Maryland Vital Records Apostille: Annapolis Desk, Mail or Appointment
A Maryland vital records apostille is issued by the Secretary of State’s Certification Desk in Annapolis for $5 per document. Ordinary mail takes 7 to 14 business days, and FedEx or UPS about 3 to 4 days. The record comes first, from the Maryland Department of Health, a county health department or a circuit court clerk. And the desk’s walk-in rules are changing right now.
The 2004 wedding that no state office can copy
A typical case. A Maryland-born nurse is in Lisbon, and her family application needs her marriage certificate with an apostille. She married in 2004. The Division of Vital Records, the state office, issues marriage certificates only from 2007 on. Her 2004 record sits with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the license was issued. Older records may sit at the Maryland State Archives.
So a Maryland marriage can come from three places, and the dates differ between sources. Circuit court clerks charge as little as $5.50 per certified copy at several counties, the state division lists $12 on a 2018 form, and the State Archives lists $25. The right answer depends on the year.
The apostille step is simpler. The Certification Desk wants the copy bearing the issuing department’s seal and signature. A state or county document does not need a notary. A notarized paper must go first to the circuit clerk of the county where the notary was commissioned.
In Maryland, the year of the event tells you which office holds the record.
Who issues each Maryland record, and what it costs
The fees below come from dated forms and county pages, not one price list. See the Department of Health death certificate application for an example. Items marked confirm with the office are unconfirmed.
| Record | Who issues the certified copy | Copy fee | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | MDH Division of Vital Records, or a county health department. | $10 by mail. Online ordering adds $13. | If your copy is not current, call the desk at 410-974-5521 before sending it. |
| Marriage | Clerk of the Circuit Court where the license was issued. The Division of Vital Records covers 2007 onward. The State Archives holds older records. | $5.50 at several circuit clerks. $12 at the state division on a 2018 form. $25 at the Archives. | Record years differ by source, so confirm with the office which one holds yours. |
| Death | Division of Vital Records, a county health department, or the State Archives for older deaths. | $10 for the first copy and $12 for each additional, set by a 2024 law. Archives $25. Local health departments set their own. | Whose signature must be on file is unconfirmed. |
| Divorce | Clerk of the Circuit Court for the county where the decree was entered. The State Archives for transferred case files. | Circuit clerk fee is unconfirmed. Archives $25 per copy. | The desk lists divorce decrees among documents it certifies. Exemplification and judge certification are unconfirmed. |
If you are searching for an apostille birth certificate Maryland, an apostille marriage certificate Maryland or an apostille death certificate Maryland, check the year of the event first. A Maryland divorce decree apostille starts at the circuit court clerk of the county where it was entered.
The Certification Desk, and a rule that keeps moving
The Secretary of State’s Certification page, which we re-read on 2026-10-26, charges $5 per apostille. By mail, pay with a US check or money order payable to the Secretary of State. In person, cards are accepted.
Now the conflict. A banner on that page says walk-ins are not available at this time, and an accompanying notice gives October 1 as the start of appointments only, while the body text still describes a walk-in window open until 1 p.m. The page also warns that construction may start around mid-October, after which the office would move to mail-in only. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday to Friday, and the limit is 10 documents per customer per day. Call 410-974-5521 before you plan around any counter.
Mail times are 7 to 14 business days for regular mail and about 3 to 4 days for FedEx, UPS or USPS Priority. The address is 16 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401, in the Wineland Building for visitors. We found no e-apostille option.
The page also notes that naturalization and immigration documents cannot be notarized, and that federal papers can go directly to the US Department of State.
From the issuing office to Annapolis and out
A practical sequence when the counter may be closed
- 1
Settle the year and the office
Birth and death point to the Division of Vital Records or a county health department. Marriage and divorce depend on the year and the county, so write both down first.
- 2
Order a current certified copy
The desk asks for the issuing department’s seal and signature. Ask your issuing office who may request the record, because we did not confirm the eligibility rules, so confirm with the office.
- 3
Free review before Annapolis
We check the seal, the signature, the name spelling and whether the record is in the right series. Where Maryland lets an authorized third party request a record for you, we can help get the copy, and the review confirms whether that applies.
- 4
Plan for mail, not a counter
Annapolis keeps Eastern time, five to six hours behind Lisbon or Berlin. The desk answers from 9 to 1, which is mid-afternoon to evening for you. Since walk-ins are changing, assume the courier route, about 3 to 4 days, and treat 7 to 14 business days as the slow lane.
- 5
Ship the apostilled original
DHL, FedEx and UPS usually need a few days per leg. Request tracking and a signature on delivery.
