Ohio Secretary of State Apostille and Authentication Services 518-956-5673

Self-Service Guide for Ohio Secretary of State Authentication

The Ohio Secretary of State offers two types of authentication: Apostille and Certificate of Authentication. An Apostille, also known as "Hague Authentication," is only valid within member countries of the Hague Convention. Since Chinese consulates are currently not part of the "Hague Apostille 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 assistance at 518-956-5673. We provide authentication services for personal or corporate documents from all 50 U.S. states, including consular three-level authentication or Hague Apostille. Expedited processing is available, with completion in as fast as 3 business days.

In-Person or Mail-In Processing:

Ohio Secretary of State
Records and Client Services
180 E. Broad St., Suite 103
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 728-9200

Fee: $5 per Hague Apostille. (Payable to "Ohio Secretary of State")
Processing Time: Same-day for counter service or 3 days for mail-in orders.
Website: http://www.sos.state.oh.us/recordsIndexes/authentication.aspx

Ohio Authentication Processing Reminders

To obtain a Hague Apostille at the Columbus Client Service Center, please note the following:

Notarized Document Requirements:
Documents must be notarized by a currently commissioned Ohio notary public. Note: If the notary is also a practicing attorney, county clerk certification is not required, and the document can be directly submitted to the Secretary of State for Hague Apostille or Authentication.
For obtaining a Hague Apostille or Authentication, the Ohio Secretary of State no longer requires notary signatures to be certified by the county clerk, as all notary signatures are now recorded for verification.
Previously, to authenticate documents notarized by non-attorney notaries, the Ohio Secretary of State required a notary certificate from the county clerk. Traditionally, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office could authenticate signatures from attorney notaries because their signatures were on record; however, it did not accept authentication for non-attorney notary signatures as they were not recorded.

Important Notes for Vital Records:
Birth and death certificates must be certified copies issued and signed by the Ohio Department of Health Registrar (via fax) and bear a raised/embossed seal. If you need to request a certified copy of a birth or death certificate, please contact the Ohio Department of Health at 614-466-2531, or the health or vital statistics bureau of the county where the birth occurred.

Important Notes for Marriage Records (License or Certificate):
Must be a certified copy with the judge's signature and the seal of the probate court.
If you need to request a new certified copy of a marriage record, please contact the probate court in the county where the marriage took place. A single status affidavit can also be obtained from the county probate court.

Important Notes for Academic Documents:
School records issued by institutions such as The Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, Case Western Reserve University, Kent State University, Bowling Green State University, Ohio University, University of Akron, Wright State University, and Cleveland State University must be notarized. Please contact your school official, principal, or university registrar and request that they sign an affidavit in the presence of a notary public.

Important Notes for Divorce Decrees:
A certified copy of the divorce decree and judgment must be presented, bearing the seal of the county clerk.
Do you need a new copy of Ohio divorce documents? Please contact the clerk's office of the court in the county where the divorce was granted.