Death Certificate Apostille and Authentication Service
Need a death certificate apostille? SF Notary + Apostille explains how the process works.
What is a death certificate?
A death certificate is an official document (often called a “vital record”) that states the cause of death, location of death, and time of death. It also contains other identifying details about the deceased.
In California, death certificates are issued by county officials in the county in which the person died.
What is a death certificate apostille?
In California, a death certificate apostille is a Secretary of State apostille certificate that is stapled to the death certificate and sealed with a red circular stamp to give your death certificate higher government legal certification required by many foreign countries. Apostilled death certificates are often needed for widows/widowers remarrying abroad, obtain pension benefits from a foreign country, submitting life insurance claims, settling estates, and transporting bodies to be buried overseas.
How do I get a death certificate apostilled or authenticated?
Step 1: Check the location of passing
The California Secretary of State will only issue an apostille on a death certificate that was issued by a California county official. If the death occurred outside California, we may still be able to help you obtain an apostille; email [email protected] or call +1 (415) 655-9455 to discuss.
Step 2: Make sure it is a certified copy
While a photocopy of a death certificate that has been notarized by a California-commissioned notary is eligible for an CA Secretary of State apostille, overseas entities requesting an apostilled death certificate will rarely accept an apostilled death certificate in this form. Most parties require an apostille on an official copy of a death certificate produced and certified by a County or State official.
It’s important to know that there are two different types of death certificates.
Unrestricted vs. Informational – Death certificates are eligible for apostilles only if they are unrestricted county-certified death certificates and not informational death certificates. The California Secretary of State will not issue an apostille for an informational death certificate.
Step 3: Email us for a price quote
Pricing varies depending on a number of factors. For a quick price quote, send an email to [email protected] with the following information:
- Your name, address, and phone number
- The name, address, phone number, and email address of the recipient (if you’d like us to ship it to a third party)
- The destination country
We will respond with a price quote ASAP. Once we’ve agreed upon a price, we will start the apostille/
Step 4: Send the death certificate to us
Send a certified copy of the death certificate to our office:
SF Notary + Apostille
2511 Carlsbad Ave
Sacramento, CA, US, 95821
If you are paying by check, please make it out to “SF Notary + Apostille.” Otherwise, we will send you an invoice by email with a payment link that allows you to pay by credit card.
Step 5: We do the rest
We will obtain an apostille from the Secretary of State in Sacramento. Some countries require apostilles plus additional certifications, details of which we will provide in the price quote. Once the document is apostilled (or apostilled and authenticated/legalized), we’ll ship it via FedEx Priority Overnight Service (USA destinations) or FedEx International Priority Service (overseas destinations).
For more information or to place your order, please email [email protected] or call +1 (415) 655-9455.
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.