Apostille Online: What You Can and Cannot Do
You can order most apostilles online. You usually cannot receive one online. We could confirm only three states that issue e-apostilles, Connecticut, Kentucky and Utah, and all three exclude vital records such as birth, marriage and death certificates. This guide shows what each state offers and how our online order works.
Three different things get called an online apostille
You start and pay on a website
The most common option. Originals still travel by mail or courier, and the apostille comes back on paper.
The apostille itself is digital
A signed electronic file. The Hague Conference says it has the same validity as a paper apostille. Few US offices issue one.
You check an apostille you hold
Several states let anyone confirm an issued apostille by number. Useful, but it is not a way to get one.
Anything that promises an instant apostille PDF for a birth certificate should worry you. A US state record needs a paper apostille from the issuing state in every state we researched. Details below are dated as researched on 26 October 2026, and offices change them without notice.
The three states that issue digital apostilles, and their limits
Connecticut
The Connecticut Secretary of the State says it began issuing e-apostilles on 6 July 2026. Orders go through an online account at sots.service.ct.gov/apostille and paper forms are not accepted. The office says e-apostilles are processed within 24 hours of receiving the documents, and one business day after a complete application in its FAQ. It also says vital records are not currently eligible and get a paper apostille. Its page lists no e-apostille fee, so confirm the price before you order. The Connecticut authentication page is the source.
Kentucky
The Kentucky Secretary of State runs an e-Apostille portal for electronically notarized PDF documents. The notary must be a Kentucky Online Notary Public, the file goes through the portal and the apostille returns by email as a PDF. The page says the option is not available for vital records. It lists the $5 fee only for mailed and walk-in requests, and it gives no processing time for the electronic option. See the Kentucky apostille page.
Utah
The Utah Lieutenant Governor issues a single universal certificate format since 8 July 2026. Digital Delivery became an option on 9 July 2026, and online ordering through ApostilleXpress opened on 3 September 2026. The page lists $5 for an electronic document and a $69.95 digital delivery charge collected by the State’s contracted provider, not by the State. It says digital delivery is not available for vital records, including birth and death certificates. Anyone can check a digital apostille at the state’s verification site. The source is the Utah authentications page.
For other jurisdictions, the HCCH keeps an e-APP implementation chart of authorities that issue e-apostilles. Open the United States entry to see current authorities. We did not confirm an e-apostille from the US Department of State on 26 October 2026, because its pages blocked automated access.
Online options in all 50 states and DC
Read this table as what the office itself says. Where a state offers nothing online, the answer is no. Where the sources are silent, we write unconfirmed and recommend a call.
| State | Online options, as researched 26 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Alabama | No. Health department apostille copies cannot be requested online and no e-apostille is described. |
| Alaska | No e-apostille. Forms and vital record orders are online and the office screens documents by email. |
| Arizona | No electronic apostilles are issued. |
| Arkansas | An online filing portal exists. E-apostille issuance is unconfirmed. |
| California | No e-apostille or online request found. An online verification tool exists. |
| Colorado | No. The office says it cannot provide online apostilles. |
| Connecticut | Yes, since 6 July 2026, but not for vital records. All orders are placed online. |
| Delaware | No e-apostille. Card payment runs through an online filing service. |
| District of Columbia | Online options are not mentioned by the office. |
| Florida | Partly. VitalChek handles health department issuance and forwarding online. No e-apostille is published. |
| Georgia | No e-apostille. Online prepayment vouchers exist, and county eCertification copies are printed before the apostille. |
| Hawaii | No e-apostille. An online application takes card prepayment, then the printed application travels with the paper certificate. |
| Idaho | Cards are accepted and appointments are booked online. E-apostille is not mentioned. |
