You can do a Delaware apostille yourself.

Your first five checks

Notary Geek explanation; attributed experience is identified in the text

1. Identify the Delaware public official or notary whose signature needs authentication. Other-state and federal records follow their own authorities. Use the canonical Apostille foundations linked below for treaty concepts and the destination relationship.

2. For company filings, request a separate certified copy of each needed filing. For vital or court records obtain the official issuer’s copy; a private notarization does not replace it.

3. Decide whether the use is personal/noncommercial or business. The current personal-use page charges $30 for documents presented simultaneously; commercial authentication costs $30 per document. Procurement, optional rush and shipping are additional.

4. Choose the matching request and payment channel from the detailed instructions. The corporate paper Certification Memo is for mail/courier check requests; the official electronic business request is the card/ACH channel.

5. Specify physical return. For business memo orders choose regular mail, carrier account or arranged pickup; the personal page separately permits a prepaid return envelope. An email contact is not emailed certificate delivery. The printable packet map links below; keep the full instructions with it.

Qualification: Preparation layer updated on 2026-10-28. The overall factual source-check date remains 2026-10-26. Only the individually dated source records marked 2026-10-28 were newly inspected; retained detailed procedures and older source dates were not reverified by this update.

• Delaware document eligibility: current check: Commercial/noncommercial use; Prepare documents; excluded documents
• Delaware personal submission: current check: By Mail; In Person; Fees
• Delaware Certification Memo: current check: pp1–2 payment channel, return selection and no fax/email return
• Delaware printable packet map: Three source lanes and preparation checks
• Canonical Apostille foundations: Existing HCCH foundation, document and destination concepts

Choose the issuing authority and foreign-use route

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

Identify the country of intended use and the official/notary signature on each document. Delaware Division of Corporations authenticates Delaware public-official and Delaware notary signatures. A Delaware LLC does not make every document its owner signs a Delaware notarized document. A private operating agreement notarized in Florida follows its Florida notarial route; Delaware-filed formation records stay Delaware records.

Use the current HCCH status table and applicable treaty relationship for an apostille. A non-Convention destination may require authentication and further destination-specific steps; a valid Convention apostille does not routinely need subsequent embassy legalization. Destination filing, translations and document legal effect are separate.

Delaware excludes other-state notarizations/official records, federal records, foreign-issued records, photocopies and documents intended for use within the individual U.S. states (the stated exclusion does not include U.S. territories and possessions) under its published service. Route those to the actual issuing authority rather than mailing them to Dover with a Delaware company order.

• Delaware apostille document eligibility: Prepare your Documents; excluded documents
• HCCH Apostille Convention status table: Convention 12; entry into force, declarations, objections and competent authorities
• U.S. Department of State: authentications: Federal versus state documents; apostille versus authentication

Obtain official copies, separately certified

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

A publicly recorded document must be an official copy from the Delaware state or county issuer. Do not notarize that official record. Every filed document needing an apostille must be certified separately. A one-cover certification over several filings is not acceptable for apostille issuance.

List each required filing by its title and filed date, such as certificate of incorporation and a later amendment. Request a separate certified copy and apostille for each. “All charter documents” may produce more material and charges than the recipient needs. A registered agent may order or forward documents as a separate paid service; the state issues the certified records and apostilles.

• Delaware apostille document eligibility: Prepare your Documents; excluded documents
• Delaware Certification Memo and instructions: p1 instructions; p2 Certification Sheet and no fax/email return

Private documents, translations and school records

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

For a signer-created document requiring a notarial act, use a lawful Delaware act and complete certificate, original signature and seal. Delaware’s current apostille instructions say remotely or electronically notarized documents are not accepted. That agency acceptance rule is distinct from whether a remote act can otherwise be lawful. Do not buy an online notarization on the assumption Dover will apostille it.

The published foreign-language instruction calls for an English translation and notarization of the language versions. It does not authorize a notary to replace the official custodian’s certification of a public record. For an official record plus translation, retain the official original and arrange the separate translation/notarial document appropriate to the actual requirement; resolve that combination with the Division before paying if unclear.

