California Vital Records Apostille for Use Abroad
The California Secretary of State apostilles county, court and State Registrar signatures for $20 per document. Mail requests are handled in the order received and cannot be expedited. The Sacramento and Los Angeles counters are the fast option, with in-person visits usually finished within 30 minutes. Marriage and divorce records come from a county, death records from the state or a county, and some local health officer signatures need a county clerk step first.
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California’s catch: the right county matters more than the right state
An engineer in Lisbon who married in Los Angeles County and divorced in Orange County has two records in two courthouses. Neither comes from the state health department. The California Department of Public Health does not issue marriage copies, and the marriage record belongs to the county clerk-recorder that issued the license, not the county where the ceremony took place.
That county logic runs through the whole process. This guide shows which office to ask for each record, how the Secretary of State counters and mail desk differ, and which health officer signatures need an extra stamp. Where California’s own pages stay silent we write confirm with the office.
California in one block
- Apostille office
- California Secretary of State, Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001.
- State fee
- $20 per apostille. In-person requests add $6 special handling for each different official’s signature. Mail has no handling fee.
- Mail speed
- Processed in order received and cannot be expedited. No fixed time is published.
- Counter speed
- Sacramento and Los Angeles counters give same-day service, usually within 30 minutes.
- Marriage and divorce from
- The county clerk-recorder (marriage) and the Superior Court clerk (divorce).
- Death and birth from
- California Department of Public Health Vital Records, or the county.
- Online
- An apostille verification tool exists. We found no online request or e-apostille.
Birth, marriage, death and divorce side by side
The signer rules come from the Secretary of State’s apostille FAQ and authentication page. Marriage and divorce copy fees vary by county. The state death fee comes from the CDPH application form dated January 2026.
| Record | Who issues the certified copy | What it must show | Copy fee | County clerk step first? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth. | California Department of Public Health Vital Records or the county recorder. | An authorized copy, not an informational one. Signed by the State Registrar, county recorder or county clerk. | $31 at the state. $34 in Los Angeles County. | Yes if a health officer signed it. Otherwise no. |
| Marriage. | The county clerk-recorder where the license was issued. Confidential marriages go to the spouses only. | The clerk-recorder’s signature. A county-certified copy dated within five years is county practice, not a state rule. | Set by each county. Confirm with the clerk-recorder of your county. | No separate step, per Santa Cruz County. |
| Death. | The state or the county of death. Authorized copies need a notarized sworn statement. | An authorized copy. Informational copies carry a legend saying they are not valid for identity. | $26 at the state. County fees vary. | Yes if a city or county health officer signed it. |
| Divorce. | The Superior Court clerk of the county that entered the judgment. | A clerk-certified judgment. Some courts add a judge’s exemplification. | Confirm with the court. | Confirm with the office. Some courts add an exemplification. |
Mail desk, counters and what each one costs
The Secretary of State’s request page says the office can apostille signatures of county clerks, county recorders and their deputies, and the State Registrar. It also covers Superior Court judges, court administrators and executive clerks. The fee is $20 per apostille. The FAQ does not mention marriage records by name, so confirm with the office if your record is unusual.
Mail goes to the Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001. Couriers use 1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. In person, the Sacramento counter is on the 3rd floor of the same building. The Los Angeles counter is at 300 S. Spring Street, Room 12513, and is temporarily using Suite 1215 on the 1st floor. It takes no appointments and no cash.
Because mail requests cannot be expedited, a counter visit saves weeks. Each different official’s signature on your documents adds $6 in person. Some counties hosted pop-up apostille days in 2024 and 2025, but check whether one is running now. Counties also help directly. The Santa Cruz County clerk and Sonoma County clerk both publish apostille pages for their own records.
Where a California record travels
A step-by-step timeline when you live overseas
- 1
Name the county
For a marriage, it is the county that issued the license. For a divorce, the county whose Superior Court entered the judgment. For a death, the county of death or the state.
- 2
Order an authorized copy
California treats informational copies as lesser documents. Authorized death and birth copies require a notarized sworn statement. Overseas, ask us which notary the state accepts before you sign anything.
- 3
Check the health officer line
If a city or county health officer signed a birth or death certificate, the county clerk of that county may need to certify the signature first, or you can order from the county recorder or CDPH instead. Santa Cruz County lists a $15 fee for this.
- 4
Pick counter or mail
We can send the original to Sacramento or Los Angeles and use the counter. Mail has no handling fee but cannot be expedited and has no published time.
- 5
Ship abroad
Express couriers usually take two to five business days to Europe. Madrid is usually nine hours ahead of California and Lisbon eight, so call the county in your evening.