| Illinois | No. Mail and in-person service only. |
| Indiana | No online or e-apostille option found. Mail and in person. |
| Iowa | No. The apostille attaches to the original, so orders are mail or walk-in. |
| Kansas | Not mentioned and no online request found. Treat as no, unconfirmed. |
| Kentucky | Yes, with limits. Upload a PDF and receive it by email, but not for vital records. |
| Louisiana | No. Walk-in and mail only. |
| Maine | No online or e-apostille option found. Unconfirmed. |
| Maryland | Not mentioned and no online request found. Treat as no, unconfirmed. |
| Massachusetts | No e-apostille or online request found. Mail and hand delivery only, unconfirmed. |
| Michigan | No online apostille request found. Mail and in person, unconfirmed. |
| Minnesota | No online request. An online tool verifies apostilles issued since 15 May 2018 and electronic notarizations are not accepted. |
| Mississippi | Not mentioned and no online request found. Treat as no, unconfirmed. |
| Missouri | Card payment on the website for mailed requests. No e-apostille found, unconfirmed. |
| Montana | No e-apostille confirmed. Electronically notarized documents may be accepted, but not confirmed for vital records. |
| Nebraska | No e-apostille. Request and pay online, but originals must be mailed or delivered. |
| Nevada | No online apostille confirmed. Mail or deliver the order form with the document. |
| New Hampshire | No. Paper process at the counter or by mail, though certified copies can be ordered online. |
| New Jersey | Partly. Request and pay online, then mail or drop off the confirmation page. The apostille is paper. |
| New Mexico | Online filing and payment are mandatory. The apostille is still attached to the paper original. |
| New York | No. Orders by mail or in person, with online verification of apostilles issued since 9 April 2013. |
| North Carolina | No. The state manual says authentications cannot be done online. |
| North Dakota | No online submission. Email pre-review and online booking of an in-person meeting. |
| Ohio | Unconfirmed. No online apostille found and the form is mailed or delivered. |
| Oklahoma | No online apostille service described. |
| Oregon | No online apostille request described. |
| Pennsylvania | No. Mail or in person, with online verification of issued apostilles. |
| Rhode Island | No e-apostille documented. A state online order service exists but originals still go by mail. |
| South Carolina | No e-apostille or online ordering found. Vital record copies can be ordered online. |
| South Dakota | No. Originals must be mailed or dropped off, and emailed or faxed copies are not processed. |
| Tennessee | No e-apostille. Online verification covers apostilles filed on or after 24 March 2014. |
| Texas | No e-apostille. Online appointment booking, account funding and verification of issued apostilles. |
| Utah | Yes, partly. Online ordering since 3 September 2026 and digital delivery since 9 July 2026, but not for vital records. |
| Vermont | Partly. An authentication can be added online only when you order the certified Vermont record. |
| Virginia | No e-apostille. Online cover letter and appointment booking. |
| Washington | No e-apostille or online ordering found. An online search verifies apostilles. |
| West Virginia | No e-apostille mentioned. Form by mail or in person. |
| Wisconsin | Partly. An online portal starts the order, but originals must be mailed, and orders cancel after 60 days without documents. |
| Wyoming | No e-apostille mentioned. Vital records can be ordered online. |
Names link to our state guide where one exists. For fees and timing of the same offices, see the fee table and the timing table.
Digital does not always mean easier
The Hague Conference states that an e-apostille cannot be refused only because it is electronic. In practice the receiving office decides what it can open, print and verify. A consulate, a ministry or a university may ask for paper anyway. Ask in writing before you pay for a digital delivery, and keep the answer.
Two more limits matter. Vital records are excluded from every e-apostille offer we found. And for Massachusetts documents, our rule is that electronic transcripts and PDFs cannot be apostilled, which is why registrars certify a printed record in front of a notary. Our pages on digital documents and online notarization explain the difference. Electronic notarization is a separate question from a digital apostille, and states treat it differently. Minnesota, for one, does not accept electronic notarizations.
