New Jersey Vital Records Apostille: The Treasury in Trenton Signs It, Not the Secretary of State
A New Jersey vital records apostille takes two Trenton offices. The Department of Health issues the certified copy with the State Registrar’s original signature, and the Treasury Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services apostilles it for $25. The standard published time is 12 to 20 business days. Here is the order, with the traps.
- Trenton chain explained
- Free document review
- Hablamos Español
Two offices in Trenton, and the second is not who people expect
A typical case: a spouse from Hoboken is moving to Germany on an employment permit, and the German mission’s site says the US marriage certificate must carry an apostille. She sends the record to the Secretary of State’s office. It goes nowhere, because in New Jersey the Secretary of State does not do this. The Hague Conference lists the Division of Revenue as the competent authority for the state, and the Treasury page confirms the service.
The chain has three links. The Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics and Registry issues a certified copy. When you order, you tick the box asking for the copy for an apostille, so it carries the original signature of the State Registrar or an Assistant or Deputy State Registrar. The Treasury then signs as State Treasurer and attaches the apostille. A plain paper “certification” from the Health Department is not for legal use.
The Treasury apostilles only for Hague countries. For anywhere else it issues a certification, and the embassy finishes the job. See our guide to apostille versus legalization. It also cannot apostille a vital record issued in another state.
The four records and the court exception
Three of the four come from the Department of Health. The fourth belongs to the courts.
| Record | Who issues the copy | What the copy must show | Copy fee | Extra step before Treasury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth. | Department of Health, Trenton. | State copy with the Registrar signature. A town clerk copy will not do. | $25 with one copy. | None. |
| Marriage. | Department of Health, or the local registrar where the license was issued. Prefer the state. | Apostille box ticked, original State Registrar signature. A municipal copy: confirm with the office. | $25 with one copy, $2 each more. | None. Proof of relationship for a marriage under 50 years old. |
| Death. | Department of Health, or the local registrar. | Same as marriage. A death within 40 years is non-genealogical and needs proof of relationship. | $25 with one copy, $2 each more. | None. |
| Divorce. | Superior Court of New Jersey. Not the Health Department. | Exemplified copy from the Superior Court Clerk’s Office. Fee: confirm with the court. | Court fees are listed at $25 and $10 and the sources differ. | The exemplification, before Treasury. |
Treasury covers vital records from 1 January 1923. Earlier records sit with the State Archives.
How the Division of Revenue takes requests today
The Treasury’s apostille page sends you to an online Apostille and Certification Service. You request and pay by credit card or e-check, plus a convenience fee where one applies. You then mail or drop off the confirmation page with the documents. The page lists no street address for the Customer Service Center. A Treasury fact sheet dated November 2016 gave PO Box 452, Trenton, NJ 08646 for mail and 33 West State Street, 5th Floor, Trenton for in person or expedited work. Both are old, so confirm before sending anything. The Treasury phone is 609-292-9292.
The same page says the service covers New Jersey notaries and selected officials, among them the State Registrar of Vital Statistics, and that the original copy bearing the original certification is required. It points to the Department of Health for records from 1923 on and to the State Archives for earlier ones. The Department of Health number is 609-292-4087.
Payment at the Department of Health is by check or money order payable to Treasurer, State of New Jersey. Cash has not been accepted at its 140 East Front Street counter since 18 June 2026. Order by mail or online if you cannot get to Trenton, and read the ordering page for current instructions.
From a Munich or Lisbon apartment to Trenton and back
A timeline you can plan around
New Jersey keeps Eastern time, six hours behind Germany and Italy and five behind Portugal. Government phones are answered in your morning.
- 1
Order the state copy, say apostille
Use the Department of Health, online, by mail or through a person in Trenton. Tick the apostille box. Prove your relationship if the record is recent. We can help where the state allows an authorized third party, and we confirm in the free review.
- 2
Receive it at a US address
Have it delivered to our Tewksbury office or a relative, not abroad. The state signature is the whole point of the paper, and a trip overseas and back wastes a week.
- 3
File the Treasury request
The online service takes the order and card or e-check payment. Select the destination country, because a non-Hague country changes the document you receive.
- 4
Send or drop off the paper
The confirmation page travels with the original copy. We handle the mailing and track it, since the old addresses are unreliable.
- 5
Check the apostille
We compare the name, dates and country to your passport and the foreign checklist before it goes abroad.
- 6
Ship and track
Express courier usually runs two to five business days in each direction, and customs can add more. Every case is tracked in ApostilleDesk.
