California Divorce Decree Retrieval and Apostille Service

Need a certified copy of a California divorce decree for use in another country? SF Notary + Apostille can retrieve certified divorce records from select California Superior Courts, obtain the required apostille or authentication, email you a scan, and ship the completed documents anywhere in the world.

What Is a California Divorce Decree?

In California, the document commonly called a “divorce decree” is usually the court’s final judgment ending the marriage or domestic partnership. The particular form depends on the type of divorce:

• FL-180—Judgment: The final judgment generally used in a standard California divorce.

• FL-825—Judgment of Dissolution and Notice of Entry of Judgment: The final judgment used in a California summary dissolution.

• FL-190—Notice of Entry of Judgment: A notice showing that the judgment was entered and stating when the marriage or domestic partnership legally ended.

If your divorce was completed through the summary dissolution process, the document you need may be the FL-825 rather than the FL-180.

A foreign government or other receiving agency may also request:

• The Marital Settlement Agreement

• Attachments incorporated into the judgment

• A Clerk’s Certificate of Non-Appeal

Ask the receiving agency exactly which court documents it requires before ordering certified copies or apostilles.

What Is a Divorce Decree Apostille?

A divorce decree apostille is a certificate issued by the California Secretary of State for a certified California court record that will be used in another country. The apostille authenticates the signature and authority of the court official who certified the record. It does not verify the contents of the divorce judgment or provide legal advice about the divorce. Apostilled California divorce decrees are commonly required for:

• Remarriage outside of the United States

• Immigration or citizenship applications

• Foreign residency and visa applications

• Updating civil-status records overseas

• Restoring or changing a name

• International inheritance and estate matters

• Property transactions outside the United States

Do I Need a Certified Copy?

In most cases, yes. Foreign authorities generally require a court-certified copy issued by the Superior Court where the divorce was finalized. An ordinary photocopy, downloaded court image, or notarized copy may not be acceptable, and photocopies are not eligible for California Secretary of State apostille certification or embassy or consulate authentication. If you already have a certified copy, email us a complete scan so that we can review it for common apostille problems.

We Can Retrieve Your Certified Divorce Records

If you do not have the required certified copy, we may be able to retrieve it directly from the California Superior Court. Retrieval is currently available in: Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Los Angeles County, Marin County, Sacramento County, San Diego County, San Francisco County, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, and Sonoma County.

Depending on the court’s records and the receiving authority’s requirements, we may be able to retrieve: A certified FL-180 Judgment, FL-825 summary-dissolution judgment, L-190 Notice of Entry of Judgment, Marital Settlement Agreement, Clerk’s Certificate of Non-Appeal, and/or attachments or related court orders.

Some older cases, archived files, and requests involving multiple attachments may require additional processing time or court research.

How the Divorce Decree Apostille Process Works

1. Confirm which documents are required

Tell us the country where the divorce record will be presented and which documents the receiving authority requested.

2. Send us a scan or request court retrieval

If you have a copy of the record, email us a complete scan for review. If you do not have a copy of the record and need us to retrieve a certified copy of the record, send us the court case number, county, divorce date, both parties’ names, and the name(s) of the document(s) requested.

3. We obtain the certified court record

For courts within our service area, we can retrieve the certified divorce judgment and any other requested records available from the court.

4. We obtain the apostille or authentication

For documents being used in a country that participates in the Hague Apostille Convention, we obtain an apostille from the California Secretary of State. Documents intended for a country outside the Hague Convention may also require authentication through the appropriate embassy or consulate and, depending on the country, the US State Department. We will explain the legalization process, estimated timeline, and cost after reviewing your request.

5. We scan and ship the completed documents

Once processing is complete, and at your request, we will email you a scan and ship the original documents to you or directly to your designated recipient. We ship using FedEx Priority domestic and international shipping services.

Information Needed for a Quote

Please email the following information to info@sfnotary.com:

Divorce details

• Scan of the divorce document. If not available, please send us:

  • Superior Court case number

  • California county where the divorce was finalized

  • Date, or at least the year, of the divorce

  • Full name of Party 1 at the time of the divorce

  • Full name of Party 2 at the time of the divorce

• Documents required, such as the FL-180, FL-825, FL-190, or a Clerk’s Certificate of Non-Appeal.

Apostille or authentication details

• Country where the documents will be presented

Shipping details

• Recipient’s name

• Recipient’s telephone number

• Recipient’s email address

• Complete delivery address

• Business name, if shipping to a business

California Divorce Decree Retrieval and Apostille Assistance

SF Notary + Apostille provides certified California divorce decree retrieval, apostille and authentication services, embassy or consulate legalization, document scanning, and domestic or international shipping. If you have more questions or are ready to place your order, please email info@sfnotary.com 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.