New York State Secretary of State Authentication 518-956-5673

There are two types of authentication by the Secretary of State: Apostille and Certificate of Authentication. Apostille, also known as "Hague Authentication," can only be used within member countries of the Hague Convention. Since Chinese consulates are currently not part of the "Hague Convention member countries," only "Certificate of Authentication" can be submitted to various Chinese consulates in the United States.

If you do not have time to handle it yourself, you can contact CHV for代办 services. Add or call our customer service number: 1-518-956-5673 (US). We provide notarization and authentication services for personal or corporate documents from all 50 states in the U.S., including consular three-level authentication or Hague authentication. Expedited processing is available, with completion in as fast as 3 business days.

In-Person or Mail-In Processing

New York Department of State
Division of Licensing Services
Apostille and Authentication Unit
One Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12231
Phone: (518) 474-4429

New York Department of State
Certification Unit
123 William Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10038
Phone: (212) 417-5747

Website: http://www.dos.ny.gov/corps/apostille.html

Reminders for New York State Notarization and Authentication

To obtain Hague authentication or Authentication for birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates, articles of incorporation, bylaws, powers of attorney, diplomas, and transcripts from the New York Secretary of State, please follow these guidelines:

You can order certified long-form death or birth certificates and letters of exemplification in person or by mail at:
Office of Vital Records Bureau of Vital Statistics
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
125 Worth Street Room 144
New York, NY 10013

Service Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–3:30 PM
Website: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/birth-certificates.page

If ordering by mail or in person, it typically takes about 10–14 days to receive New York State-certified birth or death certificates and letters of exemplification.
Ensure to indicate "apostille" on the application form and answer "yes" when asked for a "letter of exemplification." Please note that the certificate and letter of exemplification you receive are not yet the "apostille."

Another option is to order New York birth and death certificates online via https://www.vitalchek.com. When prompted for the "reason for ordering the certificate," be sure to specify that it is for Hague authentication. The letter of exemplification will then be included in the mail.