Marriage Certificate Apostille and Authentication Service
What is a marriage certificate?
A marriage certificate is often confused with a marriage license, but they are not the same thing. According to FindLaw, “A marriage license is a document that you must obtain from the county clerk before you get married. A marriage certificate is a document that proves you’re married.”
How do I get a marriage certificate apostilled or authenticated?
This process can be confusing, so if you’d like to talk to us live, please give us a call at +1 (415) 655-9455.
1. Check the location of marriage.
Only California marriage certificates can be apostilled by the California Secretary of State. Did you get married in another state or country? We may still be able to help you obtain an apostille. Call +1 (415) 655-9455 for details.
2. Get an official copy of the marriage certificate.
A photocopy of your marriage certificate cannot be apostilled—you must submit an official copy. If you already have one, skip to the next section.
If you obtained your marriage license in San Francisco County, you can fill out the Application for Certified Copy of Confidential Marriage Certificate and submit it in person, online, or by mail. The County Clerk will mail the official copy to you.
3. 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. 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.
If the destination country has signed the Hague Apostille Convention, then we will just need to obtain an apostille from the California Secretary of State. If the destination country has not signed the Hague Convention, we will need to obtain an additional legalization from the destination country’s consulate or embassy (and possibly an apostille from the US State Department).
4. Send the marriage certificate to us.
Send an official copy of the marriage certificate to our office:
SF Notary + Apostille
315 Montgomery Street, 10th floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
Please include a check or money order made out to “AMN SF” or call us at +1 (415) 655-9455 to arrange credit-card payment.
4. We’ll take it from there.
We will obtain an apostille from the Secretary of State in Sacramento. For non-Hague countries, we can also obtain legalization from the relevant consulate or embassy (and US State Department, if needed). We’ll let you know what’s required when we send you the price quote.
We will ship the apostilled marriage certificate to you or directly to a party in the receiving country via FedEx Priority.
That’s the whole process of apostilling a marriage certificate. Questions? Please email [email protected] or call +1 (415) 655-9455.
Disclaimer: Information on this website is for informational purposes only. 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.