Apostille California Vital Records

Authenticate California birth, death and marriage certificates for use abroad.

Isarey provides expedited Apostilles to authenticate Vital Records issued in California, including certificates issued by the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.

Apostilles on California marriage, death and birth certificates are obtained from the Secretary of State in Sacramento and dispatched in 1 business day.

Birth and death certificates requiring prior certification by the local County Clerk (certificate issued by a city or county agency and signed by a Health Officer or County Registrar) may take additional 5 - 10 business days.

Apostilles can be obtained for California birth, death and marriage certificates issued by the California Department of Public Health (signed by the State Registrar), as well as vital records issued by Californian county officials.

• Get a quotation to apostille California documents
• FAQs - California Apostille Services
• How to obtain California vital records

California death and birth certificates

California death and birth certificates are directly eligible for authentication and Apostille stamping if signed by

• a California County Clerk (or deputy)
• a County Recorder (or deputy)
• the State Registrar (California Department of Public Health)

Birth and death certificates signed by a Health Officer or County Registrar and issued by a city-level or county-level agency can also be authenticated and apostilled, but will first need to be certified by the County Clerk in the county of issue (please additional 5-10 business days for this step).

California birth and death certificates issued before 1995 are no longer eligible for an Apostille Stamp - a new certificate must be ordered.

California Marriage Certificates

A California marriage certificate must be a certified copy issued by the County Clerk or County Recorder of a Californian county, such as Los Angeles County, San Diego County, Orange County, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, San Francisco.

Marriage certificate issued before 1995 are no longer eligible for an Apostille Stamp - a new certificate must be ordered.

Apostille or Authentication

Countries that have acceded to the Apostille Convention will recognise California Apostilles directly as confirming authenticity, without requiring additional certification in the United States. California birth, death and marriage certificates needed for use in non-Apostille countries require an Authentication Certificate from the California Secretary of State and must then be attested by the embassy of the recipient country (some embassies also require prior legalization by the U.S. Department of State in Washington DC).

Countries that accept California Apostille stamps directly include:
Spain - Italy - Portugal - Greece - Cyprus - France - Saudi Arabia - Germany - China

Countries requiring an authentication certificate and embassy attestation include:
United Arab Emirates - Qatar - Thailand - Taiwan - Vietnam

See: List of Apostille Convention Countries

California Apostilles cannot be obtained for Birth, Marriage, Death and Adoption certificates issued in other U.S. states. Notarized copies of California vital records cannot be used to obtain apostilles - the original certificate is required and the Apostille or Authentication will be attached to the original.

Certified translations of California vital records

When California birth, death and marriage certificates are required for submission to the authorities of a country that does not have English as an official language, a certified translation is often required. The translation should normally be done after the Apostille is obtained on the original certificate, as the original apostille will also need to be translated.

There are generally two options for certifying the translation so that it is officially accepted by the consulates, embassies or authorities of the recipient country.

• A translation can be done in the United States. The translation is then certified before a notary and a second Apostille is obtained to authenticate it. The notarization and Apostille do not need to be issued in California and normally it is cheaper and easier to certify the translation in Washington DC with an Apostille from the Washington DC Secretary of State.
• A certified translation can be done in the destination country. We work with sworn translators in Italy, Brazil, Spain, France, Germany and many other countries, ensuring that your documents are correctly translated and that the translations are properly certified for official acceptance.

The best option normally depends on whether the documents and translations are to be submitted to authorities in the recipient country or to an embassy or consulate of the recipient country in the United States.

Please contact us for advice and assistance.

Vital Records from other U.S. states

As well as California, we provide apostille services across the United States. We work with local notaries and authentication companies in different states to ensure low-cost and expedited processing of apostilles and authentications of birth, death and marriage records as well as other State and Federal documents, including Apostilles for FBI Background Checks.