Illinois apostille services and document preparation
Miami Dade Apostille helps coordinate Illinois documents for use abroad. Start with the document type, issuing office and destination country. Our role is private document review and coordination; government authorities issue the certifications.
Before you start
- Identify the document type and the office that issued it.
- Confirm the destination country's treaty relationship and recipient requirements.
- Send us a scan for preparation review before committing originals.
Choose the correct record and authentication
- The Secretary of State Index Department authenticates Illinois officials' signatures through an apostille or Certificate of Authority. Confirm the applicable treaty relationship and destination requirements.
- Birth records may come from the county clerk, local registrar or Illinois Department of Public Health. Marriage copies come from the county clerk; divorce decrees come from the circuit clerk.
- Documents signed by a circuit clerk or judge should not be notarized: the official seal, signature, printed name and title are required.
- For diplomas and transcripts, the school's records official signs a certification before a notary.
A verification is not the full certified record
- Illinois's state office can verify selected marriage and dissolution information, but does not issue certified copies of those records.
- Request a certified marriage record from the county clerk where the license was issued. Request a certified divorce record from the Circuit Court clerk in the county where granted.
- Tell the recipient exactly which document you plan to submit before ordering.
Submitting the request
- Use the current application and identify the foreign country of use.
- The May 2026 form directs mailed requests to the Index Department at 160 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60601, with the required payment and prepaid return envelope.
- Check current official instructions for available in-person locations and payment options before travelling. Do not send the packet to a general Secretary of State address found in a website footer.
Illinois document routing
| Document | Start here |
|---|---|
| Birth / death certificate | County clerk, local registrar, or Illinois Department of Public Health. |
| Marriage certificate | County clerk where the license was issued. |
| Divorce decree | Circuit Court clerk in the county where granted. Do not notarize. |
| Diploma / transcript | School records official certification before a notary; then Secretary of State. |
| POA / affidavit | Suitable private-document preparation; then Secretary of State. |
| Corporate record | Official certified record from issuing office; confirm format. |
| FBI background check | Federal document — U.S. Department of State route, not Illinois. See our FBI apostille guide. |
Other documents and remote notarization
- Powers of attorney and affidavits need suitable private-document preparation. Corporate records may require an official certified record rather than an ordinary printout; confirm the format.
- FBI-issued background checks follow the federal U.S. Department of State route. Other-state public records remain with their issuing jurisdiction.
- Eligible private documents may use our Florida RON service subject to Florida identity, witness and document rules and recipient acceptance. Florida notarization follows Florida authentication routing and does not reclassify an Illinois public record.
Working toward a deadline? Send us a scan before committing originals — we can review requirements and help coordinate the correct process. If mailing, use a trackable shipping method and keep your tracking number.
Frequently asked questions
Illinois locations served
Miami Dade Apostille serves clients throughout Illinois by mail. Documents can be sent from anywhere in the state — no in-person visit to our office is required.
- Chicago
- Aurora
- Naperville
- Joliet
- Rockford
- Springfield
- Elgin
- Peoria
- Champaign
- Waukegan
- Cicero
- Bloomington
Sources
MIAMI DADE APOSTILLE IS NOT A LAW FIRM AND DOES NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE. WE ARE A PRIVATE DOCUMENT COORDINATION SERVICE. THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS FOR GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE. FOR LEGAL QUESTIONS, CONSULT A LICENSED ATTORNEY.
Ready to start your Illinois apostille?
Send us your documents by mail from anywhere in Illinois. We review, coordinate the appropriate authentication process and return your documents.
Submissions are accepted 24/7, 365 days a year. We typically reply within approximately two hours during regular business hours.
If you're working toward a deadline, message us before sending your documents. We can review requirements, help avoid preventable delays and coordinate the correct process.
State documents: same day to 4 days. Federal documents (FBI, U.S. Department of State): 7–14 days. Contact us with your document type and deadline to confirm availability.
Miami Dade Apostille is a private document coordination service. We are not the Illinois Secretary of State, a government agency, or a law firm. We do not issue apostilles or government records.