California Apostille, Authentication and Legalization Services

SF Notary + Apostille provides expedited apostille, authentication, legalization, and document-retrieval services for individuals and businesses throughout California, across the United States, and abroad. We retrieve vital records, corporate filings, divorce decrees, and other public documents and provide in-person mobile notary services throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego.

Our services include:

• One-business-day California Secretary of State apostilles

• Expedited apostilles from selected other states

• U.S. Department of State apostilles and authentications

• Embassy and consulate legalization

• In-person mobile notary service

• Certified vital-record and public-document retrieval

• Domestic and international FedEx shipping

Email info@sfnotary.com or call +1 (415) 655-9455 for a price quote.

Popular Apostille and Authentication Services

Apostille Service Pricing

Which Types of Documents Require an Apostille or Legalization?

Many types of documents may require additional authentication in order to be legally eligible for use in another country. For the purpose of clarification, we've put together some common examples of documents that require certification for use in foreign countries.

Fast California Apostille Service

We obtain California Secretary of State apostilles in as little as one business day. Before submission, we review your documents to identify notarization, certification or signature problems that could lead to rejection.

If your document must first be notarized, we can send a mobile notary to your home, office, hospital, school or another convenient location in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento or San Diego.

Expedited Apostilles From Other States

Documents issued or notarized outside California must be apostilled by the secretary of state in the state where the document was issued or notarized. We offer expedited out-of-state apostille services in selected states. Availability, cost and processing time depend on the state and document type, and destination country. Send us a description ot scan of your document so we can communicate expedited service availability, a price quote, and the estimated completion time.

U.S. Department of State Apostille and Authentication Service

Federal documents are generally processed through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. We obtain federal apostilles and authentication certificates for documents including:

• FBI background checks

• Certificates of Naturalization

• Certified records from the National Archives

• Federal court records

• Documents issued by federal agencies

• Consular Reports of Birth Abroad

• IRS form 6166, Certification of U.S. Tax Residency

• FDA and FTC certificates

The required certificate depends on the destination country and the type of document.

Embassy and Consulate Legalization

Documents intended for countries that are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention may require additional authentication and legalization by the destination country’s embassy or consulate.These requirements vary by country and can change without notice. We will determine the appropriate process, explain the government and consular fees, and provide an estimated timeline before you proceed.

In-Person Mobile Notary Service

Our professional mobile notaries travel to signers throughout: San Francisco and the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego. We notarize powers of attorney, estate-planning documents, affidavits, business documents, real estate documents and other paperwork requiring in-person notarization. When a document also requires an apostille, we can coordinate the notarization and apostille as one complete service.

Do You Need an Apostille, Authentication or Legalization?

The correct process depends on three factors:

1. The type of document

2. The government agency that issued it or the state where the document was notarized

3. The country where it will be presented

Hague Apostille

Documents being used in a country that participates in the Hague Apostille Convention generally require an apostille from the appropriate state or federal authority.

Authentication and Legalization

Documents intended for a country that does is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention may require federal and embassy or consulate authentication. If you are unsure which services you need, email us a description or scan of the document and the name of the destination country. We will identify and communicate the correct process.

How Our Apostille Service Works

1. Send Us a Scan

Email a clear scan of your document to info@sfnotary.com. Include:The destination countryThe state or agency that issued the documentYour current locationYour deadlineThe address where the completed documents should be shipped

2. We Review the Requirements

We review the document for potential problems and determine whether it requires notarization, certification, an apostille, federal authentication or embassy legalization.We then provide a price quote and estimated completion time.

3. We Notarize and Retrieve Documents

If notarization is required, we can arrange an in-person mobile notary appointment in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento or San Diego.You can also ship your notarized document(s) to us, and we can provide a prepaid FedEx label after we review the noatrization to ensure it looks like it is in compliance and not at risk of rejection by the CA Secretary of State. If you need a certified vital record, court record, or corporate document, we may be able to retrieve it on your behalf.

4. We Obtain the Required Certifications

Depending on the document and destination country, we will obtain the required: State apostille, U.S. Department of State apostille or authentication, embassy or consulate legalization.

5. We Scan and Ship the Completed Documents

We can send you a scan of the completed documents before shipping. We use FedEx Priority Overnight for domestic destinations and FedEx International Priority for destinations outside the United States.

Disclaimer: Information on this website is for informational purposes only. These instructions are based on our knowledge and experience and are meant to be helpful; however, they might contain errors. Please let us know if you encounter mistakes so that we can promptly correct them. SF Notary + Apostille is not a law firm, and its agents are not attorneys. Please contact a licensed attorney or your local bar association for counsel on legal matters.