How to obtain an Apostille or Certificate of Authentication

What is an Apostille?

An "apostille" is an authentication issued to documents for use in countries that participate in the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961. If the country of intended use does not participate in the Hague Convention, documents being sent to that country may be required to obtain an additional federal Certificate of Authentication from the U.S. Department of State of Authentications placed on top of the state issued apostille.

The Washington Secretary of State’s office can provide state certification for documents that bear the signature of a Washington State Official officer or other authorized Washington notary public officer and are to be sent to or used in a foreign country. An Apostille Authentication verifies that the Notary Public, Clerk of District Court, Clerk & Recorder, or Vital Records Administrator is authorized to provide the notarization or certification and that he/she has done so in accordance with the requirements of the Revised code of Washington. Certification provided by the Secretary of State’s Office does not verify the accuracy or reliability of the contents of the record.

Washington State uses a “universal certificate” that can be used as either an Apostille, for countries that are members of the Hague Convention, or an Authentication, for non-member countries. Documents that are being sent to countries that are not members of the Hague Convention will require additional certification by the U.S. State Department, the country’s Embassy, or both.

For document types, and where to obtain them, please see APOSTILLE DOCUMENT GUIDELINES.

To obtain an apostille you must send the following information:

Original unaltered certified copy of state department or county court issued document or personal document item notarized by a Washington state notary with a full notarial certificate. (please refer to RCW 42.45)

Apostille Authentication Request Form (Renamed) which includes:
- The name of the country requesting documents. (the document cannot be authenticated without this information)
- A daytime phone number and email address to contact for questions
- Information on where the documents should be mailed after processing
- If documents are for a minor, please use the name of the adult making the request

FEES: Make check or money order payable in U.S. dollars (USD) to: Secretary of State

A document can be more than one page.

Standard processing: Fee is $15.00 per document.
- Typically processed 7 to 10 business days of receiving your order (subject to longer processing times based on volumes).
Expedited processing: Fee is $15.00 per document and an additional $100 expedite fee per 10 documents. (1-10 documents = $100.00, 11-20 documents = $200, etc.)
- Typically process 2 to 3 business days of receiving your order.
Same day services in-person in Olympia: Fee is $15.00 per document and an additional $100 expedite fee per 10 documents. (1-10 documents = $100.00, 11-20 documents = $200, etc.)
- Processed while you wait. Same-day services may be limited due to business hours and the quantity of requests submitted.

All completed mail orders are returned using regular U.S. postal mail unless a pre-paid shipping label is included with the request.

Notice: We do not process FBI Clearance letters. They can only be processed at the U.S. Department of State – Office of Authentications.

Once you have gathered the necessary documents visit our Contact Page for more information regarding In-Person Services and our mail in options.

Certificates are not valid for use anywhere within the United States of America, its territories or possessions.