birth/death certificate, marriage or dissolution of marriage certificate, etc.) authenticated, you should first get a certified copy of the record from the county clerk, local registrar, or Illinois Department of Public Health/Vital Records Division. Divorce decrees must be a certified copy from the circuit clerk of the court. Rush services are available.

Indiana: Vital records must be obtained from the Indiana State Department of Health and Vital Records. A certified copy of a county record is not acceptable.

Iowa: General state rules apply.

Kansas: General state rules apply.

Kentucky: Department of Vital Statistics (birth certificates, death certificates, etc.) must be signed/issued by the current state registrar. Notary authentication is required before Apostille.

Louisiana: Notarized documents: notarization must fully comply with Louisiana Notary Law or the document will be rejected. Rush services are available.

Maine: Notarized documents: notarization must fully comply with Maine Notary Law or the document will be rejected.

Maryland: Vital records must have the signature of Geneva G. Sparks, deputy director and state registrar for vital records on it.

USA passport on top of a black notebook and a clipboard

Massachusetts: Notarized documents: notarization must fully comply with Massachusetts Notary Law or the document will be rejected. Rush services are available.

Michigan: Only certified copies of birth, marriage, divorce, and death records by a Michigan county clerk; city clerk or registrar in the counties of Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb only; or the Michigan state registrar are eligible for authentication.

Minnesota: General state rules apply.

Mississippi: General state rules apply. Rush services are available.

Missouri: Birth certificate - must be a certified copy from Vital Statistics
Marriage license - must be a certified copy from the recorder of deeds of the county of the marriage or from Vital Statistics.
Divorce decree - must be a certified copy from the circuit clerk of the county where the divorce is recorded.

Montana: Vital document must be issued within the last 5 years. Notaries should be advised that they must use the full and complete, statutorily appropriate notarial blocks for all documents they notarize.

Nebraska: General state rules apply.

Nevada: Process times can be lengthy, consider rush services if time is short. Rush services are available.

New Hampshire: Only notary public or justice of the peace signatures can receive Apostille.

New Jersey: Vital document should have a state registrar's signature on it. Local documents will not be processed. Rush services are available.

New Mexico: General state rules apply.

New York: This state requires documents to be authenticated before an Apostille can be applied. This will add to the processing time. Some form of rush service is available.

North Carolina: Documents must be certified since April 1, 2000. All documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a notarized English translation. Rush services are available.

North Dakota: General state rules apply.

Ohio: General state rules apply. Rush services are available.

Oklahoma: General state rules apply. Rush services are available.

Oregon: Birth/death certificate, marriage, or dissolution of marriage certificate should be obtained from the Oregon Center for Health Statistics. County records are not appropriate.

Pennsylvania: General state rules apply. Due to post-pandemic delays, the current process time is up to 6 weeks. RUSH is now available.

Holding the hands of another person
A USA passport on top of metal stamp sets

Puerto Rico: Documents must be less than 2 years old.

Rhode Island: Documents to be authenticated must contain the original signature of a Rhode Island public official whose appointment of office is on record with the office of the Secretary of State.

South Carolina: All documents in a foreign language must be signed, notarized, and accompanied by an English translation signed by the translator with the translator’s signature notarized. Rush services are available.

South Dakota: General state rules apply.

Tennessee: Notary must be authenticated by the county prior to Apostille.

Texas: Documents should be state or county issued within the last 10 years.

Utah: Rush services are available.

Vermont: General state rules apply.

Virginia: Documents must have an issue date of 12 months or less.

Washington State: General state rules apply. Rush services are available.

Washington DC: Marriage certificates and divorce decrees must be the originals issued by the US Superior Court of the District of Columbia with Triple Seal.

West Virginia: Only documents that are attested to by a notary public, county clerk, or the State Registrar of Vital Statistics can be certified.

Wisconsin: Vital Records are issued by Wisconsin County Registers of Deeds, Wisconsin County Clerks of Courts, or the Wisconsin State Office of Vital Records. Rush services are available.

Wyoming: The document must be certified by a Wyoming official such as a county clerk or deputy, state registrar or deputy, state examiner, or acknowledged before a Wyoming notary public.

U.S. Department of State (Federal): FBI background reports can be sent to us physically or we can accept the encrypted pdf file from your Channeler/FBI. Scans are not acceptable. Social Security documents must be emailed to us for notarization and Apostille.
Original Certificates of Naturalization cannot be Apostilled. You must bring your certificate to your local USCIS office and request they make a certified copy called G-24. Send us your G-24 for Apostille or legalization.

FBI and other Federal Apostilles: The U.S. Department of State currently does not offer rush services. Due to staff shortages and other variables, the current process time is about 12 weeks. This is a government delay, not ours. Ask us how contacting your local Congressperson or Senator can help process these faster. We cooperate with all political parties to help you get your documents faster.