California Apostillé Services
Certified Corporate Documents & Good Standing
Fast & Reliable International Apostille Service for Documents from California
As an attorney and authorized apostillé agent, I provide clients worldwide with expedited international apostillé services for documents originating from California. I handle the full range of California documents, including: certified company records (certificates of incorporation, articles of associations, amendments, dissolution records, annual reports, certificate of status/good standing), corporate resolutions, vital records (birth/death certificates), divorce decrees, power of attorney, academic diplomas & transcripts, real property deeds and records, and copies of New York court judgments.
I ensure your documents are properly verified and legalized for international use. My attorney-supervised process guarantees that your paperwork meets the multi-step authentication requirements of the California Secretary of State and the Hague Apostille Convention (1961), minimizing the risk of delay or rejection.
Fast turnaround • Attorney review included • Multi-county/city process management
SUPPORTED STATES
We process apostilles nationwide. If you need apostillé or corporate records from other states, click the link: California, New York, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Washington, Massachusetts, Nevada, Delaware, Minnesota, District of Columbia (D.C.).
California State Apostillé
Apostillé Process for California Documents
How to Legalize California Documents for International Use
An Apostille issued by the California Secretary of State is a certificate that authenticates the signature of a California public official on a document for use in another country. It certifies the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the official acted, and the identity of the seal/stamp. The Apostille does not validate the contents of the document.
Crucial Note on Certification: the California Secretary of State issues a single Apostille for documents to be used outside of the United States, regardless of the country of destination (i.e., it issues an Apostille even for non-Hague countries, eliminating the separate "Authentication Certificate").
Corporate Records: must be certified by the California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division.
-
Documents Signed by State Officials: Documents certified directly by the California Secretary of State, such as a Certificate of Status (Good Standing) or Certified Copies of Formation Documents, are submitted directly for Apostille.
-
Other Corporate Documents (minutes of meetings, bylaws, corporate resolutions, etc.) must be notarized by a California Notary Public prior to apostillization.
Real Property Deed or Records: real property records must be a certified copy issued by the County Clerk/Recorder in the county where the property is located. This certified copy is then submitted directly to the California Secretary of State for the Apostille.
Vital Records (Birth, Marriage, Death Certificates): requirements depend on the official who signed the certificate:
-
Direct to the California Secretary of State: the California Secretary of State can issue an Apostille for the signatures of the County Clerks/Deputies, County Recorders/Deputies, and the State Registrar (California Department of Public Health).
-
Mandatory County Clerk Step: If your birth or death certificate was issued by a city- or county-level agency and has the signature of a Health Officer or County Registrar, you must first have one of the following:
-
The document certified by the County Clerk’s office in the county in which it was issued, OR
-
Obtain a certified copy of the record from the County Recorder or the State of California Department of Public Health.
-
-
Note on Health Officers: Local Health Officers are now required to file their oaths of office with the California Secretary of State, which can facilitate authentication for their signatures.
Academic / Notarized Documents (Diplomas, Transcripts): to be eligible for an Apostille, academic records and other private documents must be properly notarized by a California Notary Public.
-
Notary Requirement: The California Secretary of State does not provide notarial services. The document must be notarized prior to submission. The notarization must be in English for the Apostille to be issued, though the rest of the document can be in any other language.
-
County Clerk Step: For a California Notary Public's signature, NO County Clerk certification is required. The California Secretary of State will authenticate the notary's signature directly.
Power of Attorney, Affidavits, and Translations: to obtain an Apostille, these private documents must be notarized by a California Notary Public.
-
Translations: The California Secretary of State does not provide translation services. If a certified translation is required, it should be completed before submission. The California Secretary of State can issue an Apostille for a foreign language document so long as the associated notarization is in English.
Documents for U.S. Territories: the California Secretary of State does not issue Apostilles for documents to be used in U.S. Territories or Possessions (e.g., Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands). The notarial act alone is generally sufficient for use in those territories.
California Apostille Certificate
OUR SIMPLIFIED, MULTI-STEP PROCESS
1. SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST— Tell us which New York documents require an apostillé and the destination country.
Attorney Review & Preparation — We verify compliance with NY's complex two/three-step pre-certification requirements.
2. LOCAL CERTIFICATION (if required) — We secure the necessary County Clerk certification (and City Clerk certification, if applicable) on your behalf.
3. SECURE RETURN — Your documents are shipped to you or your foreign representative via tracked courier.
Corporate Records & Good Standing Certificate
Seamless Corporate Records Authentication for International Business
We specialize in retrieving certified corporate documents filed with the California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division, and obtaining an apostillé for use abroad — a frequent requirement for opening foreign bank accounts, mergers, and establishing overseas subsidiaries.
