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NOTARY · APOSTILLE · SIGNING
Apostille — All 50 States
State apostille & authentication for documents used abroad — whatever state issued your document
Quick Answer
An apostille is the certificate that makes a U.S. document legally recognizable in another country that belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention. The catch: only the state that issued the document can apostille it — a Maryland apostille cannot certify a New York birth certificate, and every state has its own intake rules, forms and turnaround.
An apostille is the certificate that makes a U.S. document legally recognizable in another country that belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention. The catch: only the state that issued the document can apostille it — a Maryland apostille cannot certify a New York birth certificate, and every state has its own intake rules, forms and turnaround.
From Beltsville, we manage that whole chain for documents issued in any of the 50 states: any notarization and county clerk certification the document needs first, the Secretary of State filing, and tracked return to you. The same process covers authentication chains for countries that are not Hague members, where embassy legalization follows the state certification.
What Is Included
- Birth, marriage & death certificates, powers of attorney, diplomas and transcripts
- Corporate records, agreements and documents for business abroad
- Any state of origin — routed to the correct Secretary of State
- Notarization and clerk certification handled first, when required
- Embassy legalization guidance for non-Hague countries
At a Glance
- Monday–Sunday · 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM
- Serving Washington DC, Maryland & Northern Virginia
- English · Russian · Hebrew · Spanish
- No surprises: every appointment is quoted in writing and agreed before any service begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which documents need an apostille?
Commonly: vital records (birth, marriage, death), powers of attorney, school records and diplomas, corporate documents, adoption papers and court orders — whenever a Hague Convention country asks for proof that a U.S. document is genuine.
How long does an apostille take?
It depends on the issuing state's current processing queue and on shipping. When you book, we confirm the current estimate for your specific state and document before you commit.
My document is not notarized yet — is that a problem?
No. Many documents must be notarized — and in Maryland, certified by the Clerk of the Circuit Court — before the Secretary of State will apostille them. We handle those first steps as part of the same engagement.
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