How to Obtain your Apostille or Attestation

The process of obtaining an apostille, authentication or attestation of a document is properly defined as legalization. Even though the words apostille, authentication and attestation each have a specific meaning and function, they are often used interchangeably with the same goal in mind; to execute the legal steps required for a document to be presented and accepted in a foreign country.

Major factors that determine the processing sequence are the country of destination for the document and the type of document. All non-government documents must be first notarized, and all county, state  and federal government documents must have the proper signature and seal ( and certification if required) of said government sector before being presented to the office of the Secretary of State. Because states differ in their rules relative to recordable documents, such as vital statistics and other recordable documents,  it is important to make sure that your document meets all posted requirements.

Most non-federal documents are ready for presentation after having been legalized by the office of the Secretary of State of the state where the document was notarized/certified. However, always remember that federal documents can ONLY be legalized by the USDOS.

However, if the destination country is a Non-Hague country, several additional steps are required for federal and non-federal documents. These steps will differ according to the country and thusly result in different processing times. Some may require legalization by the U.S. Department of State and the Embassy/Consulate of the destination country and  attached Power of Attorney. Others may additionally require a translation and/or legalization by a third party. You can execute all of these steps by yourself or utilize the services of a trusted Apostille Agent or Apostille Company. The Mobile California Apostille Company has trained professionals and has provided Southern California with apostille services over the past 15 years. They have the expertise to correctly and promptly execute all legalization requirements with their “1-Stop Mobile Service.”