Apostille Services in Sacramento
An apostille is a certificate issued by the California Secretary of State that allows a California document to be accepted as authentic in another country. If you are sending a document to Russia, Ukraine, or any other country that belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention, an apostille is usually what the receiving authority is asking for. Sac Mobile Notary handles the notarization and the Secretary of State filing for you, so you do not have to take time off work to stand in line in downtown Sacramento.
What an apostille actually does
An apostille verifies the signature and authority of the official who signed or notarized your document. It does not verify the contents of the document itself, and it is not a translation. A birth certificate with an apostille attached is still in English. If the receiving country needs the document in its own language, that is a separate translation step, which we also handle.
Documents we commonly apostille
- Notarized powers of attorney and consents
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates issued in California
- Divorce decrees and court orders
- Diplomas, transcripts, and academic records
- Single status affidavits and affidavits of support
- Corporate documents, articles of incorporation, certificates of good standing
How the process works
- Send us a scan or photo of the document. We confirm what the receiving country needs and quote you a flat price.
- If the document needs to be signed and notarized, we meet you wherever is convenient in the Sacramento area, or you come to us.
- We deliver the document in person to the California Secretary of State office in Sacramento and file it for you.
- We return the apostilled document to you by hand, by mail, or by courier, whichever you prefer.
The one thing that trips most people up
You cannot apostille a photocopy of a birth certificate or marriage certificate, even a notarized photocopy. California notaries are not permitted to certify copies of vital records. What the Secretary of State will apostille is a certified copy issued by the county recorder or by the California Department of Public Health, bearing the registrar's signature. If you are holding a plain photocopy or a hospital souvenir certificate, we will tell you before you spend money, and we can point you to how to order the correct certified copy.
Timing
Standard turnaround is 1 to 5 business days, depending on availability. Because the Secretary of State counter has a daily cutoff and queue conditions vary, we confirm a firm date with you before we accept the job rather than after.
Pricing
Our service fee is quoted per document, and notarization is quoted separately from it. Send us a scan and we will give you a flat price before any work begins. Your quote includes the fees paid to the California Secretary of State.
Find out what your document needs
Send us a scan at ShishkoServices@gmail.com or text (916) 996-5028 and we will tell you exactly what your document needs.