California Divorce Decree Retrieval & Apostille Service

Do you need a certified copy of a California divorce decree for use in another country? SF Notary + Apostille can retrieve your divorce judgment directly from the California Superior Court, obtain the required apostille or authentication, email you a scan, and ship the completed documents anywhere in the world.

We provide expedited courthouse retrieval throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Sonoma counties, as well as from courthouses in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Diego.

We do not need a power of attorney to order and pick up your divorce decree documents, and you do not need to live in California, or even in the United States, to use our service.

Our California Divorce Decree Retrieval and Apostille Service

Our complete service can include:

• Retrieving a court-certified copy of your divorce judgment

• Retrieving related documents and attachments

• Obtaining a California Secretary of State apostille

• Completing additional embassy or consulate legalization and U.S. State Department authentication when required

• Shipping the originals anywhere in the United States or overseas by FedEx Priority service

• Emailing you a scan of the completed documents before shipping overseas

If you already have a certified copy of your divorce decree, you can send us a scan so we can confirm that the court clerk’s signature is on file with the California Secretary of State. If it is, you can send the certified copy directly to us for apostille processing. If you do not have the correct certified copy, we can retrieve it from a courthouse within our service area.

What Is a California Divorce Decree?

“Divorce decree” is the common term for the final court judgment legally ending a marriage. In California, the specific document depends on how the divorce was completed.

FL-180 Judgment

The FL-180 Judgment is the final judgment generally used in a standard California divorce, legal separation or annulment case. It may include or incorporate additional orders and attachments concerning property, spousal support, child custody or other matters.

For most California divorces, the FL-180 is the document requested when a foreign authority asks for a divorce decree, divorce judgment or proof of divorce.

FL-825 Judgment of Dissolution

The FL-825 is the Judgment of Dissolution and Notice of Entry of Judgment used in a California summary dissolution.

A summary dissolution is California’s simplified divorce process for qualifying couples. If your marriage was ended through a summary dissolution, your official divorce judgment may be an FL-825 rather than an FL-180.

We can retrieve a court-certified FL-825 and obtain a California apostille when the document will be presented in another country.

FL-190 Notice of Entry of Judgment

The FL-190 Notice of Entry of Judgment confirms that the court entered the judgment and identifies the effective date on which the marriage or domestic partnership ended.

The FL-190 is not ordinarily the complete divorce judgment. Some foreign governments and receiving agencies request it in addition to the FL-180 or other court records.

Clerk’s Certificate of Non-Appeal

A Clerk’s Certificate of Non-Appeal is an official court document certifying that, according to the court’s records, no appeal was filed against the divorce judgment within the applicable period, or as of the date the certificate was issued. Foreign authorities may request it as evidence that the divorce judgment is final and has not been appealed.

The document may also be called a Certificate of No Appeal or Certificate of Finality, although terminology and availability vary by court. It is separate from the FL-180, FL-825, and FL-190 and must be specifically requested from the court when required.

Which Divorce Documents Do You Need?

Requirements vary by country and by the government agency receiving the documents. Before ordering, ask the receiving authority exactly which records it requires.

You may be asked to provide:

• FL-180 Judgment

• FL-825 Judgment of Dissolution and Notice of Entry of Judgment

• FL-190 Notice of Entry of Judgment

• Marital Settlement Agreement

• Attachments incorporated into the judgment

• Related custody, support or property orders

• Clerk’s Certificate of Non-Appeal

If you are unsure, send us the written requirements provided by the foreign authority. We can help identify the documents being requested, although we cannot provide legal advice or guarantee that a particular document will be accepted.

Do I Need a Certified Copy of My Divorce Decree?

In most cases, yes. A California divorce decree must be court-certified to be eligible for apostille certification by the California Secretary of State.

A regular photocopy, downloaded court image, or notarized photocopy is generally not eligible for apostille certification.

If you already have a certified copy, email us a complete scan, including the court certification page (which is sometimes on the back of the last page), so we can ask the Secretary of State staff for confirmation that the court clerk’s signature is on file and matches the corresponding signature in its database.

If you do not have an acceptable certified copy, we may be able to retrieve one directly from the Superior Court where the divorce was finalized.

California Courthouse Divorce-Decree Retrieval

We retrieve certified divorce judgments from California Superior Courts throughout our service areas, including:

San Francisco Bay Area

• Alameda County

• Contra Costa County

• Marin County

• San Francisco County

• San Mateo County

• Santa Clara County

• Sonoma County

Southern California

Courthouse retrieval is available in:

• Los Angeles County

• San Diego County

Sacramento Superior Court

Most certified copies can be obtained in one visit from our staff; however, availability and turnaround times can be affected by the age of the case and whether the file has been archived or is in the process of being digitized. Older cases and judgments with extensive attachments may require additional court research or processing time.

What Is a Divorce Decree Apostille?

A divorce decree apostille is a certificate issued by the California Secretary of State that authenticates the signature and authority of the court official who certified the record.