For a diploma/transcript ask the school registrar to prepare its original official signature for notarization. University of Delaware’s example is student-initiated: use its checklist/cover letter and order the official transcript through the National Student Clearinghouse to the registrar for the apostille work. Its stated preparation can take 5–10 business days; it is not the Division’s queue. Other schools have their own products, fees and authorization forms.

Qualification: The Division does not supply notary or translation services. A notary good-standing certificate is a separate proof-of-appointment product; request it only for an actual destination requirement.

• Delaware apostille document eligibility: Prepare your Documents; excluded documents
• University of Delaware apostille/notary services: Student request; checklist; registrar preparation; timing
• DE-RON-LIMIT official source: Important Information for Delaware Notaries
• DE-NOTARY-FAQ official source: May I notarize outsideDelaware; How much can Icharge

Company copies and good standing

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

Use the public entity search to identify the exact company name and Delaware file number. A $10 status check or $20 detailed online information report does not generate an official certificate of good standing. Choose a short-form status certificate, long-form domestic good-standing certificate, special certificate or separately certified filing according to the recipient’s actual request.

Submit a written Certification Memo by mail/courier with a check, or use the official Document Filing and Certificate Request Service for an eligible business certificate request and card/ACH payment. The electronic request does not make the issued certificate electronic, instant or returnable by email. Do not upload an ordinary scan of a private notarized original as a substitute for the original physical record.

Procurement prices: short-form good standing $50 per certificate; long-form domestic good standing or long-form listing $175; special certificates $50; certified copies $50 per document plus $2 per copied page. These do not include the apostille, rush, taxes owed, translation or shipping. If the entity is not in good standing, fix the actual tax/filing issue through the proper business channel rather than expecting an apostille to cure it.

• Delaware accessing corporate information: Status lookup versus certified status; physical return and payment
• Delaware corporate fee schedule: p6 certificate/copy/authentication/apostille rows and fee-scope footer
• Delaware Document Filing and Certificate Request Service: Important; service availability and payment; no fee calculation
• Delaware Certification Memo and instructions: p1 instructions; p2 Certification Sheet and no fax/email return

Personal vital records: application, entitlement and ID

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

Obtain Delaware birth, death or marriage records through the Office of Vital Statistics using the current record-specific application. For a birth copy enter the name at birth, date/place, parents’ names, copy count, applicant contact/address, relationship, purpose and signed/date request. Provide valid identification and proof of entitlement where needed. The current birth application charges $25 per copy, check or money order payable to State of Delaware.

The linked birth form prints a mailing address of Office of Vital Statistics, Jesse Cooper Building, 417 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901. The current OVS page lists a Dover counter at James Williams State Service Center, 805 River Road, while directing mailed requests to the application address. These are different published channels: confirm the current mailing instructions before sending; do not redirect a mailed birth application to the counter merely because the website lists it.

VitalChek/GoCertificates links are official ordering alternatives with separate vendor/payment/shipping terms. A vendor charge is procurement, not the $30 Division authentication fee. After the certified record arrives check the identity, date and official signature, then build the separate apostille packet. Birth restrictions and required ID are not waived by foreign-use urgency.

The current death application also lists $25 per certificate (printed March 2022); the marriage application lists $25 per copy (printed June 2020). Complete the record-specific event/person/spouse fields, applicant relationship/proof, identification, delivery details, signature/date and payment to State of Delaware. These procurement charges are separate from Division authentication, and the same mail-form versus counter distinction must be checked for the selected application.

• Delaware application for certified birth certificate: p1 applicant/record fields, $25 fee, ID and mail address
• Delaware Office of Vital Statistics: Obtaining Records; Order In Person; application links
• DE-DEATH official source: p1 fields/required-filing block
• DE-MARRIAGE official source: p1 fields/required-filing block

Get a certified decree from the court holding the case

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

Delaware Family Court distinguishes an uncertified decree ($1) from a certified decree ($4). For the official apostille route order the certified product. Its mail request requires your name/date of birth and notarized request signature, with a check or money order and confirm the return arrangement. That notarization belongs to the applicant’s request; the issued decree itself is an official court record and is not notarized.