Standard Treasury time alone is 12 to 20 business days. Put the Health copy and two courier legs on top and expect several weeks. If a consulate appointment is fixed, tell us the date up front so we pick the expedited option or say it cannot fit.
Six New Jersey specific reasons a file is returned
Sent to the Secretary of State
Trenton has two relevant offices and the apostille comes from the Treasury. A record posted to the wrong one is lost time.
A town clerk or local registrar copy
The state wants its own copy. For birth it is a firm no, and for marriage and death it is unconfirmed, so do not gamble.
A plain Health Department certification
Without the apostille box the copy lacks the State Registrar’s original signature. It is not for legal use.
Asked of the Department of Health
The Health Department does not issue decrees. Go to the Superior Court and ask for the exemplified copy.
A pre-1923 certificate
The Treasury does not cover it. Records before 1923 belong to the State Archives, and the foreign office must be told.
A notarized translation attached to the record
It takes two apostilles and two fees. Ask the receiving authority whether it wants the translation attached or separate.
Germany and Italy, the two requests our New Jersey clients mention most
Germany
Germany is a Hague country. The Germany.info visa FAQ says a US marriage certificate used for a residence permit needs an apostille, and that family permits need the marriage certificate and the children’s birth certificates. The German missions cannot issue apostilles, so the Treasury step is yours. Age limits for documents were not on the pages we read, so ask the mission. See the Germany.info FAQ.
Italy
Italy is a Hague country, and citizenship by descent changed in 2025. The Chicago consulate checklist we read asks for US records of the Italian line to carry the apostille of the issuing state, translated into Italian. For New Jersey that apostille is the Treasury’s. Your own consulate may publish a different checklist, so check it, and confirm that your route is still open before you spend money.
Check any other country on the HCCH status table. We can provide ATA certified translations that get notarized. We are not a sworn translator and we do not arrange sworn translations, so if your destination demands one, you hire that translator there.
Both Trenton steps, handled from Tewksbury
Boston Apostille Service is a private document preparation and courier service in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, working since 2007. We review your file for free, tell you which copy to order, help obtain the certified copy where New Jersey allows an authorized third party, file the Treasury request, send the paper and check the finished apostille. You follow the case in ApostilleDesk. Hablamos Español.
Before any payment we check the Treasury fee and speed and give you one flat-rate quote. Rush is the fastest level we offer, but in New Jersey it follows the Treasury queue. Our pricing page and how it works give the background. When you are ready, send the application form or call (978) 424-4629 any weekday from 10am to 5pm Eastern.
We operate independently. The Treasury, the Department of Health and your consulate are not affiliated with us, and the state sets the fees.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a New Jersey record apostilled from abroad?
Order the certified copy from the Department of Health in Trenton and tick the apostille box, then have it delivered to a United States address. Someone files the Treasury request online and sends the paper in with the confirmation page. We can run both halves, and we review the file at no charge before you pay.
Does the New Jersey Secretary of State issue the apostille?
No. New Jersey vital records are apostilled by the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services in the Department of the Treasury, in Trenton. The Hague Conference lists the Division of Revenue as the competent authority for the state. Sending a record to the Secretary of State only costs you time.
Will Treasury accept a copy from my town registrar?
For a birth certificate the answer is no, because the state wants its own copy with the State Registrar signature. For marriage and death certificates the pages we read do not settle it. Order the state copy to be safe, and confirm with the Treasury before relying on a municipal copy.
How long does the New Jersey apostille take?
The published standard time is 12 to 20 business days, with an expedited option at a higher state fee. The Treasury page now routes you to an online service that shows current fees and times, so confirm there. Add the Department of Health copy time and courier days at both ends.
What happens if my destination is not a Hague country?
Treasury issues a certification rather than an apostille, and the embassy or consulate of that country then legalizes the record. Check the country on the HCCH status table before you order, and read our apostille versus legalization guide. We can tell you the extra steps during the free review.
Where do I get a New Jersey divorce decree for an apostille?
From the Superior Court of New Jersey, not the Department of Health. Recent cases come from the county Family Division, older or closed ones from the Superior Court Clerk’s Office in Trenton. The court exemplifies the copy, and then it goes to the Treasury. Ask the court clerk what the exemplified copy costs.
What if I add a translation to the vital record?
A notarized English translation attached to a New Jersey vital record gets two apostilles, and the state charges two fees. Decide whether the receiving authority wants the translation attached or filed separately before you order. Many destination offices want the translation prepared in their own country, so ask first.
Next to New Jersey
From a Trenton office to your consulate abroad
Send us the record type and the country. We tell you which New Jersey copy to order and file the Treasury request.