Washington Vital Records Apostille: Order Both at DOH, or Split It
A Washington vital records apostille is issued by the Secretary of State in Tumwater at $15 per document. The Department of Health or a county signs the certified copy first. DOH will order the certificate and the apostille together, which suits anyone living abroad. Standard processing is 7 to 10 business days, and expedited and same-day options cost extra.
- Secretary of State, Tumwater
- Free document review
- Hablamos Español
- Tewksbury office, Boston area
One decision shapes the whole file: bundled or separate
Washington gives you two ways in. In the bundled route you ask the Department of Health to order the certificate and the apostille in one request. DOH forwards the certificate to the Secretary of State, and the DOH page says apostilles usually come back within about a week. In the separate route you get the certified copy first, then send it to the Secretary of State yourself or through us.
Either way, the Secretary of State says an apostille can only be issued for an original or certified copy of a vital record, and the record has to come from Washington. The official pages are partial on some details, and where they are silent this guide says “confirm with the office.” Check the destination on the HCCH status table as well.
Washington at a glance
- Apostille office
- Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division, Tumwater.
- State fee
- $15 per document.
- Standard time
- 7 to 10 business days by the state’s own estimate.
- Faster options
- Expedited, 2 to 3 business days. Same-day in person at Tumwater or Cheney.
- Copy issuers
- DOH Center for Vital Statistics or a local health department. County auditor for marriage licenses. Superior Court clerk for decrees.
- County step
- None reported before the apostille.
- Online
- No online ordering found. Online search of issued apostilles only.
Bundled through DOH, or separate through you
| Route. | How it works. | What you pay the state. | Best for. | Confirm with the office. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bundled at DOH. | A mail form lists the country and number of apostilles. DOH can also take the request through its phone vendor, VitalChek. DOH forwards to the Secretary of State. | $25 per certificate plus $15 per apostille on the DOH form, payable to DOH. Vendor orders add their own fees. | Birth, death and marriage records that DOH holds, ordered from abroad. | Which years DOH holds for marriage, death and divorce. |
| Separate. | Get the certified copy from DOH, a health department or a county, then send it to Tumwater with your own request. | $25 at DOH by mail plus $15 per apostille at the Secretary of State. | County auditor marriage records and Superior Court decrees. | County auditor and court clerk fees. |
These figures come from the DOH apostille page and the Secretary of State’s apostille resource page, read in October 2026. Another DOH page covers the ordering process.
What each Washington record is, and who signs it
| Record. | Who issues the certified copy. | Fee for the copy. | What to watch. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth. | DOH or a local health department. | $25 by mail. | The informational copy costs the same and fails. Order a certified copy. |
| Marriage. | The county auditor that issued the license, or DOH. | $25 at DOH. County fee: confirm with the auditor. | Years held by DOH: confirm with the office. |
| Death. | DOH or a local health department. | $25 at DOH by mail. | Long or short form: confirm with the office. |
| Divorce. | DOH for a divorce certificate, or the county Superior Court clerk for the decree. | $25 at DOH. Decree fee: confirm with the clerk. | The Secretary of State lists both a divorce certificate and a certified court document. Ask which your destination wants. |
The Secretary of State accepts certified copies signed by state or county officials, or their authorized representatives. A clerk’s certification is what it takes on a court record, not a notary’s stamp. Whose signature the office has on file for DOH is not stated, so ask.
Tumwater, Cheney and the price of speed
The Secretary of State’s resource page sets the base fee at $15 per document. Standard processing runs 7 to 10 business days. Expedited processing adds $100 for each batch of up to ten documents and takes 2 to 3 business days. A same-day in-person service adds $150 for the first ten documents. It is offered at the Tumwater office and at Cheney, where the same-day service is the only service.
The page gives a mailing address, PO Box 40234, Olympia, WA 98504-0234, and the phone number (360) 725-0377. It does not give street addresses for Tumwater or Cheney. The Contact Us page is the place to confirm them before a courier or a walk-in visit. Same-day work is subject to business hours, cutoff times and request volume.
There is no e-apostille. The office does run an online search that lets a recipient check that an apostille was issued. That search helps the other end, but it does not replace the paper.
Washington, drawn out
A Washington order placed from another country
Picture a software engineer in Munich who married in a Seattle suburb and needs the marriage certificate apostilled for a family residence permit. The county auditor issued the license. DOH may or may not hold the record for that year. That is the classic Washington question, and the answer is on the phone, not on the website. We can help obtain the copy where the office allows an authorized third party, and we confirm it in the free review.
- 1
Decide bundled or separate
Birth, death and DOH-held marriage records suit the bundled route. Court decrees and county auditor marriages go the separate way.
- 2
Gather the identity proof
The pages we read do not list who may order, so confirm with DOH. Have a government ID and your relationship to the person ready.