A word on safety. A PDF with a stamp on it from a website is not an apostille. A real apostille is issued by the competent authority and can be checked by number in a state tool where one exists. New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Minnesota, California, Washington and Utah all offer a way to verify. Our guide to verifying an apostille shows the steps.
How an online order works with Boston Apostille Service
Boston Apostille Service is a private document preparation and courier service in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. You can start from anywhere. Hablamos Español.
- 1
Fill in the application form
Tell us the document, the state that issued it and the destination country. The application form takes about three minutes.
- 2
Upload scans for the free document review
We check the copy type, the signature, the issue date and the right office. If the copy will fail, we say so before you pay.
- 3
Receive one flat-rate quote
Massachusetts prices are published. For any other state we confirm the state fee and speed during the review and quote once.
- 4
Originals move by courier
We obtain the certified copy where the state lets an authorized third party do it, or you send the originals. A notary handles signatures that need one.
- 5
Track the case online
Case tracking runs in ApostilleDesk (apostilledesk.com) from the moment the file opens, and you can call (978) 424-4629 Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm Eastern.
- 6
Delivery to you or abroad
We return the apostilled set by tracked courier or ship it to the person who needs it.
Massachusetts prices are per document and include the state fee and return postage. Economy is $149.95, Express is $199.95 and Rush is $385.95. Rush is the fastest, 1 to 2 days for Massachusetts and New Hampshire documents. Express takes 2 to 5 business days and Economy 1 to 2 weeks. Transit time is extra. We are not affiliated with any state office. See apostille pricing and how it works.
If you are overseas, paper still wins
Most offices accept mail or courier from other countries. Maryland and Maine describe mail or courier only. New Mexico requires an online filing first and a prepaid, pre-addressed international air bill for the return. Alaska gives a separate courier street address. Because the apostille is attached to the original, the sensible plan for a client overseas is a tracked courier both ways or an agent in the US. Our apostille while abroad guide and the expat checklist cover the sequence.
A typical case: a teacher in Prague needs a Kentucky county clerk document apostilled. If it is an electronically notarized PDF, the Kentucky portal could return it by email. If it is a birth certificate, Kentucky says no, and the paper route applies.
Frequently asked questions
Is it possible to get an apostille online?
You can order online in many states, but the apostille usually arrives on paper. We could confirm only Connecticut, Kentucky and Utah as e-apostille issuers, and all three exclude vital records. We run the order online and ship the paper apostille.
What is an e-apostille?
An e-apostille is an apostille issued as a digitally signed electronic file. The Hague Conference says it has the same validity as paper and cannot be refused only for being electronic. The receiving office still decides how it verifies it.
Does a birth certificate qualify for an e-apostille?
Not in the states we researched. Connecticut, Kentucky and Utah all exclude vital records from their electronic options, so a birth certificate needs a paper apostille from the issuing state, whichever state issued it.
Does Massachusetts offer an online apostille?
We found no e-apostille or online request on the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth pages. Official pages describe mail and hand delivery. Our online order is the practical equivalent: you apply online, we handle the state step.
How do I verify an apostille online?
Several states offer tools, including New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Minnesota, California, Washington and Utah. Enter the certificate number. If your state has no tool, ask the office. Our verification guide lists the steps.
Is an e-apostille accepted abroad?
It should be under the convention, because the Hague Conference says it cannot be refused only for being electronic. Acceptance still depends on the receiving office, so ask in writing whether it takes a digital file before you pay.
How does your online order work?
You fill in the application form, upload scans for a free document review and get one flat-rate quote. Originals move by tracked courier, you follow the case in ApostilleDesk, and the finished set is returned or shipped abroad.
Related guides
Where these facts come from
Each statement comes from the apostille office’s own pages, read on 26 October 2026, and from the Hague Conference. The HCCH apostille section describes the e-APP programme launched in 2006. State pages are linked in the sections above.
Order online, ship paper, track it all
Send the document type, the state and the country. We tell you what can be online and what must travel on paper.