Illinois State Capitol building in Springfield at dusk

ILLINOIS APOSTILLE

Apostille Services in Illinois — Fast, Secure, Nationwide

Illinois issues apostilles through the Secretary of State's Index Department, with offices in Springfield and Chicago. We handle Illinois-issued vital records, notarized affidavits, court documents, and corporate paperwork for clients across the state — Chicago, Naperville, Aurora, Rockford, and beyond.

From $150 / document State fees + U.S. shipping included

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.

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HOW IT WORKS

How to get a Illinois apostille

Submit your request

Tell us what you need on the intake form. We confirm pricing for your specific Illinois document before you pay.

We submit to IL

We prepare your document and submit it to the Illinois Secretary of State, Index Department.

You receive it back

Apostilled original returned by tracked courier — domestic or international.

DOCUMENTS

Documents commonly apostilled in Illinois

Illinois birth and death certificates (state or county-issued)
Illinois marriage certificates and divorce decrees
Notarized powers of attorney and affidavits
Cook County and other county-issued vital records
Articles of incorporation and corporate good-standing certificates
Diplomas and transcripts from Illinois universities
Single status / no-record affidavits
FBI background checks (federal apostille)

STATE AUTHORITY

Illinois apostille authority

Illinois requirements to know

Documents must be originals that are certified by a government official or notarized by an Illinois Notary Public before submission.
One check or money order payable to the Illinois Secretary of State covers the total fee for multiple documents in a single mailed request.
A self-addressed, stamped return envelope (or prepaid shipping label) must be included, or the state returns documents by first-class mail.
The fee is $2 per Apostille or Certificate of Authority, and both document types use the same request process.

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 Illinois apostille guidance

Information last checked: September 2026.

Issuing Authority

Illinois Secretary of State, Index Department

Location

Springfield, IL (with a Chicago office)

Your Total Price

From $150 per document — the Illinois 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: 7 to 14 business days for mail requests; in-person/walk-in same day
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.

WHY WORK WITH US

Why clients in Illinois choose Global Felicity Group

No in-person visit required — mail your document from anywhere in Illinois.
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

Illinois apostille questions, answered.

7 to 14 business days for mail requests; in-person/walk-in same day 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.

Yes. Cook County-issued vital records first need certification by the Cook County Clerk before the Illinois Secretary of State can apostille them. We handle that step for you when needed.

Our service fee starts at $150 per document and includes document review, the Illinois government fee, submission, and tracked U.S. return shipping. Rush service is $295 per document where available. International return shipping is an add-on.

Yes — mail your document to us from anywhere in Illinois and we handle the rest. No trip to Springfield or downtown Chicago required.

Our $295 rush service targets 3–5 business days with priority courier handling on each end. For very tight deadlines we can use the walk-in counter in Chicago or Springfield. Contact us with your deadline first.

Illinois apostilles: what to send and what we do

Who this is for

Anyone with an Illinois-issued birth, death, marriage, or divorce record that needs to be used abroad.
Documents signed before an Illinois notary, such as affidavits, powers of attorney, and diploma copies.
Illinois business records for overseas banking, contracts, or company registration.

Price

Included

From $150 per document, including the Illinois state fee.
Review, submission, and tracked U.S. return shipping.

Quoted separately, only if you need them

Rush service, $295 per document. Illinois is one of our rush states; we confirm timing first.
Online notarization, if your document needs it.
Translation and international return shipping.

What you provide

The original document, certified by an Illinois government official or notarized by an Illinois notary public. The Secretary of State won't accept anything else.
If you need a new certified copy, order it from the Illinois issuing office (for example, the county clerk). We don't retrieve records as a standard service.
Your destination country and deadline.

What we handle

Checking the certification or notarization meets the Illinois Index Department's requirements before submission.
Preparing the request, paying the state fee, and providing return shipping.
Tracking the request and returning the apostilled document.

Timing — processing and shipping are separate

Illinois Secretary of State: The state publishes 7–14 business days for mailed requests.
Our standard service: Typically 2–4 weeks end-to-end.
Shipping: Separate. Tracked U.S. return is included; international delivery is quoted.

These are estimates, not guarantees. Source: Illinois Secretary of State, checked September 2026.

Already living abroad?

If you've left Illinois, you don't need to go back. Mail the certified original to us, or have someone in the U.S. send it, and we'll return the apostilled document wherever you are.

Why use a service instead of filing yourself?

Illinois has a simple mail-in process, and you can use it directly. Requests usually fail when the document isn't certified the right way, or when an out-of-state notarization is sent to Illinois. We check that before anything is mailed, so you don't lose two weeks waiting for a rejection.

Helpful guides before you order

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