State Apostilles authenticate state-issued documents — birth and marriage certificates, court orders, notarized instruments — for international use in Hague Convention countries.
What Is a State Apostille?
A state apostille is a certificate issued by a US state’s Secretary of State office that verifies the authenticity of a state-issued public document under the terms of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. Once attached, the apostille makes a document legally recognizable in any of the 120+ Hague member countries without further authentication.
The apostille itself follows a standardized international template, but the underlying process varies significantly from state to state — in terms of fees, acceptable document types, preliminary certification requirements, and processing timelines.
Which Documents Can Be Apostilled at the State Level?
Any document issued by a state government or notarized by a notary public commissioned in that state is eligible for a state apostille. Common examples include:
- Birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death certificates
- Divorce decrees and adoption records
- Court orders and judgments
- Notarized affidavits and powers of attorney
- Educational transcripts certified by a state education authority
- Police background checks issued by a state agency
Documents issued by federal agencies — such as FBI background checks or National Archives records — require a federal apostille processed through the US Department of State, not through a state office.
Which Countries Accept a US State Apostille?
The official list of Hague Convention member states can be found at hcch.net. Major accepting countries include all EU member states, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and over 100 others.
Countries not on this list — such as many in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa — require legalization rather than an apostille. Legalization is a multi-step chain certification process that involves both state and federal authentication plus embassy approval.
How the State Apostille Process Works
At the state level, apostilles are issued by the Secretary of State’s office. The typical workflow is:
- Document originates from a state agency (vital records office, county court, etc.) or is notarized by a state-commissioned notary.
- Preliminary certification may be required — some states require county-clerk certification before the Secretary of State will accept the document. New York is the most notable example; see our New York apostille guide.
- Secretary of State review verifies the signature and seal, then issues the apostille certificate.
- Document returned with the apostille attached.
State Apostille Fees — All 50 States
Apostille50 charges a flat USD 50.00 base service fee per order plus the applicable state fee per apostille. State fees range from USD 16 (Michigan) to USD 65 (Connecticut). All fees are displayed on the Build-A-Cart page before you commit to checkout. Return shipping is always included.
Processing Times
Processing windows vary from same-day issuance (rare) to several weeks, depending on the state, seasonal volume, and whether expedited service is offered. Apostille50 submits documents promptly after receipt and keeps you updated by email at every stage: document received, submitted to the state authority, and shipped back.
How Apostille50 Handles Your State Apostille
We manage the entire process — routing, compliance checks, fee payments, and state-level submissions — so you never have to track down individual Secretary of State instructions or mail multiple packages to different offices. You mail your documents once; we handle the rest.
For documents originating from federal agencies, see our federal apostille service. For countries outside the Hague Convention, see our legalization service.
Ready to get started? Use the Build-A-Cart to select your states and see the exact cost before checkout.
