ACME LIVE SCAN & NOTARY is your Contra Costa Notary Public and Apostille expert who helps reduce the processing time and take the guesswork out of the apostille process, including notarizing documents, obtaining state or federal authentications, working with translation specialists to translate documents into the target language, and submitting paperwork to a competent State or Federal authority.
ACME LIVE SCAN & NOTARY BENEFITS:
Local Pickup and Delivery in Antioch, CA
Experienced with all facets of authentication services
Expedited In-Person apostille process with the State of California
Document checking prior to submission to the Secretary of State
Mobile appointments available in the greater Bay Area
Experience with Birth Certificates, Death Certificate, Special Power of Attorney, etc.
Servicing the community since 2016
Let our experts help you focus on more important aspects of your overseas travel by calling (925)237-9550 to discuss the requirements for your document authentication.
An apostille (pronounced ah-po-stee), meaning “certification” in French, is a seal that legitimizes legal documents for use outside the United States or country of origin. This is commonly required when you go overseas to conduct business, buy property, get married, or adopt a child.
In some cases, documents to be used overseas may require an apostille before a foreign country will recognize its authenticity and authority. Many but not all countries accept an apostille from the Secretary of State where the document originated.
When a state issues an apostille and authentication, it is to verify the notary public is authorized to provide the notarization or certification and that he/she has done so under state laws.
Most of the time when we travel internationally, a U.S. passport is more than enough to travel to and from a foreign country. But there are times when you will need to request an apostille for legal, personal, or public documents to travel, such as studying abroad, relocating to a new country, applying for a foreign visa, adopting a child from a different country, or getting married internationally.
Many established companies decide at some point whether or not they want to bring their products or services to the global market. This can be opening an international office, exporting goods, or signing a partnership with foreign partners. Each country has its own set of apostille document requirements needed to run a legal business, such as a passport, Certification of Incorporation, Certification of Origin, Corporate Resolution, or other important financial documents.
Whether it’s a personal home, timeshare, or property investment, overseas property ownership requires specific documents to have an apostille to purchase and own the property, such as a birth certificate, passport, proof of income, power of attorney. If the property owner passes away, an apostille may be required on the death certificate, last will and testimony, and probate before the country will allow any legal actions.
Technically, any notarized document or Vital Records can apply for an apostille, but not all documents require one. Here are examples of the most common documents that do.
Vital records are public legal documents for an individual’s life events recorded by the state and include at least the individual’s full name, the event, the event date, and the event location.
The most common public legal documents are:
Birth Certificates
Marriage Certificates
Marriage Licenses
Divorce Certificates
Divorce Decrees
Death Certificates
The most common private legal documents are:
School diplomas & transcripts
Power of attorney
Special Power of attorney
Last Will & Testament
Articles of Incorporation
Commercial invoices
Tax returns
In California passports and drivers licenses may be notarized with a statement stating the fact that it is a true copy by the signer. The common uses for a passport or driver’s license apostille:
Opening a bank account in a different country
Purchasing foreign property
Conducting international business
Driving a car or obtaining a foreign driver’s license
Apostille requirements vary by state, country, and document type.
A detailed apostille application process might be:
Obtaining an original or copy of the document
Notarizing the document with a Public Notary in the same state you are applying for the apostille
Submitting the document to the county clerk
Submitting the document to the state or federal government for certification, if required
Filling out the state apostille application form
Submitting the original, certified, or notarized document with applicable fees to the Secretary of State or competent authority
Looking for more information? See the following common questions about apostilles.
Legal document certification used to be extremely complex, time-consuming, and varied greatly from country to country, but in 1961 the Hague Convention Treaty was signed to streamline the process and make it easier to follow. Countries that do not participate in the convention require documents to be authenticated according to their specific rules and regulations.
Currently, 91 members participate in the Hague Convention. Some of these countries are:
United Kingdom
Philippines
Ukraine
Portugal
Spain
Turkey
Sweden
Italy
Israel
Iceland
Brazil
Argentina
Mexico
For a complete, up-to-date list of all participating countries, go to the HCCH Members webpage.
The California Secretary of State's office processes document requests daily, but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll hear back within (24-hours). Expedited services may be available to speed up the turnaround time of the apostille processing is available. Department of State's or Embassy authentications can take longer due to processing times. You can discuss any urgent requests with your agent to get a better estimate of what to expect.
The fees for apostille services are typically based on how many documents you have and what state(s) or authenticating agency they must go to for processing and the level of urgency for processing your apostille request. It is best to contact us to get a quote for apostille services for your document request.
The difference between a notarized, apostille, and authenticated document is the application requirements, who certifies it, and where it will be used. Whether the document requires an apostille or authentication depends completely on which country will be receiving the document.
A document is notarized by a Public Notary – a third-party, impartial witness who verifies the persons signing the document and adds a notary stamp afterward. In most states notaries are registered at the state level, which is why an apostille must be requested in the same state issued by the notary.
An apostille is an international certification guarantee, requires a notarial certificate (if the document is signed), and is certified as an authentic notarization by the Secretary of State or US Department of State. Vital Record documents, such as Birth Certificates, are not notarized but authenticated by the Secretary of State.
Document authentication is not the same as an apostille, but they are both meant to certify documents for legal use in another country. Authentication is unique to countries that don’t participate in the 1961 Hague Convention. Because of this, the process is country-specific and can be much more complicated and time-consuming.
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