Apostille - General Information

One of the functions of the Office of Secretary of State for Nevada is to provide Authentication of Signatures, also known as Apostilles or Certifications. Any document to be presented to a governing body of a foreign country, or a document to be used for official business within the United States is eligible for this service. Examples include:

• Marriage Certificates
• Birth and Death Certificates
• Letters of Eligibility of Marital Status
• Powers of Attorney
• Parental Permission Slips
• Foreign Adoption Papers
• Authorization to Conduct Business in Foreign Countries

A certified copy of marriage or divorce decrees or certificates of birth or death can be obtained from the County Recorder/County Clerk of the county in which the event occurred. Certified copies of birth and death certificates can be obtained from the State Office of Vital Records and Statistics, 4150 Technology Way Room 104 Carson City, Nevada 89706.

Procedures for Receiving an Apostille or Certificate from the Secretary of State:

1. Obtain a Certified Copy of Nevada Document from the county where the event occurred.
2. Complete and print out the Apostille/Certification Order Form. Any request for an apostille must be accompanied with this Apostille Order Form. Any apostille request submitted without this form will be returned.
   
   Apostille/Certification Order Form (PDF)
3. Submit the certificate document and order form to:
   
   Nevada Secretary of State
   101 North Carson St., Suite 3
   Carson City, NV. 89701
   along with a money order, Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card number and expiration date, in the amount of $20 in U.S. currency for each certification required. In addition, it is necessary to provide an email address, a return address or self-addressed, stamped envelope AND the name of the country in which the certification will be used.

Authentication of a Nevada Notarized Document:

For the authentication of a Notary signature on most other documents, the document needs to be notarized by a Nevada notary and submitted to:

along with $20 in U.S. currency or a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card number, expiration date, the name of the country in which the document will be used, an email address, and a return address or self-addressed, stamped envelope.

All documents are returned by First Class Mail, regardless if the document are Expedited. If you want your documents returned using a special handling company please include a pre-paid self addressed mailing envelope.