Apostille Cost by State: Official Fees for All 51
Government apostille fees range from nothing for an Indiana birth certificate to $40 in Connecticut, and most states charge between $3 and $20. This guide prints the fee for every state and DC, dated 26 October 2026, then adds the costs people forget: the certified copy, the courier, the notary and the translation.
An apostille bill has four layers, and the state fee is the smallest
The state fee
What the apostille office charges per document. The table below lists it for every jurisdiction.
The certified copy
A vital records or registrar charge, often larger than the apostille fee itself.
Handling
Notary, courier both ways, and a preparation service if you use one.
Translation
Only if the destination requires it. Priced per page.
Federal documents such as an FBI report go to the US Department of State, which charges $20 per document. All state figures here are as researched on 26 October 2026. Fees change, and a few change on a published date, so confirm with the office before you pay.
Official apostille fee and birth certificate copy fee, all 50 states and DC
The apostille fee is the office’s own published figure. The copy fee is what the state or the main issuer charges for one certified birth certificate. Local clerks may charge differently. Puerto Rico is not in the table because its fee is paid in revenue stamps and our dataset has only a lower-confidence entry, so confirm with the Puerto Rico Department of State.
| State | Official apostille fee | Birth certificate copy fee | Apostille office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $5 | $15 (search fee with one copy) | Secretary of State, Authentication Division, Montgomery. |
| Alaska | $5 | $30 | Lieutenant Governor, Juneau. |
| Arizona | $3 ($25 in-person expedite) | $20 | Secretary of State, Phoenix (Tucson office too). |
| Arkansas | $10 | $12 | Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services, Little Rock. |
| California | $20 (plus $6 per signature in person) | CDPH $31. Los Angeles County $34 | Secretary of State, Sacramento (also Los Angeles). |
| Colorado | $5 ($15 expedited walk-in) | $25 | Secretary of State, Denver. |
| Connecticut | $40 | $20 town, $30 state | Secretary of the State, Hartford (order online first). |
| Delaware | $30 (total for personal documents presented together) | $25 | Division of Corporations, Dover. |
| District of Columbia | $15 | $23 | Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications (ONCA). |
| Florida | $10 | $9 computer certification, $14 photocopy certificate | Department of State, Tallahassee. |
| Georgia | $3 | $25 (extra copies $5) | Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA), Atlanta. |
| Hawaii | $3 ($5 from 1 January 2027) | $10 | Lieutenant Governor, Honolulu. |
| Idaho | $10 | $16 | Secretary of State, Notary Department, Boise. |
| Illinois | $2 | IDPH long form $15. County fees vary | Secretary of State, Index Department, Chicago (also Springfield and DMV+ sites). |
| Indiana | $0 (birth certificates exempt) | $10 | Secretary of State, Indianapolis. |
| Iowa | $5 | $20 | Secretary of State, Des Moines. |
| Kansas | $10 | $20 | Secretary of State, Topeka. |
| Kentucky | $5 | $10 | Secretary of State, Frankfort. |
| Louisiana | $20 | $15 long form | Secretary of State, Commissions Division, Baton Rouge. |
| Maine | $10 | $15 | Secretary of State, Augusta. |
| Maryland | $5 | $10 by mail (online adds $13) | Secretary of State, Certification Desk, Annapolis. |
| Massachusetts | $6 | Clerk fees vary (Boston $12 in person), state Registry $20 in person or $32 by mail | Secretary of the Commonwealth, Commissions Section, Boston. |
| Michigan | $1 | MDHHS $34. County fees vary | Office of the Great Seal, Lansing. |
| Minnesota | $5 | $26 | Secretary of State, Saint Paul. |
| Mississippi | $5 | $17 | Secretary of State, Notary Division, Jackson. |
| Missouri | $10 | $15 | Secretary of State, Jefferson City (branches in Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield). |
| Montana | $10 | $16 | Secretary of State, Helena. |
| Nebraska | $10 | $17 | Secretary of State, Lincoln. |
| Nevada | $20 (expedite $75 to $1,000) | $25 at the state office | Secretary of State, Carson City. |