Should you order first or hand it to us? Either works. If the copy you already hold may be out of date, call the desk before anything else moves.
Where Maryland files stall
Showing up without an appointment
The page says walk-ins are not available at this time. A trip to Annapolis may end at a closed window.
Regular mail for a deadline
Regular mail runs 7 to 14 business days. If the clock matters, FedEx or UPS cut it to about 3 to 4 days.
Notarizing a state copy
State and county documents need no notary. A notarized paper must go to the circuit clerk of the notary’s county before Annapolis.
The wrong series for a marriage
Asking the state division for a 2004 marriage gets nothing, since it covers 2007 on. The circuit clerk or Archives has it.
A stale or unsealed copy
The desk wants the issuing department’s seal and signature. If your copy lacks a current one, call 410-974-5521.
The wrong payee
By mail, send a US check or money order payable to the Secretary of State. A foreign check will not do.
Germany and Portugal, the two requests we hear most
Germany
Germany is a Hague party, and the FAQ on germany.info says a US marriage certificate used in a German residence permit application needs an apostille. Family permits also use marriage and children’s birth certificates, and a minor’s visa needs the child’s birth certificate. The pages we read did not state translation rules or document age limits, so ask the receiving office.
Portugal
Portugal is a Hague party. The Washington embassy’s D7 sheet, dated November 2025, wants an FBI check issued less than 90 days before filing, and an older checklist lists marriage and children’s birth certificates for family cases, so treat that part as low reliability. For documents filed with AIMA, a certified Portuguese translation is the rule unless the document is in English, French or Spanish. If a translation is needed, we offer ATA certified translations that get notarized. Be aware that we are not a sworn translator and do not arrange sworn translations. A destination that insists on a sworn translator means you hire one locally, and we deliver the apostilled set to them. Check other countries on the HCCH status table.
How we handle a Maryland file
Boston Apostille Service operates from Tewksbury, Massachusetts, a short way north of Boston. We are a private preparation and courier business, and apostilles have been our daily work since 2007. Give us the record or its details, and once we have reviewed it free of charge we take over the Annapolis step and the overseas shipment.
We quote Maryland work individually. The free review confirms what Annapolis charges and how fast it moves right now, and you then receive a single flat-rate price, before any payment. For comparison, our published Massachusetts rates, per document and including the state fee and return postage, are Economy $149.95, Express $199.95 and Rush $385.95. Rush is quickest. Express runs 2 to 5 business days and Economy 1 to 2 weeks. In other states the speed depends on how busy the state office is, and transit is additional.
Our pricing page and process page explain the rest. The application form starts your file.
Maryland vital records apostille FAQ
How do I get a Maryland record apostilled from abroad?
Get a certified copy that carries the issuing department’s seal and signature. Send it to the Secretary of State’s Certification Desk in Annapolis with a US check or money order for $5 per document. Courier is the safer route while walk-in rules shift, and we can coordinate it from Massachusetts.
How to apostille a Maryland birth certificate?
Order a certified copy from the Division of Vital Records or a county health department, at $10 by mail. Send it to Annapolis for the $5 apostille. Regular mail takes 7 to 14 business days and FedEx or UPS about 3 to 4 days.
Does the Annapolis desk still take walk-ins?
Its page says walk-ins are not available at this time and gives October 1 as the start of appointments only, yet older text still describes a window. Construction may move the office to mail-in only. Call 410-974-5521 before you travel.
Which office holds my Maryland marriage certificate?
It depends on the year. The Division of Vital Records covers 2007 onward. Earlier marriages sit with the Clerk of the Circuit Court where the license was issued, and the State Archives holds older records. Sources disagree on years, so confirm with the office.
Does a Maryland divorce decree apostille need a notary?
Not if it is a certified court copy bearing the clerk’s seal and signature. The Certification page says state and county documents need no notarization. Exemplification and judge certification are unconfirmed, so ask the desk about your decree.
How long does a Maryland apostille take?
The office says 7 to 14 business days by regular mail and about 3 to 4 days by FedEx, UPS or USPS Priority. That is the Annapolis step only. Add the time to get the copy and the courier days abroad.
Which countries accept a Maryland apostille?
Members of the Hague Apostille Convention accept it. A country outside the treaty asks for embassy or consulate legalization once the state step is done. Look the destination up on the HCCH table and raise it in the free review.
Neighbouring and related guides
From a county clerk to a consulate, with Annapolis in between
Tell us the county, the year of the event and the destination. We review it for free, confirm Maryland’s current fee and give you one flat rate first.