California & federal apostille
Apostille Services in Santa Ana
I walk documents through the California Secretary of State in person and handle federal apostilles through the U.S. Department of State. Before any of that, I tell you whether an apostille is even the right certification for where your document is going.
- Vital records, powers of attorney, diplomas, and corporate documents
- FBI background checks handled on the federal track
- Certified copies ordered for you when you don't have one
- Consular legalization guidance for non-Hague countries
Start here
The question that decides everything
Which country is the document going to? If that country belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille is the correct certification and the process is relatively straightforward. If it does not, an apostille will be refused at the other end. The document needs consular legalization instead, through that country’s embassy or consulate, which takes longer and costs more.
People lose weeks and hundreds of dollars getting this backwards, usually because they followed generic advice online. Ask me first. That conversation costs nothing.
Destination
Pick your country and I'll tell you the route
Each of these pages explains which certification that country accepts, what its authorities typically look for, and how long the realistic timeline is.
Apostille countries (Hague members)
Not Hague members, these need legalization
An apostille will not be accepted for documents going to these countries.
Documents
What I apostille most often
California Secretary of State
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Death certificate
- Divorce decree / court order
- Power of attorney
- Single status affidavit
- Diploma or transcript
- Corporate / business document
Vital records need a certified copy from the county or state. Documents you sign yourself need notarizing first, included in the same appointment.
U.S. Department of State (federal)
- FBI background check
- Certificate of naturalization
- Documents issued by federal agencies or U.S. consulates
Federal documents cannot be apostilled by California. They go to Washington, and the timeline is measured in weeks. I’ll give you a realistic date up front.
Process
How it actually goes
Tell me the country and the document
Two facts decide the whole route: where it is going, and who issued it. Two minutes on the phone or through the quote form.
I check the document before anything is paid
Is it the right kind of copy? Does it need notarizing first? Is the name consistent? This is where rejections get prevented. It is cheaper to fix now than after a filing fee.
You hear the price, then we book
A $25 deposit confirms most appointments. Government filing fees are billed at cost, never marked up.
I submit and track it
California submissions are walked in. Federal ones are couriered and tracked. You get status updates by text rather than having to chase me.
You get it back
Pick up at my Santa Ana office or tracked return shipping. If a translation or legalization step comes next, we handle that in the same engagement.
Pricing
What it costs
Quoted on the phone once I know the document and the destination. That is the only way to give you a number that holds.
- Government and agency filing fees are billed at cost. Never marked up.
- Rush and same-day handling is available when the agency calendar allows, and priced before you commit.
- A $25 deposit confirms most appointments; for some services it is arranged by phone.
- Telling you whether you need an apostille or legalization costs nothing.
Local
Apostille service across Orange County
Mobile service across Orange County and nearby Los Angeles County, with meeting locations arranged when you book.
FAQ
Apostille questions, answered plainly
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate attached to a U.S. public document that makes it legally recognizable in another country that belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention. It does not change what the document says. It certifies that the signature, seal, or stamp on it is genuine, so a foreign authority can rely on it without further verification.
How long does a California apostille take?
A straightforward California apostille walked into the Secretary of State's office is typically back within a few business days. Mail-in processing takes considerably longer. Federal documents going through the U.S. Department of State are measured in weeks, not days, and no service can shorten that meaningfully. Anyone promising otherwise is selling you something.
What does an apostille cost?
I quote it on the phone, because the honest number depends on the document, whether a certified copy has to be ordered first, whether it runs through California or through Washington, and the destination country. Government filing fees are set by those agencies and billed at cost, never marked up. You hear the total before anything is booked.
Can you apostille a photocopy of my birth certificate?
No. California will only apostille a certified copy issued by the county recorder or the state. A photocopy, even a notarized one, will be rejected. If you do not have a certified copy, I will help you order one, which is what Package #2 covers.
My documents are going to Vietnam. Do I need an apostille?
No. Vietnam is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille will not be accepted there. Those documents need consular legalization, which is a longer, different process. This is the single most common and most expensive mistake I see, and it is why I ask for the destination country before anything else.
What about China? I read it needs legalization.
That changed. China joined the Hague Apostille Convention in November 2023, so documents going there now take an apostille instead of consular legalization. A lot of guidance online still has not been updated.
Do I need to have the document notarized first?
It depends on the document. Vital records like birth and marriage certificates need a certified copy from the issuing authority, not a notarization. Documents you sign yourself. Powers of attorney, affidavits, single status declarations. Need to be notarized first, and I do that as part of the same appointment.
Can you apostille my FBI background check?
Yes, and that one runs on the federal track through the U.S. Department of State rather than through California. If you also need the fingerprints taken, I do FD-258 ink cards in-office, so the whole chain happens in one place instead of three.
Does the apostille expire?
The apostille itself does not carry an expiration date, but the receiving country or agency very often will not accept a document. Or its apostille, beyond three or six months old. Ask the agency requesting it what their window is before you start.
Next step
Send me the document details
Tell me the country and what you're certifying. You'll get the price, the realistic timeline, and confirmation that an apostille is actually the right certification.
Travel is included in every price. Nothing is booked before you hear the number.