- 3
Submit the DOH form or the phone order
List the destination country and the number of apostilles on the form. The phone vendor charges its own fees on top.
- 4
Use a US delivery address
Even in the bundled route the finished set has to land somewhere. Choose a US address where someone can forward it by courier, or have it delivered to our office.
- 5
Wait the stated time
The DOH page says about a week after DOH forwards the file. The Secretary of State’s own standard time is 7 to 10 business days. Pacific time is usually eight to nine hours behind Central Europe, so schedule calls for your morning.
- 6
Ship abroad with tracking
DHL, FedEx and UPS take several business days to most countries. Ask for a signature on delivery.
Send the record type, the county and the country through the application form or call (978) 424-4629, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm Eastern.
Where a Washington file stalls
The informational copy
DOH sells an informational copy for the same price, and it is not accepted. Ask for the certified copy.
An out-of-state record
The Secretary of State apostilles only records issued in Washington. Other states handle their own.
A notarized photocopy
The office accepts an original or a certified copy. A court record needs a clerk’s certification, not a notary stamp.
Assuming DOH holds every marriage
The years DOH holds are not stated. A county auditor may be the only source. Check before paying.
The wrong payee or amount
On the bundled form the fees go to DOH. At the Secretary of State they go to that office. Mixing them stalls a file.
Assuming same-day applies
Same-day service is in person, at set hours, subject to volume. It does not help if the copy is still in the mail.
Germany and Croatia
Germany. Germany is a Hague party. The visa FAQ on the German Mission’s site says an apostille is needed on a US marriage certificate used for a German residence permit and that German missions do not issue apostilles. The immigration office checks the document. For family members you may also need the children’s birth certificates. Which translation and age rules apply depends on the permit and the office, so ask the Aliens’ Office. Our guide for people living abroad covers the shipping side.
Croatia. Croatia is a Hague party. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs says one authentication by the competent body in the issuing country is enough. The pages we read do not list the documents for a specific permit, validity windows or translation rules, so confirm them with the Croatian embassy or the receiving office before ordering.
For translation, we provide ATA certified translations that get notarized. We are not a sworn translator and we do not arrange sworn translations. When a Croatian or German office requires a sworn translator, hire one there and we ship the apostilled set to them.
What we do, and what it costs
We are a private document preparation and courier service in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, near Boston. We have served clients since 2007, and we handle documents for every state. For a Washington order the free document review decides whether the bundled or separate route fits, and we manage the DOH form, the Secretary of State request and the courier abroad. ApostilleDesk shows each step.
Our published prices cover Massachusetts: Economy $149.95, Express $199.95, Rush $385.95 per document, with state fee and return postage included. Washington is quoted on its own. After the review you get one flat rate before you pay. See pricing and how it works.
We are not affiliated with any state office, school or consulate. Hablamos Español.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a Washington record apostilled from abroad?
Ask the Department of Health to order the certificate and apostille together using its mail form or phone vendor, with a US delivery address. For county or court records, get the certified copy first, then send it to the Secretary of State in Tumwater. Then courier the finished set overseas.
Does the Washington Department of Health order the apostille for me?
Yes, for records it issues. The DOH apostille page describes a form listing the country and number of apostilles, with a certificate fee plus a per-apostille fee payable to DOH, and a phone vendor option. DOH forwards the file to the Secretary of State. Confirm current fees and years held with DOH.
How much does a Washington apostille cost?
The Secretary of State charges $15 per document. Expedited service adds $100 per ten documents and same-day in-person service adds $150 for the first ten. A DOH certificate costs $25 by mail. County and court clerk fees are not stated on the pages we read, so ask the clerk.
How long does a Washington apostille take?
The Secretary of State lists 7 to 10 business days for standard processing and 2 to 3 for expedited. The DOH page says it usually receives apostilles within about a week when it forwards a file. These are the state’s figures, so add courier days in both directions.
Is a Washington informational copy accepted for an apostille?
No. DOH sells an informational copy at the same price as a certified one, and the informational copy fails. The Secretary of State only issues an apostille for an original or certified copy. When you order, specify a certified copy for legal use abroad and check the form before you pay.
Which Washington office issues a divorce record for an apostille?
The Secretary of State lists both a DOH divorce certificate and a certified court document as eligible. Ask the receiving authority which it wants. For a decree, request a clerk-certified copy from the county Superior Court. Confirm the clerk fee and any extra certification with the court.
Does Washington have an e-apostille?
No online ordering or e-apostille was found. The Secretary of State runs an online search where anyone can look up an apostille that was issued. Originals still travel on paper, so plan for mail or a courier on both legs. Confirm any new service with the office.
Neighbouring and related guides
From a Washington county to a desk abroad
Tell us the record, the county and the country. We pick the bundled or separate route, then handle Tumwater and the courier.