CORPORATE RECORDS IN NEW YORK: A GUIDE
1. CONFIRMATION OF A COMPANY’S EXISTENCE (GOOD STANDING/STATUS). The key document is the Certificate of Status (often called a Certificate of Good Standing). This document, issued by the Business Programs Division, confirms the entity exists and is in good standing.
California Note: Short-Form vs. Certified History (Long-Form Equivalent). The California Secretary of State offers both a standard status certificate and a certification that is the equivalent of a "Long-Form."
-
Certified History Document: For a comprehensive certification, the California Secretary of State can issue a document that certifies that attached copies of filed records, such as the Statement of Information, are true and correct copies of the records on file. This certified document, signed by the Secretary of State, acts as the formal record of corporate activity for international use.
-
The Apostille that authenticates the Secretary of State's signature on these documents does not certify the contentof the underlying corporate record.
2. CONSTITUTIONAL (FORMATION) DOCUMENTS. These are public records available through the California Secretary of State:
-
For Corporations: Articles of Incorporation
-
For LLCs: Articles of Organization
We retrieve certified copies of these filings, which are signed by a Department of State official and are ready for the apostillé process.
3. LIST OF SHAREHOLDERS AND OFFICERS:
-
Shareholders/LLC Members (Owners): This information is not public record in California. If confirmation is required internationally, we assist in obtaining a notarized affidavit from a director, officer, or manager verifying current shareholders or members, which can then be apostilled.
-
Directors/Officers (Corporations) & Managers (LLCs): The names, addresses, and positions (e.g., Chief Executive Officer, Secretary, Chief Financial Officer) of current officers and directors are publicly filed on the Statement of Information. A certified copy of this filing, issued by the California Secretary of State, is the standard way to prove this information for international use.
4. OUR CORPORATE RETRIEVAL & APOSTILLE PROCESS:
-
Identify Needed Documents — Certificate of Status, Incorporation records, etc.
-
Certified Copy Retrieval — We obtain official copies directly from the California Secretary of State Business Programs Division.
-
Apostille Authentication — We handle the full apostillization process with the California Secretary of State.
-
International Delivery — We ship your apostilled documents anywhere in the world.
Processing Time: regular processing is up to several weeks.
California Certificate of Status
California Statement of Information
Why Choose an Attorney for California Apostille Services
Attorney-Led Expertise You Can Trust
Unlike generic courier or mail-in services, our attorney-led apostillé process ensures your documents meet California's specific, multi-layered requirements from the start.
Our Advantages:
-
Legal Oversight: Every document is reviewed by a U.S. attorney experienced in cross-border certification.
-
Risk Reduction: Prevents costly rejections or delays caused by missing the mandatory County Clerk certification step required for most vital records and notarized documents.
-
Nationwide Access: We process documents from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Department of State (federal).
-
Global Clients: Trusted by businesses, law firms, and individuals worldwide.
Our Fees, Shipping, Useful Information
OUR FEES
Certified business records: we charge flat of $100 per certified document (certified copy of documents available for request and certification by the New York State Department of State). All documents are requested in an expedited mode (within 24 hours).
Apostille: we charge Apostille flat fee of $200 per document.
If you need us to ship your documents overseas, we charge according to DHL international shipping fees.
USEFUL CONTACTS OF NEW YORK APOSTILLE AUTHORITIES
The California Secretary of State is the only competent authority authorized to issue apostille certifications in the State of California.
Agency: California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section
Mailing Address (for all standard mail requests): Secretary of State, Notary Public Section P.O. Box 942877 Sacramento, CA 94277-0001
Physical Address (for walk-in service and express/courier services): The California Secretary of State has two physical offices that accept documents for in-person, same-day apostille processing:
-
Sacramento Office: Secretary of State 1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor Sacramento, CA 95814
-
Los Angeles Office: Secretary of State 300 South Spring Street, Room 12513 Los Angeles, CA 90013
Database of California companies is available here.
Apostille Verification
The Department of State now allows you to verify whether an Apostille or Certificate of Authentication was issued by the New York State Secretary of State's office. Apostilles and Certificates of Authentication issued on or after April 9, 2013 may be verified here.
We minimize your taxes domestically and internationally...
Viacheslav S. Kutuzov
VIACHESLAV KUTUZOV, Esq.
International and U.S. Taxation Expert, New York Attorney & Counselor-at-Law
55 Broadway, Floor 3, New York, New York 10006
We apply international standards of confidentiality
ISO / IEC 27001 Information security management
