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Global Felicity Group Document Services
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CALIFORNIA APOSTILLE

California Apostille Services — Standard and Rush Processing

Get your California-issued document apostilled without traveling to Sacramento or Los Angeles. We review your document before payment, submit it through the correct California process, and return the original by tracked delivery.

  • From $150 per document
  • State filing fees included
  • Free tracked U.S. return shipping
  • No payment until document review
  • Rush processing available for eligible documents

Service fee includes state filing fees and U.S. domestic return shipping via 2-day FedEx (UPS used for federal documents only). International return shipping available for an additional fee.

Check My California Document Ask a Question

No payment required to request a quote. We confirm your document's processing route, total price, and estimated timeline before payment.

SERVICE OPTION

Standard service

From $150 per document

Processing follows the California Secretary of State’s current queue, plus shipping.

Includes document review, state filing fees, submission and tracked U.S. return shipping.

Start Standard Request

SERVICE OPTION

Rush service

$295 per document

Targets 3–5 business days for eligible documents by using available in-person processing and priority courier service.

Availability must be confirmed before payment. Processing estimates are not guaranteed.

Check Rush Availability

HOW IT WORKS

How to get a California apostille

01

Submit your document

Tell us the document type and destination country. Upload a scan if available.

02

We review and confirm

We check eligibility, explain any required corrections, and confirm the price and expected timeline before payment.

03

We process and return it

We submit through the correct California channel and return the apostilled original by tracked domestic or international delivery.

DOCUMENT REVIEW

Can Your California Document Be Apostilled?

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DOCUMENTS

Documents commonly apostilled in California

STATE AUTHORITY

California apostille authority

Mail requests: processed in order received via the Sacramento office only, with the current processing-date queue published on the Secretary of State's Current Processing Dates page (varies with volume, sometimes several weeks). In person: submissions at the Sacramento or Los Angeles offices are typically processed within 30 minutes if arriving by 4:30 p.m. This is the government's own published estimate and can change with agency volume.

Processing estimates are not guarantees and may change based on the issuing authority, document type and destination country.

View California Secretary of State requirements

California requirements to know

  • The document must be signed by a California public official or be an original notarized and/or certified document; photocopies are not acceptable.
  • Mail requests require the document, a cover sheet stating the destination country, a $20.00 check or money order per apostille, and a self-addressed return envelope (with prepaid postage if tracking is desired).
  • Mail requests are processed only by the Sacramento office; in-person service is available at both the Sacramento and Los Angeles offices.
  • California does not accept online apostille submissions.

Once you have the eligible document, GFG can review it, coordinate the apostille process, and arrange tracked return shipping. Additional certification requirements may apply depending on how the document was issued.

Official California apostille guidance

Information last checked: September 2026.

Issuing Authority

California Secretary of State, Notary Public and Apostille Section

Location

Sacramento, CA (with a Los Angeles regional office)

Your Total Price

From $150 per document — the California government fee, document review, submission, and tracked U.S. return shipping are all included. Rush service is $295 per document where available.

Timing

Government processing
Mail requests: processed in order received via the Sacramento office only, with the current processing-date queue published on the Secretary of State's Current Processing Dates page (varies with volume, sometimes several weeks). In person: submissions at the Sacramento or Los Angeles offices are typically processed within 30 minutes if arriving by 4:30 p.m.
GFG standard service
About 2-4 weeks end-to-end, including the government's processing and shipping.
GFG rush service
A GFG service option, not a government timeline — we confirm availability and the expected timing before you pay.
Shipping
Tracked U.S. return shipping is included; international delivery is quoted separately.

Estimates only — government processing speed cannot be guaranteed.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDANCE

California Apostille Requirements

  • California can apostille documents issued in California or properly notarized by a California notary.
  • Vital records generally require a certified copy from the appropriate state or county authority.
  • Photocopies and informational copies are not normally eligible.
  • Personal documents usually require proper notarization.
  • Federal documents, including FBI background checks, require a federal apostille.
  • Documents intended for non-Hague countries may require authentication or embassy legalization instead.

Global Felicity Group is a private document-facilitation company, not a government agency or law firm.

WHY WORK WITH US

Why clients in California choose Global Felicity Group

  • No in-person visit required — mail your document from anywhere in California.
  • Bilingual support (English & Spanish) with experience handling international destinations.
  • Tracked return shipping — domestic and international — so you know where your document is at every step.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

California apostille questions, answered.

Submit your document details online and mail the eligible original to us. We handle submission to the California Secretary of State and return it by tracked delivery, so no California visit is required.

Mail requests: processed in order received via the Sacramento office only, with the current processing-date queue published on the Secretary of State's Current Processing Dates page (varies with volume, sometimes several weeks). In person: submissions at the Sacramento or Los Angeles offices are typically processed within 30 minutes if arriving by 4:30 p.m. Total timing also includes shipping to us, our review, and tracked return shipping. Rush service may be available for eligible documents — we confirm availability before you pay. Government processing speed cannot be guaranteed.

Generally, yes. You usually need a certified copy issued by the California Department of Public Health or an authorized county office. Informational, photocopied, and hospital souvenir copies are not normally eligible.

Standard service starts at $150 per document and includes document review, state filing fees, submission, and tracked U.S. return shipping. Rush service is $295 per document when available. We confirm the final price before payment.

Certified vital records and certified court or state records do not need notarization. Personal documents such as powers of attorney, affidavits, and notarized copies generally must be notarized by a California notary before they can be apostilled.

Rush service may be available for eligible documents and targets 3–5 business days using available in-person processing and priority courier service. Availability and the expected timeline must be confirmed before payment.

No. An FBI background check is a federal document and requires a federal apostille through the U.S. Department of State, not the California Secretary of State.

We review the document before payment and explain what must be corrected or replaced. We do not submit an ineligible version without discussing the next step with you.

Yes. International tracked return delivery is available for an additional shipping fee, confirmed before payment.

Helpful guides before you order

Ready to Apostille Your California Document?

Start with a document review. We’ll confirm whether your document is eligible, what processing path applies, the expected timeline and the final price before you pay.

  • Document reviewed before payment
  • State fees included
  • Tracked return delivery
  • English and Spanish support
  • International delivery available
Check My California Document