Last verified: Oct 21, 2026
California apostille: fees, offices, timing
The California Secretary of State "provides an Apostille to authenticate California public officials' signatures on documents to be used outside the United States." The document must be signed by a California public official or be an original notarized and/or certified document. Photocopies are not accepted. [1]
| Which office | California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section: Sacramento (mail and in person), Los Angeles (in person only), and Apostille Pop-Up Shops [1][3][4] |
|---|---|
| What it costs | $20.00 per apostille. In person (Sacramento, Los Angeles, Pop-Up Shops): plus a $6.00 Special Handling fee for each different public official's signature. [1][3][4] |
| How long it takes | In person: "typically processed within 30 minutes after submission" (arrive by 4:30 p.m. to guarantee service). Mail: processed in order received, no expediting. As of the page's Oct 20, 2026 update, Sacramento was processing mail requests received 10/13/2026. [1][2] Pop-Up Shops: waits "may be up to 2-3 hours." [4] |
By mail (Sacramento only)
- The document (original, signed by a CA public official or notarized/certified).
- A cover sheet stating the country of use (the SOS mail cover sheet or your own).
- Check or money order payable to "Secretary of State": $20.00 per apostille.
- A self-addressed return envelope (prepaid postage if you want tracking; otherwise regular USPS mail).
USPS: Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001.
FedEx/UPS/DHL: Notary Public Section, 1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. [1]
The office cannot pull mailed submissions for expedited service. For same-day service, go in person. [1] Check the current processing dates before mailing.
In person
| Office | Address | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento | 1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814 | Visa/Mastercard, check, money order, or cash |
| Los Angeles | 300 South Spring Street, Room 12513, Los Angeles, CA 90013 (Ronald Reagan building). Temporarily serving on the 1st floor, suite 1215, due to an elevator outage. Walk-in, take-a-number, no appointments; no mail requests. | Visa/Mastercard, check, or money order. No cash. |
| Pop-Up Shops | See the SOS Pop-Up Shops page for dates and locations | Visa/Mastercard, check, or money order. No cash. |
Each in-person request: $20.00 per apostille + $6.00 special handling per different official's signature, plus a cover sheet stating the country. A trusted person can submit at a Pop-Up Shop on your behalf with the documents and payment. [1][3][4]
Federal documents (e.g., FBI background checks) are not apostilled by California. See the federal route.
Sources
- California SOS: Request an Apostille
- California SOS: Current Processing Dates (page last updated Oct 20, 2026)
- California SOS: Los Angeles Office
- California SOS: Pop-Up Shops