Mail-assisted
Follows the live SOS mail queue
$159 first document
- Eligibility review of your scans
- Cover sheet and complete mail packet
- Tracked U.S. return after SOS releases the file
- Each extra document $85
California-origin documents
Ready your records for use abroad.
We review eligible California documents, prepare the SOS package, and submit in person or by mail. The apostille itself is issued only by the California Secretary of State.
Originals only — no photocopies
State fee included in quoted price
Inland Empire · statewide mail-in
Call(951) 555-0140
Emailhello@apostillexpress.us
Text / WhatsAppsame number after you replace the placeholder
First stepscans only — do not mail originals yet
Turnaround
Pick a filing speed. Review happens before payment.
Prices include the California Secretary of State $20 apostille fee. In-person runs also cover the $6 special-handling fee when it applies. Additional same-order documents are discounted.
Counter courier
Hand-carried to Sacramento or Los Angeles
$249 first document
- Same review and package prep
- In-person SOS counter filing
- Typical window at the counter is about 30 minutes
- Overnight U.S. return · extra document $99
Same-business-day attempt
Cutoff applies · counter must be open
$349 first document
- Originals in our hands by the stated cutoff
- Same-day filing when the counter can take the file
- Scan sent when the apostille is attached
- Extra document $129
Deposit is requested only after we confirm the document is eligible. If the SOS rejects a filing because of an error we made in preparation or submission, we refund our service fee on that document.
NotarizationCalifornia notarial certificate when the private document still needs one
Vital-record copiesHelp ordering a certified county or CDPH original
Federal pathFBI, IRS, and USCIS files route to the U.S. Department of State
Legalization mapNon-Hague destinations planned before you buy an apostille-only package
Pickup / ship-backInland Empire drop-off by arrangement · tracked national and international return
How work begins
Scans first. Originals only after the route is confirmed.
- You send photos or PDFs and the destination country.
- We check certification, notarial language, and whether the country takes an apostille or needs consular legalization.
- You receive a checklist and a firm quote.
- Only then do you ship or drop off the original.
What California can authenticate
If it was issued or notarized in California, start here.
- Certified birth, marriage, and death records
- Court-certified judgments and family-law orders
- Powers of attorney, affidavits, and other California notarizations
- Registrar-certified diplomas and transcripts
- Certified SOS corporate copies and notarized company papers
Photocopies are not accepted by the SOS. County-issued vital records sometimes need extra certification before Sacramento will attach an apostille.
Why clients hire a facilitator
The state office is public. The rejection risk is personal.
Anyone may walk a file into the Secretary of State. People hire us to keep originals out of a weeks-long mail restart after a small defect.
Correct government desk
California SOS for California documents. Federal records go east to the Department of State. Out-of-state papers go to that other state — we say so before you pay.
Defects caught early
Incomplete acknowledgments, informational vital copies, and uncertified diplomas are the usual reasons a counter clerk sends a file back.
Chain of custody
Tracked inbound and outbound shipping. A scan of the finished apostille can go to you or to counsel while the original is still in transit.
Hague destination
If the receiving country is a party to the 1961 Apostille Convention, a California apostille is usually the last U.S. authentication step. It confirms signature, capacity, and seal — not that the facts in the document are true.
Frequent destinations from Southern California include Mexico, Spain, Italy, Colombia, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, and China.
Non-Hague destination
Some agencies still require consular or embassy legalization after state authentication. Inheritance and bank files bound for parts of the Gulf are a common example.
We map that path first so you do not purchase a California-only package when the receiving office will ask for another stamp. Confirm current membership on the HCCH status table.
FAQ
Read this before you put an original in the mail.
Do you issue the apostille?
No. Only the California Secretary of State issues a California apostille. We are a private facilitation company. Anyone, including an unrelated agent, may submit a request to the SOS.
What does the state charge?
$20 per apostille. In-person filings add $6 special handling for each different public official’s signature. Mail filings do not include that $6 fee. Our service fee is separate and shown in the quote.
How long is the official queue?
Walk-in counters in Sacramento and Los Angeles typically finish a complete file in about 30 minutes if you arrive by 4:30 p.m. Mail is processed in the order received. Check the live dates on the SOS processing-times page before you promise a foreign deadline. As of August 25, 2026, mail apostilles were being processed from requests received August 13, 2026.
Can I send a scan instead of the original?
Scans are only for our review. The SOS requires the original certified or original notarized document. A photocopy is not acceptable.
Where do official filings go?
USPS mail: Notary Public Section, P.O. Box 942877, Sacramento, CA 94277-0001. FedEx / UPS / DHL: 1500 11th Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. Walk-in counters operate in Sacramento and Los Angeles.
How is a finished apostille verified?
The SOS hosts an online search for apostilles issued in the last five years at apostille-search.sos.ca.gov.
Document review
Upload scans. We reply with the route and a quote.
This form is for a free eligibility review. No card is charged here. After we confirm the document can be filed, you deposit and ship or drop off the original.
- PDF or clear phone photos — 5 files max
- Keep each file under about 4 MB so the packet goes through
- Do not mail originals until we say the file is ready
Service area. Inland Empire drop-off by appointment. Mail-in from anywhere in the United States.
Required disclosure. Apostille Express is not a government agency and is not affiliated with the California Secretary of State. We do not issue apostilles. Those certificates come only from the competent public authority. This site is general information, not legal advice.