Use the Records Department for the county of the divorce: New Castle, 500 N. King Street, Suite 110, Wilmington DE 19801; Kent, 445 S. Governors Avenue, Dover DE 19904; Sussex, 100 E. Market Street, Georgetown DE 19947. Recheck the current court page for payment payee, ID, authorization and return requirements before sending. A vital-statistics divorce record is not automatically a substitute for a certified court decree. The current decree-copy page does not state a payment payee or prepaid-return specification. Call the listed Records Department number, 302-255-2222, for those exact mailing details before purchasing payment; no payee is guessed here.

• Delaware Family Court certified decree copies: Certified versus uncertified decree; request signature and county Records Department addresses
• Delaware apostille document eligibility: Prepare your Documents; excluded documents

Fill the paper Certification Memo precisely

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

Use the current linked Certification Memo for mail/courier check orders. Mark Priority 7 for regular work, or the selected Priority 1/2/3/4 service. Enter submitter/firm or individual name, attention when a firm is named, full return address including country, phone and email. Use the depository account field only if you already have such an account; it is not a shipping account.

Enter entity name and file number if known; choose certified copy versus plain copy, exact filed document/date, annual-report year or the precise certificate product. Mark apostille/authentication and enter the country of use. List additional instructions, each separately certified document, check number and total payment. Mark regular mail, messenger/pickup, FedEx or UPS return; provide the actual carrier account number if selecting that option.

For a personal record use a cover memo that clearly states purpose, intended country, contact and return address, document count and noncommercial use where true. Do not invent company/file data for a birth certificate. Retain a copy of the request and your record inventory.

• Delaware Certification Memo and instructions: p1 instructions; p2 Certification Sheet and no fax/email return
• Delaware non-commercial apostille submission: By Mail; In Person; Fees

Apostille fee and the personal-use exception

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

Commercial/business use: $30 for each apostille or authentication. Natural-person personal, noncommercial use: $30 for one or more documents presented simultaneously. Business-purpose papers do not become noncommercial because the submitter is an individual, and separate submissions do not automatically share the simultaneous batch charge.

Record procurement remains additional. Three eligible personal records presented together can incur one $30 authentication charge; three commercial documents incur $90 authentication fees before copies, rush and shipping. This fee exception does not eliminate the separate-certification requirement for filed company documents.

• Delaware non-commercial apostille submission: By Mail; In Person; Fees
• Delaware corporate fee schedule: p6 certificate/copy/authentication/apostille rows and fee-scope footer

Use the current product-specific rush rows

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

The currently linked fee schedule is revised August 1, 2026. On page 6, additional same-day / 24-hour fees are: short good standing $50 / $40; long good standing or long-form listing $80 / $60; certified copies $60 / $50; commercial apostille/authentication $50 / $40. Natural-person noncommercial apostille/authentication rows show those two rush fees as exempt.

The page 6 footer says same-day and 24-hour expedited fees apply per file number; Priority 1 one-hour is $1,000 and Priority 2 two-hour is $500 per document/request. These are additional charges, not total order prices. A multi-product or multi-entity order can involve different fee rows; confirm the Division’s calculation at 302-739-3073 before funding a mixed rush order. Do not replace these certificate/copy rows with a generic corporate-filing rush price.

Published business-day receipt cutoffs are before 9 p.m. Eastern for one-hour, 7 p.m. for two-hour, 2 p.m. for same-day and 7 p.m. for next-day service. Confirm the relevant product and actual accepted receipt; a carrier arrival or paid shipping label does not establish that the order met the processing cutoff. Use page 6 product-specific fees rather than this expedite page’s generic filing prices. Regular commercial timing depends on workload; no fixed queue is invented here.

• Delaware corporate fee schedule: p6 certificate/copy/authentication/apostille rows and fee-scope footer
• Delaware Certification Memo and instructions: p1 instructions; p2 Certification Sheet and no fax/email return
• Delaware how to submit an order: Certification and Copy Requests; payment; mailing address
• Delaware expedited services and receipt cutoffs: Priority 1, 2, 3 and 4 business-day receipt cutoffs

Choose a valid payment channel

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

For a paper mail/courier order enclose the correct check payable to Delaware Secretary of State, in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank. The current instructions do not accept credit cards by mail or at the counter. Do not write card numbers into the paper memo or email them to the Division.

