Tifini Goebel, Notary Public & Apostille Services
California Birth Certificate Apostille
Mail-in service for clients throughout the U.S. and worldwide
I apostille certified California birth certificates for use in other countries. I check your document before you mail it, submit it in person to the California Secretary of State, and return it to you by tracked shipping, domestic or international.
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Free eligibility review: send a photo or scan before you mail anything
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Standard: 5 to 7 business days | Expedited: 1 to 2 business days
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Any California county: Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco, and statewide.
California Apostille on Birth Certificate (Sample)
Apostille on birth certificate
Call or text (650) 675-7760 · WhatsApp for international clients
Only California Can Apostille a California Birth Certificate
An apostille must come from the state that issued the birth certificate, not the state where you live now. A California birth certificate is apostilled only by the California Secretary of State. The U.S. Department of State does not apostille birth certificates.
The apostille is a separate certificate attached to your certified copy. It authenticates the signature of the California official who signed the record. It does not certify what the birth certificate says. Countries that belong to the Hague Apostille Convention accept it without embassy legalization.
What Is an Apostille for a Birth Certificate?
An apostille for a birth certificate is a certificate from the California Secretary of State attached to your certified birth certificate. It authenticates the signature of the official who signed it, so countries in the Hague Apostille Convention accept your birth certificate without embassy legalization. People need an apostilled birth certificate for dual citizenship, residency, marriage abroad, and foreign passports.
Is Your Birth Certificate Eligible?
Your birth certificate must be an original certified copy issued by a California County Clerk, County Recorder, or the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Photocopies, scans, and hospital keepsake certificates cannot be apostilled.
Check the signature at the bottom of the certificate:
Signature on certificate Status
County Clerk or County Recorder (or deputy) ✅ Eligible
California State Registrar (CDPH) ✅ Eligible
Health Officer, Local Registrar, or Registrar of Vital Records ⚠️ Needs County Clerk certification or a new certified copy first
Authorized vs. Informational Copy: An Informational Copy is stamped "Not a valid document to establish identity." Many foreign governments and consulates reject it. For dual citizenship, residency, marriage abroad, or immigration, you will usually need a Certified Authorized Copy. An apostille does not change one type of copy into the other.
Not sure what you have? Send me a clear photo and I'll confirm before you ship the original.
Need a certified copy first? I can explain where to order it and coordinate California certified record retrieval when the issuing agency allows third-party pickup.
Does a Birth Certificate Need to Be Notarized?
No. A certified California birth certificate is never notarized for an apostille. A notarized photocopy of a birth certificate cannot be apostilled, and California notaries cannot certify copies of vital records. The apostille authenticates the County Clerk, County Recorder, or State Registrar signature already on your certified copy.
How to Get an Apostille on a Birth Certificate
Send a photo for review. I check the issuing office and the official's signature.
Mail your original, or have the county or CDPH send it directly to me.
I submit it in person to the California Secretary of State.
You receive the apostilled certificate by tracked FedEx or DHL, or by local pickup in Burlingame.
Where can I apostille a birth certificate? Only at the California Secretary of State, for a birth certificate issued in California. I submit in person and ship worldwide, so you don't need to travel.
California Apostille Pricing
Standard Birth Certificate Apostille
5 to 7 Business Days
In-person California apostille processing for an eligible certified California birth certificate.
$185 first document
+ $75 for each additional document
Expedited Birth Certificate Apostille
1 to 2 Business Days
Expedited in-person California apostille processing for an eligible, time-sensitive certified birth certificate.
$245.00 First Document
+ $75 for each additional document
Common Reasons You May Need One
Dual citizenship · Residency and visas · Marriage abroad · Foreign passports or national ID · School enrollment · Employment abroad · Adoption · Inheritance and court matters
California Birth Certificate Apostille FAQs
How do I apostille a birth certificate in California?
Get an eligible certified copy signed by a County Clerk, County Recorder, or the State Registrar. Then submit the original to the California Secretary of State with the required fees. I handle the review, in-person submission, and return shipping for you.
How much does it cost to apostille a California birth certificate?
Service fees:
• Standard apostille (including birth, marriage, and death certificates): $185 for the first document, $75 for each additional document in the same order. Completed in 5 to 7 business days.
• Expedited apostille (any eligible document): $245 for the first document, $75 for each additional document in the same order. Completed in 1 to 2 business days. Government fees, billed in addition to the service fee:
• California Secretary of State fee: $20 per apostille
• Special handling / signature verification fee: $6 per apostille
Return shipping is billed at cost via FedEx or DHL, and shipping upgrades are additional.
Where do I apostille a birth certificate if I live in another state?
At the Secretary of State in the state that issued it, not where you live now. For a California birth certificate, mail it to me from anywhere.
Can you help if I live outside California or outside the U.S.?
Yes. What matters is where the certificate was issued, not where you live. Mail me the original and I'll return it by tracked international shipping.
My birth certificate is from another state. Can you apostille it?
No. California can only apostille California-issued records. It has to go to the apostille authority in the state that issued it.
Do I need a certified translation?
That depends on the destination country. If you need one, I can coordinate a certified translation in more than 130 languages. The translation is normally done after the apostille so the whole document is translated together.
What is birth certificate legalization?
For countries outside the Hague Convention, the certificate needs authentication and embassy legalization instead of an apostille.
What is authenticating a birth certificate?
If your certificate is signed by a Health Officer or Local Registrar, the County Clerk must certify that signature before the Secretary of State will apostille it. I check this from your photo before you mail anything.
Call or text (650) 675-7760 ·
California Apostille Services for Your Documents
Tifini Goebel · Commissioned California Notary Public
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