How to Obtain Authentication and Apostille from the Secretary of State of California?

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Self-Service Guide for California Secretary of State Notarization and Authentication

There are two types of authentication by the Secretary of State: Apostille and Certificate of Authentication. Apostille, also known as "Hague Authentication," is only valid within Hague Convention member countries. Since Chinese consulates are currently not part of the "Hague Authentication Convention," documents submitted to Chinese consulates in the United States must use a "Certificate of Authentication."

If you don’t have time to handle it yourself, you can contact CHV for agency services. Reach out via our Contact Us page or WeChat/LINE, or call our customer service at 518-956-5673 (US). We provide notarization and authentication services for personal or corporate documents across all 50 U.S. states, including consulate three-level authentication or Hague Authentication, with expedited processing available—completed in as fast as 3 business days.

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Visit in person or mail documents to:

California Secretary of State
Notary Public Section/Authentications
1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

Office Services:

Los Angeles Office (Walk-in Service Available)
California Secretary of State
Notary Public Section/Authentications
300 South Spring Street, Room 12513
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Website: http://www.sos.ca.gov/business/notary/authentication.htm

Important Notes for California Notarization and Authentication

The office of California Secretary of State Alex Padilla issues Hague Authentication for documents such as birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates; articles of incorporation; bylaws; powers of attorney; diplomas; and transcripts, provided they meet the following requirements:

Documents must be signed by county clerks, the Department of Health Services (DHS), recorders, or authorized signatories of superior courts.

Please note: If your document is signed by a doctor (MD) or a "health officer," the birth certificate will be rejected, and a new copy must be requested.

Some documents feature barcodes, which vary by county and do not affect Hague Authentication—these documents are acceptable.

Documents must be originals; photocopies are not accepted.

Divorce documents must bear the "FILED" notation and seal from the superior court to be eligible for Hague Apostille certification. Divorce judgments, agreements, and certificates of no marriage record must be certified by the court, signed by the court clerk, and include a certified copy with the court's certification seal.

Notarized documents, such as letters, certificates of origin, powers of attorney, declarations, statements, transfers, or affidavits, should include a confirmation statement printed or bound to the document.

School diplomas, transcripts, or academic records issued by institutions such as Stanford University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, USC Los Angeles, Caltech Pasadena, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside, UC San Francisco, San Diego State University, and San Francisco State University must be notarized by the school registrar before applying for Hague Apostille certification.

Attachment, Sample

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