For eligible business requests paid by card or ACH use the official electronic request service, which generates the memo from entered information. It accepts the listed Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover cards; it charges when processed and returns the invoice with the order. It does not calculate the fee for you. The ability to submit a request electronically is not proof of eligibility, immediate processing or an emailed finished certificate.

• Delaware how to submit an order: Certification and Copy Requests; payment; mailing address
• Delaware Document Filing and Certificate Request Service: Important; service availability and payment; no fee calculation
• Delaware Certification Memo and instructions: p1 instructions; p2 Certification Sheet and no fax/email return

Send and return the physical packet

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

Mail/courier: Delaware Division of Corporations, John G. Townsend Building, 401 Federal Street, Suite 4, Dover, DE 19901. The published corporate memo uses the same street address for mailed and courier submissions. Personal hand-delivery requires an appointment at 302-739-3077; do not assume a walk-in place is available.

Corporate certificates/copies are returned by regular mail unless you provide a FedEx or UPS account or arrange messenger pickup. The memo expressly says fax/email return is unavailable. Supply a complete deliverable return address and the chosen carrier details. A request email address is for contact, not permission for electronic certificate delivery.

For personal noncommercial documents the separate page allows a prepaid Priority USPS, FedEx or UPS return envelope; otherwise regular first-class return applies. Keep those personal instructions distinct from the business memo’s carrier-account mechanism. Plan any subsequent international shipment separately; preserve the attached certificates and do not assume the Division will scan or forward an unofficial emailed substitute.

• Delaware Certification Memo and instructions: p1 instructions; p2 Certification Sheet and no fax/email return
• Delaware accessing corporate information: Status lookup versus certified status; physical return and payment
• Delaware non-commercial apostille submission: By Mail; In Person; Fees

Typical personal service is qualified agency guidance

Notary Geek explanation; attributed experience is identified in the text

The personal/noncommercial page says mailed requests are typically processed the same business day and describes similar typical timing for personal appointments. This is an agency description, not a guarantee and not evidence that all commercial certificate orders finish the same day. School/issuer preparation and inbound/return delivery remain additional.

There is no independently sourced Greg-specific Delaware handling duration in this guide. Managed help may make a multi-record, rush/payment or overseas-return order easier, but the Division remains the issuer and state timing remains conditional. Request a current document-specific estimate rather than borrowing Florida or Wyoming timing.

• Delaware non-commercial apostille submission: By Mail; In Person; Fees
• University of Delaware apostille/notary services: Student request; checklist; registrar preparation; timing
• Delaware accessing corporate information: Status lookup versus certified status; physical return and payment

Recover wrong records, delay or rejected submissions

Official procedure explained from the cited sources

Check completed records against the requested filings and countries, separate certifications, apostille count, names and official signatures before onward delivery. Retain the invoice and reference/tracking details. If a record was omitted, a one-cover bundle was sent or an uncertified copy was returned, identify that specific defect and contact the Division at 302-739-3073 before paying for a duplicate order.

For a wrong issuer, remote/electronic notarization or photocopy rejection, obtain the proper original/certified product or lawful accepted notarial act; do not alter an existing certificate. For a foreign recipient refusal retain the written reason, document, country and named approving office so the issue can be distinguished from an informal preference. For transit delay first check the actual carrier and return method; regular mail has different visibility from a paid express account.

• Delaware apostille document eligibility: Prepare your Documents; excluded documents
• Delaware how to submit an order: Certification and Copy Requests; payment; mailing address
• Delaware accessing corporate information: Status lookup versus certified status; physical return and payment

DIY and useful optional assistance

Notary Geek explanation; attributed experience is identified in the text

Use direct DIY when the record, official payment and return route are straightforward. Local notaries can help with an eligible private document or a court-copy application signature, not with manufacturing a state-certified record. A registered agent or document company may offer separate ordering/forwarding service, but its statutory role does not make it the issuing authority.

