Letter of Authorization Apostille and Legalization
Need a letter of authorization apostille? SF Notary + Apostille explains how the process works.
What is a letter of authorization?
A letter of authorization "serves as a formal permission tool that delegates authority or power from one party to another," according to Adobe. "It allows the secondary party to perform crucial actions on the principal party’s behalf. The actions that an individual or an entity can carry out with a letter of authorization can range from financial transactions to making medical decisions."
A letter of authorization, also called a letter of authority or an authorization letter, is different from a power of attorney mainly in formality and enforceability. A power of attorney is typically multiple pages and written to comply with state laws. A letter of authorization is often just one page long and informally written.
What is a letter of authorization apostille?
In brief, a letter of authorization apostille is a certification process that validates your document for use abroad. Oftentimes, overseas parties require a notarized and apostilled letter of authorization as part of a legal proceeding or business transaction.
The California Secretary of State (CA SOS) apostille process begins with the submission of the notarized letter of authorization. A CA SOS staff member first reviews the document to confirm that it is eligible for an apostille and verifies the signature of the notary public who signed and stamped the letter. If the document meets all requirements, the Secretary of State issues a numbered apostille certificate, which is attached to the letter of authorization. The apostille is then permanently bound to the document with the official red circular seal, stamped so that it appears partially on both the apostille certificate and the letter of authorization. Our expedited apostille service completes this process in as little as one to two business days.
Countries that are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention (such as Thailand, the UAE, or Vietnam) require additional embassy or consulate authentication and often U.S. State Department legalization. We will detail the additional authentication services required and the timeline for obtaining them in our price quote. (See Step 1 below).
How do I get my letter of authorization apostilled or legalized?
Step 1: Email us for a price quote
Pricing varies depending on what country it's going to, your location, the turnaround time needed, and the shipping destination. In order to get a quick price quote, email info@sfnotary.com 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
A statement about whether the document is already notarized or needs to be notarized
We will respond without delay with a price quote, estimated timing, and payment options. Once we've agreed upon a price, we will start the apostille/legalization process.
Step 2: Get the letter of authorization notarized
The principal must sign the document in front of a notary public. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, we can meet you and notarize the letter of authorization. If you are elsewhere in California, you can visit a local notary to get your letter of authorization notarized. For assistance outside of California, please call +1 (415) 655-9455 or email info@sfnotary.com to discuss options.
Step 3: Get the letter of authorization to us
If we notarize your document, we will take the notarized document with us and courier it to the Secretary of State's office on your behalf. If another notary public notarizes it, we can arrange a pickup or drop-off, or we can email you a FedEx Priority Overnight shipping label that you can print and use to ship the notarized document to us.
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 4: We handle the rest
After notarization, we will obtain an apostille from the California Secretary of State in Sacramento and ship it within one to two business days. If you need the certificate legalized for a non-Hague apostille country, we will obtain the consulate, embassy and/or US State Department authentications for you for an additional fee, then ship it as soon as it is fully apostilled and legalized. We use FedEx Priority Overnight Service for USA destinations and FedEx International Priority Service for overseas destinations. For any document shipped overseas, we will also send you a scan of the apostilled document for your records.
Contact us about a letter of authorization apostille
For more information or 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.