California apostille services: check the signature before you submit

California apostille coordination

Miami Dade Apostille coordinates apostille processing for California documents by mail. Clients throughout California and across the country can send documents for review and submission without visiting a Secretary of State office in person.

We are a private document coordination service — not a government agency, not a law firm, and not the California Secretary of State. We do not issue apostilles or government records. We help clients identify the correct document, prepare it properly, and coordinate submission to the appropriate authority.

California apostille: why the signature matters

California issues one apostille certificate format regardless of the destination country. However, this does not mean the apostille will be recognized in countries that are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention — confirm the applicable legalization chain with the receiving authority before ordering.

An apostille authenticates the signature, capacity, and seal of the official who signed the document — not the document's contents — and does not guarantee acceptance by the receiving institution.

For vital records, the signature on the document determines eligibility. Birth and death certificates signed by a county clerk, county recorder, their deputies, or the State Registrar are directly eligible for apostille. Certificates bearing a Health Officer or County Registrar signature may require a county clerk certification or a replacement certified copy from the county recorder or CDPH before the Secretary of State can apostille them. Not all local health signatures are automatically invalid — but confirm eligibility before submitting.

For notarized private documents, the notarization must be in English even if the document body is in a foreign language. California does not require a separate translation affidavit for the document body — the notarization itself must be in English.

California record selection at a glance

The correct issuing office depends on the record type. Use this table to identify the right source before ordering.

Choose the certified record format appropriate to your recipient's requirements and your eligibility as an applicant; verify authentication suitability with the California SOS before ordering. Residence does not reroute a document — the apostille must come from the authority in the state or country that issued it.

Submission options: mail and in-person

Mail submissions — Sacramento only

Mail requests are processed at the Sacramento office only. A complete mail packet includes the original, certified, or properly notarized document; a cover letter stating the destination country; the applicable fee; and a self-addressed return envelope. If you want tracking or a specific shipping service on the return, include prepaid postage for that service; otherwise a standard self-addressed envelope is sufficient.

Overnight shipping to the Sacramento office does not skip the mail processing queue. Check the official California SOS apostille page for the current fee schedule, mailing address, and form before submitting.

In-person submissions — Sacramento and Los Angeles

In-person same-day service is available at the Sacramento and Los Angeles offices. The Los Angeles office has had periodic access changes — check the official page for current floor and access instructions before visiting rather than relying on any fixed address detail.

Scheduled pop-up apostille events are also offered periodically. Check the official California SOS apostille page for current in-person hours, locations, and any scheduled events.

Federal documents and out-of-state records

FBI Identity History Summary reports are federal documents and require a federal apostille from the U.S. Department of State — not the California Secretary of State. Residence in California does not reroute a federal document to the state authority.

Documents issued in another state must be apostilled by that state's competent authority, not California. Residence does not reroute a document — the apostille must come from the authority in the state that issued it.

Miami Dade Apostille can coordinate federal apostille processing and out-of-state document routing by mail.

Remote Online Notarization (RON) for California documents

Florida-commissioned notaries may perform Remote Online Notarization (RON) for appropriate privately signed documents under Florida law. RON may be suitable for powers of attorney, affidavits, and similar privately signed documents where the signer, document type, identity verification, and any witness requirements are met — and where the receiving authority and destination country accept Florida RON notarizations. Confirm acceptance with the receiving authority before proceeding.

A document notarized by a Florida notary follows Florida authentication routing, subject to recipient acceptance. RON does not convert a California public record into a Florida record. Vital records, court records, and other government-issued documents must be obtained as certified copies from the issuing California authority — they cannot be notarized or re-issued through RON. Do not assume California notaries offer Florida RON — only Florida-commissioned notaries operating under Florida law may perform it.

Preparation checklist

Processing times depend on the current queue at the California Secretary of State's office and the submission method chosen. We confirm available service options after reviewing your document; government processing times can change.

1. 1

   Confirm the destination country's requirements

   Determine whether the Hague Apostille Convention applies between the U.S. and the destination country. Obtain the receiving authority's current document checklist — requirements change, and the version in effect at the time of your application controls. California's single apostille format does not eliminate destination-country checks.

2. 2

   Identify the correct document and issuing office

   Use the routing table above to identify the correct issuing office for your document type. For vital records, confirm the signatory on the document before ordering — a Health Officer or County Registrar signature may require a replacement copy. For divorce, obtain the full certified decree from the Superior Court clerk; the CDPH Certificate of Record does not prove finalization.

3. 3

   Obtain the correct certified copy or notarized original

   Choose the certified record format appropriate to your recipient's requirements and your eligibility — see the routing table and signature check sections above. For notarized private documents, the notarial certificate must be in English and appropriate to the document type (acknowledgment, jurat, or other applicable certificate); the document body may be in a foreign language. A notary may not certify a photocopy of a vital or public record.

4. 4

   Choose your submission method

   Mail requests go to Sacramento only. In-person same-day service is available at Sacramento and Los Angeles — check the official SOS page for current hours and access before visiting. Overnight shipping to Sacramento does not skip the mail queue.

5. 5

   Send scans for review before mailing originals

   Send clear scans for review before committing originals to the mail. This step catches missing certifications, wrong document types, or signature eligibility issues before they cause delays.

6. 6

   Submit with fee and return envelope

   Include the applicable fee and a self-addressed return envelope. If you want tracking or a specific return shipping service, include prepaid postage for that service. Check the California SOS apostille page (linked in the submission section above) for the current fee schedule and mailing address before submitting.

Frequently asked questions

California cities and areas served

Miami Dade Apostille serves clients throughout California by mail. Documents can be sent from anywhere in the state — no in-person visit is required.

• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• San Jose
• San Francisco
• Fresno
• Sacramento
• Long Beach
• Oakland
• Bakersfield
• Anaheim
• Santa Ana
• Riverside
• Stockton
• Irvine
• Chula Vista

Sources

• California SOS: Apostille FAQs ↗
• California SOS: Request an apostille ↗
• CDC: Where to Write for California Vital Records ↗
• USA.gov: Authenticate a U.S. document ↗
• HCCH Apostille Convention status table ↗