| New Hampshire | $10 | $15 first copy | Secretary of State, Room 204, State House, Concord. |
| New Jersey | $25 ($40 expedited) | $25 | Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES), Trenton. |
| New Mexico | $3 | $10 | Secretary of State, Santa Fe. |
| New York | $10 (plus about $3 County Clerk) | NYC $15. State DOH $30 to $45 | Department of State (after a County Clerk step for NYC and local copies). |
| North Carolina | $10 | $24 | Secretary of State, Authentication Office, Raleigh. |
| North Dakota | $15 ($10 plus $5 record search) | $15 | Secretary of State, Bismarck. |
| Ohio | $5 | $21.50 at ODH | Secretary of State, Columbus. |
| Oklahoma | $25 | $15 by mail | Secretary of State, Oklahoma City. |
| Oregon | $10 | $30 full image by mail | Secretary of State, Corporation Division, Salem. |
| Pennsylvania | $15 | $20 | Department of State, Harrisburg. |
| Rhode Island | $5 | $22 in person, $25 by mail | Department of State, Providence. |
| South Carolina | $5 | $12 by mail, $17 online or in person | Secretary of State, Columbia. |
| South Dakota | $25 | $15 | Secretary of State, Apostille Office, Pierre. |
| Tennessee | $2 | $15 | Secretary of State, Office of Authentications, Nashville. |
| Texas | $15 | $22 long form by mail | Secretary of State, Authentications Unit, Austin. |
| Utah | $5 by mail ($20 in person) | $25 | Lieutenant Governor, Salt Lake City. |
| Vermont | $10 | $10 ($12 online) | State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA), Middlesex, for the Secretary of State. |
| Virginia | $10 ($5 each extra, same signer) | $15 (DMV $17) | Secretary of the Commonwealth, Richmond. |
| Washington | $15 | $25 | Secretary of State, Tumwater. |
| West Virginia | $10 ($5 each extra, same official) | $12 | Secretary of State, Charleston. |
| Wisconsin | $10 ($35 expedited) | $20 | Secretary of State or Department of Financial Institutions, Madison. |
| Wyoming | $20 | $25 | Secretary of State, Cheyenne. |
Names link to our state guide where one exists. For the timing side of the same offices, see the apostille timing guide.
How states actually charge the fee
- Per document is the norm, with small twists. Virginia charges $10 plus $5 for each extra document signed by the same official. West Virginia works the same way. Delaware charges $30 in total when a person presents their own non-commercial documents together.
- Some states add a per-signature fee. North Dakota charges $10 per authentication plus a $5 record search fee for each unique official signature. California charges $6 per signature for in-person service, on top of the $20 fee.
- Counter service can cost more. Utah charges $5 by mail and $20 in person. Colorado lists $15 for an expedited walk-in. Arizona lists $25 for in-person expedite.
- Expedite fees are separate. Wisconsin expedites for $35 and New Jersey for $40. Washington offers a $100 expedite. South Dakota lists $50 for expedited appointments. Nevada’s expedite ranges from $75 to $1,000.
- Some fees are changing. Hawaii charges $3 through 31 December 2026 and $5 from 1 January 2027. Louisiana lists $20 but some Secretary of State fees changed on 1 October 2026 and we could not re-check whether the apostille fee was among them.
- Official sources disagree in places. Kansas says $10 on its page and form, while a regulation amended in February 2026 lists $12. We print the office figure. Illinois has one health department page that appears to swap long and short form prices, so we use the fee schedule.
Payment type matters as much as the amount. Nebraska sends a file back for the wrong amount. North Dakota expects the check payee to be ND DHHS, and Wyoming takes no credit cards. Check payee rules before you mail anything.
The costs people forget
The certified copy
Many people pay the state fee and then learn the copy they hold cannot be used. A new certified copy is the right fix, and it has a price. Alabama’s health department sells an apostille copy at $25. Alaska’s vital records office can order the apostille for you at $12 for the first copy and $2 for each additional, while sending your own copy to the Lieutenant Governor costs $5. Florida’s health department route adds $7 plus agency fees and two UPS fees. Marriage, death and divorce copies carry their own fees, which our state vital records guides list.
