Apostille certification is a document verification process that validates the authenticity of legal documents for international use. It is issued by the country where the document was originally issued and confirms that the document is valid and recognized by foreign governments. Apostille certification is commonly required for business transactions, education or work visas, foreign property purchase, and international adoptions.
The long and short answer is No. However, if your state requires the application for a vital record notarized, a remote online notary can help. You can book your remote online notary at Atlas Notary.
A remote online notary cannot issue a certified copy of a document or apostille a document. The only authority that can issue a certified copy is the municipality that issued the original document. The only authority that can apostille a document is the Secretary of State and the Deputy Secretary of State in the state that issued the original document.
For example, I live in the Netherlands and needed an apostille for a certified copy of my birth certificate. Here are the steps I took:
1 – I ordered a certified copy of my birth certificate from Los Angeles county where I was born. https://www.lavote.gov/home/records/birth-records/birth-records-request/online-request
Side note: If your state requires that the application for your vital record needs a notary, a remote online notary can certainly help. You can book your remote online notary at Atlas Notary.
2 – After receiving the birth certificate, I had to send it in to the State of California to get the apostille. Foreign countries rely on an apostille (a stamp of authentication) to confirm that a document is indeed a true record. Documents needing an apostille are typically vital records including marriage, death, birth and divorce certificates. Unfortunately Los Angeles County does not directly send the certified copy to the State. I followed these directions. https://www.sos.ca.gov/notary/request-apostille
Another side note: The State of California only accepts check or money order for payments by mail (there is an in-person option that accepts cards) which is more difficult if you don’t have either and are living abroad. There are places internationally you can get money orders such as Western Union or Money Gram. You can also send the certified copy to a friend or relative and they can send it in for you with a check. I found it interesting that anyone can get a document an apostille meaning I can send a certified copy of my birth certificate to a friend in California and they can get my birth certificate an apostille (doesn’t have to be me). This may vary by state so please read your Secretary of State website.
There can sometimes be weeks of waiting for these documents to be issued and to arrive. I paid an extra fee for the express service offered for issuing my birth certificate. If you are preparing to move, you want to get these documents in order as soon as possible. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions.
Atlas Notary reviews the request and document prior to notarization to ensure signers our service will fulfill the signers notarization needs. For more information and to schedule a signing, please visit www.atlasnotaryonline.com or email info@atlasnotaryonline.com.