Managed help can be useful for an exact filing inventory, mixed rush rows, payment access, document review or physical return to someone overseas. Obtain a defined scope and current quote through the existing request route. No special access, guaranteed state timing or private operating recipe is asserted.

• Delaware apostille document eligibility: Prepare your Documents; excluded documents
• Delaware Certification Memo and instructions: p1 instructions; p2 Certification Sheet and no fax/email return
• Delaware non-commercial apostille submission: By Mail; In Person; Fees

Test the fee and signature boundaries

Notary Geek explanation; attributed experience is identified in the text

Use actual page counts and current product selection for your own request.

• Delaware corporate fee schedule: p6 certificate/copy/authentication/apostille rows and fee-scope footer
• Delaware apostille document eligibility: Prepare your Documents; excluded documents
• Delaware non-commercial apostille submission: By Mail; In Person; Fees

Review date, form editions and uncertainty

Notary Geek explanation; attributed experience is identified in the text

Checked October 26, 2026. This replaces seven broad steps with product selection, procurement, current August 2026 fee rows, exact request fields, valid payments, physical return and recovery. The Certification Memo filename and vital-form filename are recorded separately from the printed revision and retrieval date; a filename ending “24” is not proof of a 2024 printed edition.

Agency guidance is distinct from treaty status and Notary Geek explanation. Recheck the current official memo, fee schedule and addresses before sending. No live portal submission, payment, appointment or recipient transaction was performed to produce this guide.

• Delaware corporate fee schedule: p6 certificate/copy/authentication/apostille rows and fee-scope footer
• Delaware Certification Memo and instructions: p1 instructions; p2 Certification Sheet and no fax/email return
• Delaware application for certified birth certificate: p1 applicant/record fields, $25 fee, ID and mail address
• Delaware Office of Vital Statistics: Obtaining Records; Order In Person; application links

Can I use the personal batch fee for my LLC papers?

Notary Geek explanation; attributed experience is identified in the text

The stated distinction is intended use: a business transaction is commercial even if an individual mails it. For three commercial documents, the authentication component is $90; the personal simultaneous-submission discount does not remove procurement or delivery charges.

• Delaware personal submission: current check: By Mail; In Person; Fees
• Delaware document eligibility: current check: Commercial/noncommercial use; Prepare documents; excluded documents

Why does my decree request need notarization?

Notary Geek explanation; attributed experience is identified in the text

The Family Court mail request needs the applicant’s notarized signature; the issued certified decree is an official record, not a record to notarize again. The page lists $4 for a certified copy, $1 for an uncertified copy, possible archive retrieval charges, and check or money order for mailed requests. In-person requests require photo ID and offer additional payment methods. Those are procurement rules, separate from apostille fees.

The current decree page still does not name the mailed-payment payee or specify prepaid return. Ask the Records Department in the county that granted the divorce at the listed 302-255-2222 before buying payment. The general court payment page limits its electronic payment option to criminal matters; it does not establish an online decree-copy payment route.

Qualification: A general court payment facility is not proof that it accepts decree-copy orders.

• Delaware Family Court decree copies: current check: Request in person; Request by mail; county Records Departments
• Delaware Family Court payment options: Electronic payment limitation

Can a Florida online notarization go in a Delaware company order?

Notary Geek explanation; attributed experience is identified in the text

The company filing and private agreement are different documents. Delaware’s current instructions exclude remote/electronic notarizations from this apostille service. A separate Florida-notarized agreement follows the Florida notary-signature route when the document and destination fit; the Delaware official company record stays Delaware.

• Delaware document eligibility: current check: Commercial/noncommercial use; Prepare documents; excluded documents

Does same-day personal processing mean arrival the same day?

Notary Geek explanation; attributed experience is identified in the text

The personal page describes typical same-business-day processing, with appointments for hand delivery. Mail transit, source procurement and final delivery remain separate. Use the detailed corporate product-specific rush rows for business orders; do not transfer the personal-page timing to a commercial order.

• Delaware personal submission: current check: By Mail; In Person; Fees
• Delaware expedited services and receipt cutoffs: Priority 1, 2, 3 and 4 business-day receipt cutoffs