Document Authentication and Apostille
PLEASE NOTE: All requests by mail must be accompanied by return postage. All return labels (Fedex, UPS, DHL, etc.) must include customer's mailing address as both sender and recipient.
If you are travelling overseas, or sending documents for use in a foreign country, you may be required to have the documents certified by our office. Depending on the country requesting the certificate, that certification may be called an “Apostille” or a certificate of “Authentication”.
An “apostille” or a certificate of “authentication” is issued to certify an Arizona notary public, court clerk, or state document custodian to a foreign country. These certifications have been adopted internationally by the Hague Convention (PDF) as a uniform way of verifying documents sent between countries.
What to File
Documents to File: Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request (PDF) & original notarized or certified recorded document
Filing Fee: $3 per document. Checks and money orders can be made out to, "Arizona Secretary of State." Please do not send cash by mail. We recommend paying with cash for in-person filings only.
Processing Time: 10 Business Days (by mail); in-person requests are processed immediately over the counter.
Filing Tips
- Submit these four items:
- We must receive an original notarized or certified recorded document. A photocopy is unacceptable.
- Apostille/Certificate of Authentication Request form (PDF)
- $3 fee per document
- For all mailed requests, return postage is required. We recommend a service that can be tracked to ensure its return to you.
- Any requests going to Puerto Rico or any U.S. territory need a “notarial capacity certificate” and the requestor will pay an $18 fee.
- Don’t send documents recorded by another state. The state that produced the document needs to certify it (I.E. a birth certificate from Nevada needs to be certified by the Nevada Secretary of State’s office). Documents returned by other states will be returned to you.
- We do not issue electronic apostilles.
- If you have any questions, please call us at 602-542-6187 or 1-800-458-5842 or email us.
Where to File
Filing By Mail
Secretary of State
Attn: Apostille Dept.
1700 W. Washington Street, Fl. 7
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2808
In-Person Filing - Phoenix Office
State Capitol Executive Tower
1700 W. Washington Street
Suite 220
In-Person Filing - Tucson Office
Arizona State Complex Building
400 West Congress
First Floor, Suite 141
