Authentication Certificates: Authenticating a public official’s signature including notaries public.

Domestic Partners: Filing Domestic Partnership forms (to register, terminate or revoke a termination).

Requests for services other than those identified above must be directed to the Sacramento office

Authentication requests can be submitted by mail to our Sacramento office. Please refer to our Processing Times webpage for daily updated processing information.

When submitting a request for authentication by mail, please include the following items:

• The original notarized and/or certified document(s). A photocopy is not acceptable.

• A cover letter stating the country in which the document will be used.

• A check or money order for the authentication fee of $20 per authentication certificate made payable to Secretary of State and payable in U.S. dollars.

• A self-addressed envelope for the return mail. If you wish to use a mail tracking service, please provide a pre-paid air bill. If you do not use a prepaid service, our office will mail your document(s) by U.S. Postal Service regular mail at no charge.

• Authentication requests can be presented in person to our Sacramento or Los Angeles office locations for processing between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). A $20 fee for each authentication certificate and an additional $6 special handling fee for each different public official's signature to be authenticated is required. When presenting a request in person to either of our offices, no appointment is necessary. Customers are served on a "first come first serve" basis. Payments can be made by check, money order, or credit card (Visa or MasterCard). Cash is not accepted at the Los Angeles office. Please refer to Contact Information for office addresses.

• "The ABCs of Apostilles" (PDF) brochure provides basic information about the Apostille Convention and the Convention's operation that has been prepared by the Permanent Bureau (Secretariat) of the Hague Conference on Private International Law and is provided with the Permanent Bureau's permission. The Permanent Bureau hopes this brochure will assist the millions of users of the Apostille Convention around the world.