Apostille service in Los Angeles — notarized, authenticated, and returned to your door.
Sending documents abroad? An apostille (also called document authentication) is the California Secretary of State’s certification that lets your document be accepted in another country. I handle the whole errand: notarization where required, hand delivery to the Secretary of State’s Los Angeles office, and the apostilled document returned to you.
Powers of attorney · birth & marriage certificates · corporate documents · adoption & study-abroad paperwork · Se habla español
One flat package, start to finish
You don’t need to learn the state’s process or stand in line downtown. Send me the document details and I’ll confirm the plan on one call:
- Notarize — a mobile appointment at your home or office, if your document requires notarization first
- Authenticate — I take the document to the California Secretary of State’s Los Angeles office and obtain the apostille
- Return — pickup, drop-off, or overnight shipping; international courier (DHL/FedEx) quoted separately
Which countries? Apostilles work for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention. If your destination country isn’t a member, a different certification chain applies — tell me the country up front and I’ll confirm the correct route before anything is scheduled.
What I’ll ask when you call
- What document is it — and has it already been notarized?
- What country is it going to? (This determines the entire process)
- What’s your timeline — standard weekly run or rush?
- How should the finished documents come back to you?
Apostille package pricing
- Apostille package — single documentfrom $175
mobile notarization (if required), delivery to the Secretary of State, apostille handling, and local return or domestic overnight - Additional documents, same orderquoted together
- California Secretary of State feeat cost
state apostille fee, itemized at cost - International courier (DHL / FedEx)quoted separately
Package pricing covers coordination, travel, and handling — statutory notarial-act fees always remain within California limits (Gov. Code §8211) and are itemized separately. Every fee is confirmed before anything is scheduled.
Documents people apostille most
Personal & family
Powers of attorney for property abroad, birth and marriage certificates, single-status affidavits, school and adoption paperwork.
Business & corporate
Corporate formation documents, agreements, and commercial paperwork for companies operating internationally.
Education & travel
Diplomas, transcripts, and study-abroad or work-visa document packages headed to Hague Convention countries.
Apostille FAQ
Can I get a same-week or rush apostille in Los Angeles?
Usually, yes. Standard orders come back within the week; for a rush I prioritize the trip to the Secretary of State and return the document the fastest way that works for you, from a same-day handoff to overnight shipping. The state does not promise same-day processing, so call 424-353-4192 with the deadline and the destination country and I will tell you honestly whether it is achievable before anything is scheduled.
Do I have to go downtown, or is there an apostille drop-off service?
You never go downtown. I pick the document up at your home or office in Culver City, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Century City, West Los Angeles or anywhere in the service area, or we meet at an agreed place. A certified vital record can also be mailed to me. The drop-off at the Secretary of State and the pickup afterward are part of the package.
Can you apostille a marriage certificate or a birth certificate?
Yes. Vital records are authenticated as certified copies issued by the county, for Los Angeles the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk; a photocopy will not be accepted, and the certified copy is not notarized. If you do not have a certified copy yet, I will explain what the Secretary of State accepts so you order the right one before the run.
What does an apostille cost in Los Angeles?
A single-document package starts at $175 and covers mobile notarization if the document needs it, the trip to the Secretary of State, apostille handling and local return or domestic overnight. The state apostille fee is itemized at cost, additional documents in the same order are quoted together, and an international courier is quoted separately. Every fee is confirmed before anything is scheduled; see pricing.
Which office issues the apostille for a Los Angeles document?
The California Secretary of State issues apostilles for documents notarized or issued in California, and its Los Angeles regional office downtown handles walk-in requests. I go in person, so you never stand in that line, and I confirm the destination country first because a non-Hague country requires a different certification chain.
What exactly is an apostille?
It’s the California Secretary of State’s certificate authenticating the notary’s or official’s signature on your document, so authorities in another Hague Convention country will accept it. Many people know it as “document authentication” or “legalization.”
How long does it take?
I make regular runs to the Secretary of State’s Los Angeles office. Standard orders are usually completed within the week; genuine rush needs can often be accommodated — call with your deadline and I’ll tell you honestly whether it’s achievable.
My document is going to a country not in the Hague Convention. Can you still help?
Non-Hague destinations use a different certification chain that typically continues beyond the Secretary of State. Tell me the country when you call — I’ll confirm what the route involves before you commit to anything.
Do you handle documents in Spanish?
Se habla español — I’m happy to walk through the process in Spanish. Note that the notarial act itself must meet California requirements, and translation is not a notarial service.
Related: What is an apostille? (guide) · Mobile notary Los Angeles · Santa Monica · Pricing.