Order first or send ours? A recent authorized copy can come straight to us, and we check the signer and the county step. Without one, the free review decides. California may let an authorized third party request the record. We can help only after we confirm that.
Six California reasons for delay or rejection
- An informational copy. Death and birth informational copies carry a legend saying they are not valid for identity. Whether the Secretary of State rejects them is unconfirmed, so order an authorized copy.
- A health officer signature with no county step. City or county-issued certificates may need the county clerk to certify the signer before the Secretary of State will act.
- The wrong county for a marriage. The license county holds the record, not the wedding venue county. Ordering from the wrong clerk wastes weeks.
- Confidential marriage copies ordered by a relative. Only the spouses may order certified copies of a confidential marriage.
- A county copy dated years ago. Santa Cruz County advises a county-certified document dated within the last five years. That is county practice and not a state rule, but a foreign office may agree with it.
- Waiting on the mail desk. Mail requests cannot be expedited and have no published time. A deadline-driven file belongs at a counter.
Spain and Portugal, where many Californians send records
Spain. Spain is a Hague apostille country. The Boston consulate’s checklist for the non-lucrative visa wants civil and marriage documents issued within the last 12 months, apostilled and translated into Spanish. A California marriage copy from years ago will be too old, so order a new county copy. The same page asks for a sworn translator for the FBI check, while saying apostille and translation need not be processed together.
Portugal. Portugal is a Hague country. Its immigration agency requires certified Portuguese translations, except for documents in English, French or Spanish. Nationality rules changed in May 2026, and one source says a birth certificate for the descent route should be less than six months old, so verify before ordering. Our translations are ATA certified and notarized. They are not sworn translations, we are not a sworn translator and we do not arrange sworn translations. Should the destination require one, engage a sworn translator yourself and we will ship the apostilled set to them. Other countries appear on the HCCH status table and our apostille versus legalization guide.
What we do, and what we charge
We are a private document preparation and courier service in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, close to Boston, with no ties to the California Secretary of State, any county office or any consulate. After a free review of your records, we identify the county, handle ordering where allowed, choose counter or mail and track your file in ApostilleDesk.
Our public pricing is for Massachusetts: Economy $149.95, Express $199.95 and Rush $385.95 per document, with the state fee and return postage included. A California file is priced after we confirm the state fee, whether the in-person $6 handling applies and how busy the counters are. You receive one flat-rate quote before paying. Transit is billed separately. The pricing page and how-it-works page go into detail, and the order form takes about three minutes.
California apostille FAQ
How do I get a California record apostilled from abroad?
Order an authorized certified copy from the correct county or the California Department of Public Health, have it delivered to a U.S. address, then submit it to the Secretary of State. We can run each step, use a counter if time is short and ship the finished set to you overseas.
How much is the California apostille fee?
The Secretary of State charges $20 per apostille. In person, there is a $6 special handling charge for each different official’s signature, and mail has no handling fee. Certified copies cost extra, $26 for a death certificate from the state. Our quote is separate and sent before you pay.
How long does a California apostille take?
Mail requests are processed in order received and cannot be expedited, with no published time. Sacramento and Los Angeles counters give same-day service, usually within 30 minutes of arrival. Add the time needed to obtain the certified copy and the courier days overseas.
Which office issues a California marriage certificate?
The county clerk-recorder of the county that issued the license, not the county where the ceremony happened. The state health department does not issue marriage copies. Confidential marriage copies go only to the spouses. Counties set their own fees, so check yours.
What is the county clerk step for a death certificate?
If a city or county health officer or registrar signed the certificate, the county clerk may need to certify that signature before the Secretary of State will act. You can avoid it by ordering from the county recorder or the state. Santa Cruz County lists a $15 fee.
Does California apostille a divorce judgment?
The Secretary of State authenticates signatures of Superior Court judges, court administrators and executive clerks, according to county pages. Some courts add a judge’s exemplification, which one court calls optional. The official wording for divorce judgments is unconfirmed, so ask the office or let us check.
Do I need a translation after the apostille?
It depends on the receiving country. Spain wants Spanish translations and Portugal wants certified ones unless the document is in English, French or Spanish. Ask the receiving office. We can provide ATA certified translations, but we are not a sworn translator and we do not arrange sworn translations.
Neighbouring and related guides
We have worked on apostilles since 2007. Our phone line is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm Eastern, at (978) 424-4629.
From a county clerk to a foreign office
Give us the record, the county and the country. We run a free review first and send one flat-rate quote before you pay.