The apostille does not change the divorce judgment or verify the accuracy of its contents. It certifies the California public official’s signature so the document can be presented in a Hague Apostille Convention member state (country).

Apostilled California divorce decrees are commonly required for:

• Remarriage in another country

• Immigration or citizenship applications

• Residency and visa applications

• Updating foreign civil-status records

• Restoring or changing a name

• International inheritance and estate matters

• Property transactions outside the United States

• Registering or recognizing a foreign divorce

Hague Apostille or Embassy Legalization?

If the California divorce decree will be presented in a Hague Apostille Convention member state (country), a California Secretary of State apostille is the required form of authentication.

Documents intended for a country outside the Hague Convention may require additional authentication or legalization through an embassy or consulate and possibly the U.S. State Department.

When you contact us and state the name of the country where the divorce documents will be used, we will provide the appropriate processing options, estimated timeline and price.

How Our Divorce Decree Service Works

Step 1: Contact Us as Soon as Possible

Email info@sfnotary.com as soon as possible so we can determine the required process, provide a price quote, and begin coordinating your order.

Please include:

• Name or form number of every document needed

• Name/location of the California Superior Court where the divorce was finalized

• Superior Court case number

• Date or approximate year of the divorce

• Full names of both parties at the time of the divorce

• Country where the documents will be presented

• Current physical location of those documents, such as your city, state, or country, if you want us to use them

• Complete shipping information for the final recipient:

  • Full name

  • Company name, if applicable

  • Delivery address

  • Telephone number

Please also include the following information, if available:

• Instructions from the receiving authority

• Deadline for receiving the completed documents

• Scan of any certified documents you already have

Step 2: We Review Your Documents and Requirements

If you already have certified court documents, we will review the scans you send us to determine whether they appear apostille-eligible. We will also confirm how and where to send the originals.

If you do not have the required certified documents, we will determine whether we can retrieve them from the appropriate courthouse within our service area.

Step 3: We Retrieve the Certified Court Records

When courthouse retrieval is needed, we obtain the requested certified records directly from the appropriate California Superior Court at our earliest opportunity, usually the same or next business day. We can send you a scan of the retrieved document so you can review it and confirm that it is the correct record before we obtain the apostille.

Step 4: We Obtain the Apostille or Authentication

Once you approve the retrieved document, we will obtain the California Secretary of State apostille within one business day. If the destination country is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, additional embassy or consulate legalization and possibly U.S. State Department authentication may be required. We will explain the necessary process, estimated turnaround time, and costs after reviewing your request.

Step 5: We Scan and Ship the Completed Documents

Once certification processing is complete, we will ship the original documents to you or directly to your designated recipient. If shipping overseas, we will send you a scan of the apostilled document for your records.

We offer FedEx Priority Overnight shipping within the United States and FedEx International Priority shipping to most international destinations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you retrieve my California divorce decree if I live overseas?

Yes. You do not need to visit California or live in the United States. Send us the case information, and we can retrieve the certified judgment, obtain the apostille or required legalization, and ship the completed documents internationally.

Can you apostille a photocopy of a divorce decree?

A photocopy of a divorce court record is generally not eligible for a California Secretary of State apostille. The document ordinarily must be a certified copy issued by the California Superior Court and certified by the court clerk or deputy clerk.

Is an FL-180 the same as a divorce decree?

The FL-180 Judgment is the document most commonly considered the California divorce decree in a standard divorce case. However, the full judgment may also include agreements, court orders and attachments incorporated into the FL-180.

What is an FL-825 divorce document?

The FL-825 is the Judgment of Dissolution and Notice of Entry of Judgment used in a California summary dissolution. It serves as the official divorce judgment, or divorce decree, for couples whose marriage or domestic partnership was ended through the summary-dissolution process.

Is an FL-190 a divorce decree?

The FL-190 is the Notice of Entry of Judgment. It confirms that the court entered the judgment and identifies the effective termination date, but it is not ordinarily the complete divorce judgment. A receiving authority may request it together with the FL-180 or other records.

Can you obtain a Certificate of Non-Appeal?

We can request a Clerk’s Certificate of Non-Appeal from participating California courts when it is required and available. Court procedures and terminology may vary, so please send us the exact request from the foreign authority.

How quickly can you retrieve and apostille a divorce decree?

Turnaround time depends on the county, age of the case, location of the court file and documents requested. Some current records can be retrieved and processed quickly, while archived files and judgments with multiple attachments may take longer. Contact us with the case information for the fastest available option.

Does every country require an apostille?

No. Hague Apostille Convention countries generally accept an apostille. Countries outside the Hague Convention may require additional authentication and embassy or consulate legalization. Always tell us the destination country before we begin processing.

Order a Certified California Divorce Decree and Apostille

SF Notary + Apostille provides certified divorce decree retrieval, California apostille service, authentication, embassy and consulate legalization, scanning, and domestic and international shipping.

We retrieve California divorce judgments throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento.

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

SF Notary + Apostille

459 Fulton Street, Suite 303
San Francisco, CA 94102
+1 (415) 655-9455
info@sfnotary.com

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.