A county step or a second apostille
New York adds about $3 at the County Clerk for New York City and local copies before the Department of State. In New Jersey, a notarized translation attached to a vital record gets two apostilles and two fees.
Notary, courier and translation
School records and powers of attorney need a notary. International courier fees depend on the carrier and the destination, so ask DHL, FedEx or UPS for quotes both ways. We can provide ATA certified translations that get notarized, quoted per page. We are not a sworn translator and we do not arrange sworn translations. If the destination demands one, you hire the sworn translator there and we ship the apostilled set.
Federal documents
The US Department of State charges $20 per apostille. We could not read its authentications pages on 26 October 2026, so confirm the fee and current processing time with us during the review. FBI reports also involve fingerprinting, covered in the FBI apostille guide.
What Boston Apostille Service charges, and why it is more than the state fee
Boston Apostille Service is a private document preparation and courier service in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. For Massachusetts state apostilles our prices are per document and include the state government fee and return postage. Economy is $149.95, Express is $199.95 and Rush is $385.95. The state itself charges $6 per document. The difference pays for the work: checking the document before it travels, notary handling where needed, delivery to the Boston counter and tracking.
Rush is the fastest, 1 to 2 days for Massachusetts and New Hampshire documents, and for other states it depends on volume at the state office. Express takes 2 to 5 business days and Economy 1 to 2 weeks. Transit time is extra. We do not publish prices for other states. We confirm that state’s fee and speed in the free document review and send one flat-rate quote before you pay. Ask us about a volume discount if you have many documents. See the full pricing page and the guide to what an apostille service costs.
Not every job needs a service. If you live near the office, hold the right copy and can stand in line, the state fee may be all you pay. We say so in the review when that is true. We are not affiliated with any state office.
Three examples using only published government fees
Two government fees
A long-form birth record by mail costs $22 and the Texas apostille costs $15. That is thirty-seven dollars in government fees before courier, notary or service costs.
Copy first, then the state
The state health department copy costs $31 and the Secretary of State charges $20. In person, add $6 per signature. Together that is fifty-one dollars before extras.
Three steps
The city copy costs $15 and the County Clerk step is about $3. The Department of State charges $10. The government total is about twenty-eight dollars.
These are building blocks, not quotes. Your file may have a different copy source, a notary or a translation, and each adds its own cost.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an apostille cost?
The government fee runs from nothing for an Indiana birth certificate to $40 in Connecticut, with most states between $3 and $20. Add the certified copy, the courier and any service fee. Our table lists every state, dated 26 October 2026.
Which state has the cheapest apostille?
Indiana charges nothing for birth certificates. Michigan charges $1 and Illinois and Tennessee charge $2. Several states charge $3. Connecticut is the highest standard fee at $40. Cheap fees do not mean a faster or easier process, so compare the whole file.
Is the apostille fee per document?
Mostly, yes. Virginia and West Virginia discount extra documents with the same signer, Delaware charges a flat amount for personal documents presented together, and North Dakota and California can add per-signature charges. Check the office page for your state.
How much is a federal apostille?
The US Department of State charges $20 per document. We could not read its authentications page on 26 October 2026, so we confirm the fee and current processing time with you during the free review.
Why does a service cost more than the state fee?
The state fee covers only the stamp. A service reviews the document, handles notarization and courier legs, delivers to the counter and tracks the case. Our Massachusetts prices include the $6 state fee and return postage.
Do you charge extra for other states?
We quote other states individually. We confirm that state’s fee and speed during the free document review and send one flat-rate quote before you pay. No one pays until the quote is accepted.
Are there fees besides the apostille?
Yes. Expect a certified copy fee, courier costs both ways, a notary for school records and powers of attorney, and a translation if the destination wants one. Some states also charge expedite or per-signature fees.
Related guides
Where these fees come from
Each fee comes from the apostille office’s own page or form for that state, read on 26 October 2026. Start with the Hague Conference’s United States authorities page, then the offices themselves. Examples include the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, the California Secretary of State and the Texas Secretary of State. Questions: use the application form or call (978) 424-4629, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm Eastern. Hablamos Español.
Know the full cost before you commit
Send the document type and the state. We confirm the official fee, the copy cost and one flat-rate quote before you pay.