Document requirements
Find the right office for your document
Start with who issued the record or notarized the signature. Choose the document category below, then follow the free guide or ask Notary Geek to handle the request.
You can use the free guides below without buying a service.
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate used to authenticate the origin of a public document for use abroad under the 1961 Apostille Convention. It replaces the diplomatic or consular legalization that would otherwise be required for a document within the Convention. The issuing authority belongs to the place where the public document originates.
The Convention must apply to this document and the origin-to-destination relationship. It is not a universal route for every cross-border document.
Who created or certified your document?
Start with the record itself. Your location does not tell you which office handles it.
State-issued or state-certified record
A state-issued record usually follows the state or office that issued or certified it. The notary is usually not the source of authority for a certified official record.
Examples: birth certificate, marriage certificate, court record, certified company record, certificate of status, school record issued or certified by a state institution
Office or authority to check: State secretary of state, state agency, clerk, court, vital-record office, or issuing authority
Signer-created document needing notarization
A signer-created document may need a valid notarial act before apostille or legalization routing can be confirmed.
Examples: power of attorney, affidavit, authorization letter, single status affidavit, UBO letter, company resolution, consent letter
Office or authority to check: Notary law for the notarial act, then the apostille or legalization authority for the issuing state or country route
Federal document
A federal document may require a federal authentication path rather than a state apostille path.
Examples: FBI background check, federal agency record, federal court document, federal certificate, USPTO document
Office or authority to check: U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications or the issuing federal agency
What to do next
- Identify the issuing office or notary state and whether you have an original, certified copy or scan.
- Find the receiving office's written instructions and the country where the document will be used. Use the recipient requirements guide before assuming an apostille is needed.
- Use the official source guide to check preparation, forms, fees and return delivery before sending originals. For Delaware, use the free Delaware DIY guide.
If you want help with review, handling or shipping, send Notary Geek the document facts. We confirm the scope before payment.
Deeper explanations, official sources and JSON
- What an apostille proves and its limits · Matching foundations JSON
- Document routing JSON · State source notes JSON
- Official resources and source qualifications · State reference library
Category summaries above reuse the maintained routing catalog. Its review dates and qualifications remain in the linked JSON; this page does not establish a new legal review date or guarantee acceptance.